Entering its seventh year, a partnership between the King County Bar Association and the University of Washington Business School is about to grow.

During the first six years of this joint effort, nearly 60 attorneys have provided pro-bono legal advice to 75 small, growing companies from Seattle’s economically distressed and emerging communities, many of which were owned by people of color or women. Each fall at least 16 business attorneys spend about 10 hours reviewing contracts and leases, updating personnel policies to insure compliance with applicable laws, developing game plans to address product liability issues and protecting intellectual property.

The UW Law School will join this year’s effort for the first time. Through an ABA-approved externship program, 12 students in their second or third year of law school will conduct legal audits to help attorneys prepare for their initial meetings with business owners. Following this initial meeting, the law students will conduct research and draft legal documents at the direction of volunteer attorneys. The students will be guided not only by the attorney they are supporting but also by three faculty members. Upon successful completion of this work, the students will receive a letter from the volunteer attorney outlining their efforts for submission to their faculty advisers for grading purposes.

In the past, the partnership between KCBA and the Business and Economic Development Program (BEDP) at the UW Business School has helped companies add more than 200 new jobs and at least $10 million in new revenues. The BEDP, a nationally-recognized center that celebrated its 10th anniversary in June, supports the growth of small businesses through engagement of students, faculty, alumni, business leaders and professionals.

The KCBA attorneys’ impact has been substantial. In 2003-04, for example, That Brown Girl Catering received advice on leases, trademarks for its company logo and signature dishes, and contracts. This supported the company’s move from a home-based business to its first permanent location in Seattle’s Central Area neighborhood and a doubling of sales within 24 months. That same year, another Central Area business, The QuickSource, was advised on contracts that supported its growth as an outsource firm for bookkeeping services. Within 12 months, the company’s sales doubled and profits grew by 80 percent.

The calendar for this year’s activities is:

• Attorney Orientation Session -- October 24, noon to 1:30 at the KCBA office.
• Business Advising Day -- November 3 from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. at the Safeco Jackson Street Office, 306-23rd Ave. S., Suite 200.
• Reports from attorneys to business owners -- No later than November 30.
• Follow-up/final meeting with business owners -- No later than December 16.