GPM February Pro Bono Spotlight
Gray Plant Mooty and the University of Minnesota's Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship are partnering on a new Student Venture Pro Bono Program. The program will provide pro bono services to student entrepreneurs who want to start businesses—for example, by helping with the creation of corporate entities or registering trademarks. The program, which was organized by GPM attorney Doug Ramler, has three different ways for GPM attorneys to get involved: (1) staffing office hours at the University of Minnesota several times a semester to provide student entrepreneur groups with limited advice in a clinic setting, (2) attending workshops and courses to provide students with more general legal information, and (3) providing full representation to a limited number of student teams whose entrepreneurial ideas are ready to launch.
Last week, GPM had its first session at the University of Minnesota, and met with student groups involved in starting businesses relating to video chat, vertical farming, and a proprietary pump mechanism. A fourth student group is ready to begin operations with their company, which provides rapid prototyping services—in other words, quickly fabricating a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional computer aided design data (i.e., 3D printing). GPM will be providing representation to this group, assisting with organizational and contract matters.
This partnership provides a fantastic way for GPM attorneys to assist student entrepreneurs, laying the foundation for their future business success. We’re excited about this new opportunity for University of Minnesota students and GPM attorneys.
To learn more about pro bono matters in which GPM attorneys are making a difference, visit our pro bono page.