UW Madison Law School established the Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic in 2009 with the idea of offering free legal advice to entrepreneurs throughout Wisconsin. A recent peek into their results has revealed that many of the clients that were advised by the clinic have moved on to big things.

One of the beautiful things about this clinic is that it is run by college students, which provides law students an opportunity to gain experience and flex their legal muscles in the real world while still honing their craft in university. The clinic therefore allows both students and local startups to benefit—everyone wins!

The clinic has three goals, says Anne Smith, the clinic’s director and an assistant clinical professor of law. “We provide a challenging academic experience for students, a quality work product for the client, and an economic benefit for the state.”

This is just one more example of the many benefits of providing free legal advice for those who need it. Not only can it be beneficial for startups, but also the poor and underrepresented, and even states and local governments!

According to a recent article in the New York Times, funding for legal aid in civil cases does indeed save funds in the long run. In fact, they found that not only does it just pay for itself, but also it often produces genuine cost savings, plus savings in the human costs associated with evictions and foreclosures.

This mirrors a Massachusetts bar study showing that for every dollar spent representing families and individuals in housing court, the state would save $2.69 in costs associated with providing other services.

Are you curious about where you can find free legal aid and legal help online? Click on the following link from lawhelp.org to learn more!