Contact: Nick Leonard, nicholas.leonard@glelc.org
Services offered:
• both pro bono and discounted legal services to individuals, nonprofit corporations, and certain for-profit businesses engaged in urban agriculture in Detroit.
• Advice regarding how to form and structure a business or a nonprofit corporation
• Assistance in filing for tax-exempt status with the IRS
• Negotiating for the purchase of property from a public or private landowner
• Drafting, reviewing, or negotiating agreements or contracts
• Advice regarding tax law
• Filing nonprofit property tax exemption applications
• Filing qualified agricultural property tax exemption applications
• Advising 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations on IRS regulations
• Tax law counseling
• Employment law counseling
• Local zoning and land use regulation counseling
WHAT ASSISTANCE DO YOU OFFER FOR PEOPLE OR GROUPS INTERESTED IN STARTING AN URBAN AGRICULTURE PROJECT?
The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center offers both pro bono and discounted legal services to individuals, nonprofit corporations, and certain for-profit businesses engaged in urban agriculture in Detroit. Frequently, these services include the following:
i. Advice regarding how to form and structure a business or a nonprofit corporation
ii. Assistance in filing for tax-exempt status with the IRS
iii. Negotiating for the purchase of property from a public or private landowner
iv. Drafting, reviewing, or negotiating agreements or contracts
v. Advice regarding tax law
1. Filing nonprofit property tax exemption applications
2. Filing qualified agricultural property tax exemption applications
3. Advising 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations on IRS regulations
vi. Tax law counseling
vii. Employment law counseling
viii. Local zoning and land use regulation counseling
What type of projects can you work with?
In general, I work with all growers except those with a household garden.
HOW CAN GROWERS ACCESS YOUR SERVICES?
Any grower can contact Nick Leonard to set up an initial consulting conversation
WHERE SHOULD GROWERS BE IN THE PROCESS WHEN THEY CONTACT YOU?
We are frequently contacted by growers that are not in a position in which they have an immediate need for legal services. Nonetheless, I often encourage people to get in touch with me so that I can talk with them about potential legal issues that may be on the horizon regarding their urban farm or garden.
WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS CAN YOU NOT TAKE ON DUE TO FUNDING RESTRICTIONS, SCOPE OF SERVICE, OR A LACK OF FIT WITH YOUR MISSION?
The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center focuses its legal services on organizations and individuals that lack the financial means to access an attorney’s services and on those that have a very strong social mission focused on improving the lives of Detroit residents in some way. The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center refers growers that fall outside of those basic criteria to small law firms that we maintain a relationship with.
WHAT KIND OF LEAD TIME, IF ANY, CAN PEOPLE EXPECT BETWEEN WHEN THEY CONTACT YOU AND WHEN YOU CAN BEGIN WORKING WITH THEM?
When people contact our organization, we ask that they complete a short intake form. This gives us the information we need to make the initial consulting conversation more effective.
WHAT FEES DO YOU CHARGE FOR YOUR SERVICES?
The Great Lakes Environmental Law Center charges its clients based on the client’s ability to pay. We do offer pro bono services but we do ask that those that are able to pay do so with a rate that is still well below the market rate for legal services.