On May 4, the CBF Justice Entrepreneurs Project welcomed its fifteenth cohort into the program. These six attorneys—Veronica Canton, Sergio Juwa, Seth McCormick, Ashley Rodriguez, Kimber Russell and Salam Zaidan—are eager to take on the immense challenges and need created by COVID-19 by starting innovative and socially conscious practices helping low- and middle-income people and small businesses. The new JEPers join over 60 attorneys currently in the JEP Network.
Because we cannot gather the traditional way right now, this cohort’s training boot camp and welcome events took place via zoom, a first for the JEP. With a few small tweaks, our amazing trainers, all of whom have been strong CBF supporters for years, were able to deliver the top-notch business training the JEP has been known for. One (or four) of our amazing trainers is the truly fabulous GrowthPlay sales consulting team who provides each cohort with a training on building a business development foundation and one-on-one coaching.
Another first for the JEP is having three small business attorneys in the group. Veronica Canton, Sergio Juwa and Salam Zaidan will all be building practices helping startups and small business owners with their various legal needs and will hopefully be starting pro bono residencies at CBF partner organizations offering small business services in the near future. Seth McCormick is building a consumer debt-focused practice and getting ready to start a pro bono residency at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. Kimber Russell, who is the law partner of JEP alumnus Robert Alexander, is a criminal defense attorney who is looking to add housing law to their firm’s practice mix and will sharpen her legal knowledge and skills in that practice area through her pro bono residency at Lawyers Committee for Better Housing. Finally, Ashley Rodriguez is building a criminal defense practice and will eventually be in residency at a CBF partner organization who offers services in that practice area.
We’re excited to welcome these six enthusiastic attorneys into the JEP family. Please say a socially distant hello, wish them well, and send referrals their way!