Have a legal question but not quite ready to read a full legal guide? These Bite-Sized Legal Guides are a great place to start! 

JUMP TO Bite-Sized Legal Guides for: Worker Cooperatives | Nonprofits | Land Return & Housing Justice | Food and Farm | Employment Law | Misc | En Español

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: These Bite-Sized Legal Guides have been prepared by Sustainable Economies Law Center staff and volunteers as handouts for the Resilient Communities Legal Cafe. The contents of the Guides should NOT be relied on as legal advice. Furthermore, some of this information could become outdated, laws may vary from place to place, and although we've tried to collect accurate information and give the laws our best interpretation, some information in these Bite-Sized Legal Guides could be incorrect or subject to different interpretations by courts and regulators. We hope that's not the case, but, what can we say? Law is complicated stuff! That's why we STRONGLY recommend that you consult with an attorney before using this information.

worker cooperatives

•  How to Choose an Entity for Your Cooperative: This bite-sized legal guide will help you choose between filing as an LLC or as a Cooperative Corporation
  
•  How to Form a Cooperative Corporation: This bite-sized legal guide provides a step-by-step guide to forming a California Cooperative Corporation.
  
•  How to Finance a Worker Cooperative: Explore ways for worker-coops to obtain financing through internal equity, loans, government loans, & outside equity.
  
•  How to Make Decisions in a Cooperative: Explore the different ways coops navigate making decisions in a democratic workplace.
  
•  How to File Taxes as a Subchapter T Cooperative: Explore how cooperatives can avoid the double tax by deducting patronage dividends.
  
•  How to Convert Your Existing Business Into a Cooperative: Explore the significant potential advantages of converting traditional capitalist ownership structures into worker cooperatives.
  
  

nonprofits

• How to Become a Worker Self-Directed Nonprofit: Explore the legal considerations for becoming a worker self-directed nonprofit.
• How to Form a Nonprofit Organization: Learn the steps to forming a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
  
• How to Receive Grants and Donations Through Fiscal Sponsor: Explore the pros and cons of finding a fiscal sponsor vs. forming a 501c3. 
  
• 10 Things to Consider When Starting a Fiscally Sponsored Project with a Partner: Here's the skeleton to your future "Co-Director Agreement."
  
• How to Exit a Fiscal Sponsorship: An outline of steps that a fiscally sponsored project will typically undergo to become an independent nonprofit corporation.  
  
• How to Be an Unincorporated Association: Here, we explain what an unincorporated association is and outline the steps to operate as a nonprofit unincorporated association.
• How to Navigate Conflicts of Interest in Your Nonprofit: Here, we explore how nonprofit corporations or associations can design a conflict of interest policy to meet their needs and comply with the law.
  
• How to Apply the Public Support Test for Your Tax-Exempt Organization: Here, we explore the difference between a public charity and a private foundation and how to apply the IRS's public support test.
  
• How to Pay Your Board of Directors: Here, we explain how nonprofit public benefit corporations can pay their board of directors.

land return & housing justice

• How to Get Property Tax Welfare Exemption: The welfare exemption is a property tax exemption for certain properties owned by nonprofits. 
  
• How to Choose Between a Cooperative and a Nonprofit for your Radical Real Estate Project: There are certain benefits to using the nonprofit entity form and other benefits to using the cooperative entity form. Click here to learn more!
  
• How to Transfer Real Estate Without Professionals: People in California, you can transfer title to a property without a real estate agent, title, or escrow company. 
  
• Resources for Radical Home Sellers: The system makes it difficult to remove your home from the speculative market. Here are some resources to begin your long journey. 
  
  

food and farming

• In How to Start a Homemade Food Business, we explore the California homemade food law and provide guidelines for starting a homemade food business.
  
• In How to Become a Personal Chef in California, we explore the certifications and permits you'll need to become a personal chef in California.
  
• In How to Create an Accessible Urban Garden, we explore methods for increasing access to urban farms.
  
• In How to Operate a Pushcart, we explore how to operate a pushcart under Oakland's pilot mobile vending program. 
  
• In How to Sell Eggs, we explore the rules for small-scale egg production and sale in California. 
• In How to Sell Produce From Your Small Farm, Community Garden, or Backyard, we explore rules for selling urban grown produce & foraged food.
  
• In How to Become an Organic Producer, we explore the legal definition and requirements for "organic," who can (and must) be certified organic, how you can become a certified organic producer in California, and how to label organic products.
  
• In How to Navigate Employment Law for Food Enterprises, we explore the definitions, rights, and responsibilities of volunteers, employees, independent contractors, and employers.
  

employment law

• In How to Comply with AB5 (RE Independent Contrators), we help you comply with California's new employment law AB5. Learn what makes a new hire an independent contractor or an employee.
  
• In Having Employees, we list some of the basic things you need to do and know to get set up as an employer.
  
• In Who is Not an Employee, we explain the difference between unpaid interns, partners/owners, independent contractors, and volunteers.
  
• In this How to Deal with Employment Law in Worker Cooperatives, we help you figure out what to do if cooperative members need to be treated as employees under the law.
  
• In How to Deal with Workers' Compensation Insurance, we discuss cost, exemptions, brokers, and more!
  
• In this How to Know Who is a Volunteer (Not an Employee) we cover federal and California law on how to mitigate the risk that nonprofit volunteers will be seen as employees.
  
• In How to Navigate Employment Law for Caregivers, we provide an analysis of both federal and state employment laws, and how they might impact caregiving registries.
  
  

miscellaneous

• In How to Incorporate as an LLC or Partnership, we explore some steps to establish limited liability entities. 
  
• In How to File Doing Business As ("DBA"), we explain the purpose of a DBA and link to resources that provide a step-by-step guide of how to file. 
  
• In How to Establish a Self-Directed IRA and Solo 401(k), we explore how to pull your retirement savings out of Wall Street and invest it in things that enrich your local community.
  
• In How to Navigate Trademark Law, we explore the basics of trademark law, including trademark registration, eligibility for trademark protection, trademark infringement, and more.
  
• In How to Raise Capital, we explore the common exemptions to federal and state securities law that can be used when raising capital for your enterprise.
  
• In this Bite-Sized Legal Guide, we explore how to run a cooperative child care arrangement in California.
  
• General business license requirements vary from city to city. In Business Licenses for Gig Workers, we answer questions specific to Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, and Richmond.
  
• In How to Work With Lawyers, we explore some things to consider before seeking legal advice. 
  
• In this Bite-Sized Legal Guide, we provide a step by step guide to obtaining a contractors license. 
  
• In California LLC State Taxes & Fees, we define what an LLC is and explain when and how to file taxes & fees as an LLC.
  
• Who needs a seller's permit? How do you obtain one? Find the answers in this Bite-Sized Legal Guide.
  
• Comprehensive General Liability Insurance protects orgs from legal liability arising from certain risks when those harmed sue the organization. Click here to learn more!