JEP Frequently Asked Questions

There is a large gap in our legal service delivery system for low and moderate-income individuals and families who earn too much to qualify for legal aid but not enough to pay for traditional legal services at market rates. People with modest incomes have very little access to affordable, reliable legal services. More people than ever are going to court without lawyers, and we believe many of those people could afford to pay something, but not traditional market rates. Increasing affordable, reliable legal services for these individuals will improve access to justice in our community. At the same time, new lawyers are increasingly looking for nontraditional paths into the legal profession. These lawyers are more technologically savvy, they welcome innovation, and they understand the need to reinvent the traditional law practice.

The goal of the JEP is to expand legal services to low and moderate-income clients by developing new market-based models of legal service through which lawyers in solo or small practices can sustainably serve clients with moderate incomes. The JEP practice models rely in particular on maximizing the use of “unbundling,” technology and fixed fees. Newer lawyers with an entrepreneurial streak are provided with essential support and resources to help them develop their practices into self-sustaining businesses. While the economics are different than traditional technology and business incubators, the JEP aims to duplicate the innovation and collaborative advances that have come through those programs.

Participants in the JEP develop their practices while receiving training, mentoring and other support on business and legal issues as well as space and other infrastructure as they get started. The 18-month program is broken into three 6-month modules. During the first module, participants perform pro bono work approximately 20 hours per week with partner legal aid organizations. At the same time, participants receive training, workshops and coaching on business and other issues needed to start a solo/small practice. Participants establish their own independent practices (including providing their own malpractice insurance), begin handling cases in areas traditionally needed by low and moderate-income clients, and strive to offer fixed, modular fee models for their services. During the second and third modules, participants increase their caseloads and continue to receive training, mentoring and coaching on business and legal issues. At the end of 18 months, participants should have a viable practice that the can continue to develop outside of the incubator while still remaining part of the growing JEP network.

The JEP provides excellent training on substance, skills, and law practice management; expert coaching and assistance on business issues and client development; mentoring by experienced and respected practitioners; and free and discounted practice resources, including law practice management and research tools. The JEP also provides referral pipelines and access to many helpful networks through the Chicago Bar Association, the CBF and other partners.

The participants run their practices out of the collaborative office space located in downtown Chicago at 208 S. Jefferson, Suite 204, just steps away from Union Station. The modern loft space includes, in part:

• an open, shared workspace, with individual desks for those farther along in the program;
• private, shared-use offices and conference rooms for meeting with clients and others;
• wireless internet access, and
• printing and copying capabilities.

Participants working in a shared location encourages peer mentoring, collaboration and collective innovation.

There is no fee during the first 6-month module. Participants pay a participation fee (which helps cover a portion of the rent for the shared office space) of $300 per month during the remaining 12 months of the program.

At the present time, lawyers who graduated from law school in the last five years are eligible to participate. The program is intended for newer lawyers; exceptions to the five year cutoff will be considered on a case by case basis. All participants must be admitted to the Illinois bar when the program starts (those who have taken the IL bar exam and are awaiting exam results may apply; acceptance into the program will be conditioned on passing the bar exam and being admitted to practice). Participants must also become members of the Chicago Bar Association.

The JEP incubates firms that come in many forms, including LLCs, PCs, LLPs, NFPs, and unincorporated solo practitioners. All JEP firms are committed to serving the needs of regular people in a market based, self-sustaining manner. Accordingly, though the JEP may incubate a nonprofit firm that sustains itself solely on fees generated from serving low and moderate income clients, the JEP does not support the creation of nonprofit firms that rely on external inputs (like grants) to be sustainable.

As many as 10 participants are active in each module, with up to 30 participants in the program at any given time. The inaugural class of 10 participants began in June 2013. The next class began in November 2013, followed by another group in May of 2014. Now, new cohorts of up to 10 participants start the program every 6 months, with kickoff weeks falling in early May and early November. Upon graduating the program, alumni remain involved by being part of an active support network providing mentoring and training for new classes of JEP participants. Alumni also retain limited access to JEP resources, including referrals.

A competitive application process identifies talented lawyers who are dedicated to working with low and moderate-income clients and who have qualities needed to develop successful law practices. Key qualities include a commitment to opening a small firm or solo practice, entrepreneurial focus and ability, and a commitment to access to justice. Please see the FAQ for more details on applying.

Pro bono is an integral part of the JEP program. In the first module, participants provide pro bono legal services for approximately 20 hours per week, while also receiving training on legal and business issues and preparing to launch their practices. In this period of pro bono service, participants establish connections in the pro bono and legal aid community, develop a deeper understanding of the spectrum of legal needs and services for low and moderate-income clients, and gain experience and skills in relevant practice areas.

Participants will provide pro bono service through CBF-funded partner organizations. Typically, participants will be placed at one of these partner organizations: Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, the Legal Assistance Foundation, Chicago Legal Clinic, Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, Community Law Project, the National Immigrant Justice Center, or Cabrini Green Legal Aid. The organizations then have a consistent flow of placements from the JEP allowing them to best utilize the participants to meet client need and provide more substantive work to the participants. The partner organizations are selected based on their capacity to host and supervise the participants and provide meaningful experience in relevant subject areas. All participants also spend time doing pro bono work with CARPLS, the legal aid hotline for the Chicago area.

Participants handle cases in areas traditionally needed by low and moderate-income clients, including family, housing, consumer, immigration, criminal, and small community business matters. Participants are responsible for finding their own clients and developing their own business. However, the JEP helps participants find clients by fielding referrals from CARPLS and other legal aid organizations for clients who are over-income for legal aid and putting those referrals in an online database accessible to participants practicing in an area of law relevant to the referral. The CBA Lawyer Referral Service also recommends the JEP for clients who cannot afford market rates. Requests for assistance from members of the public using the JEP online Request a Lawyer form or calling the JEP hotline (312.546.3282) also populate the JEP referral database.

Experienced solo and small firm attorneys as well as various subject matter experts are recruited to act as mentors and/or knowledge resources for the participants.

Participants in the JEP will focus on serving the legal needs of low and moderate-income clients who typically have too much income to qualify for free legal aid but do not have the means to afford legal assistance in the traditional legal market. The JEP target market is generally defined as people earning between 150% and 400% of the federal poverty level.

The JEP Advisory Board consists of leaders in the legal community from law schools, law firms, solo practices, legal aid, technology, funders and others. In addition, a number of working groups are involved in various aspects of the program, from budgeting to training. These groups include representatives from virtually every sector of the legal community.

The CBF developed and continues to support the JEP. The CBF convened an impressive steering committee to develop the program model, provided the seed funding for the program’s start-up costs, and continues to give participants access to a large network of topnotch partners who are providing critical resources and support through pro bono and in-kind contributions.

One full-time director from the CBF manages the program and coordinates the volunteer and other resources. Other CBF staff are also actively involved in planning and developing the program.

All program participants are required to be CBA members in order to tap into existing CBA training and mentoring programs to the maximum extent possible. The CBA’s Director of Law Practice Management and Technology is a key partner and the JEP relies on her programming for many aspects of the law practice management and technology curriculum. In addition, we are working with the CBA Lawyer Referral Service on referral and partnership possibilities. We expect the JEP participants will remain strongly tied to the CBA after the program.

Information and application details are available here. If you have further questions about participating in the JEP, please email jepparticipantinfo@chicagobar.org.