Typical Legal Issues Facing Non-profit Businesses

Taught by Herb Rubenstein, a member of the VA, MD, and DC bars since 1983, this seminar will cover a broad range of legal issues faced by non-profits today. Many types of non-profit organizations are recognized by the IRS, and while every non-profit must adhere to certain core legal requirements, each separate type of non-profit also has separate rules governing their specific operations.

Special rules apply to non-profit board members that must be diligently observed to ensure the board members serve the organization properly and that they are protected from liability. Competent legal advice is necessary at all stages of the existence of the non-profit including formation to protect the non-profit and avoid legal problems.

In addition, viewers learn the ways legal counsel can help non-profit organizations not only assess legal risk, but also work cooperatively with for-profit and other non-profit entities to grow their organization. Non-profits often also have significant intellectual property, cybersecurity, employment, contract, and other legal issues that legal counsel will have to identify for the officers and board members in a timely manner. Non-profits that operate or raise money in more than one state also have special legal requirements to stay compliant with the law.

This course also covers law practice management approaches so lawyers and law firms can serve non-profits efficiently and economically, and various fee arrangements that lawyers can use to be properly compensated over time from non-profit clients that often do not have large budgets for legal work.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Herbert R. Rubenstein, HR Rubenstein Law / Lexington

Herbert R. Rubenstein, the author of Breakthrough, Inc.: High Growth Strategies for Entrepreneurial Organizations (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 1998) and Leadership for Lawyers (American Bar Association, 2nd ed., 2008), has helped many clients create non-profit organizations and represented over fifty non-profit organizations in his nearly forty years of practice. He was the Chief Operating Officer of the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology, Development Director for the Autism of Society, and Chairman of the Board of the Jelleff Boys and Girls Clubs in Washington, DC. He has taught courses for Thomson Reuters and other online course providers on standards and practices for non-profit boards of directors and has served on over twenty non-profit boards.

Mr. Rubenstein is a Phi Beta Kappa/Omicron Delta Kappa graduate of Washington and Lee University, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to the University of Bristol, Bristol, England, where he received a graduate diploma in Social Sciences, was an LBJ Scholar and received his Master of Public Affairs degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs of the University of Texas at Austin, and received his law degree from Georgetown University in 1982. He became a member of the Virginia Bar on October 4, 1984.

Mr. Rubenstein also teaches Leadership and Ethics for Virginia CLE^® as well as Practical Advice: Basics of Forming and Advising Small Businesses. He is also the Co-Founder of The Web3 Company, LLC, a Virginia company, and a PGA member.