We're always cooking up pay-it-forward legal advice, action-oriented workshops, and happy hours with engaging conversations on how to build just and resilient local economies. And we don't only provide in-person events for you to connect with us, we provide online trainings and travel across the country to support grassroots economic empowerment. Don't miss out!
Please, help us get the word out about our upcoming events. Share with your friends or networks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn! If you're interested in an event, someone you know will probably be interested too. Share the love!
Find Sustainable Economies Law Center's events below!
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM PDT
Online via Zoom in Oakland, CAOnline Legal Cafe
The Sustainable Economies Law Center provides direct legal support to individuals and groups who are working to create new solutions for resilient local economies. The Resilient Communities Legal Cafe provides sliding-scale donation-based legal advice, via Zoom, by appointment.
If you need advice about starting a worker-owned cooperative, converting an existing business into a cooperative, organizing a housing cooperative, founding a nonprofit or other social enterprise, please RSVP below! Here are some questions we will be prepared to answer:
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Radical real estate law: How to form a housing cooperative, real estate cooperative, or nonprofit housing?
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Legal formation for small businesses: What are the regulations and requirements to have your organization legally function?
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Legal entity choice: Should your org be a for profit, non-profit, and which legal entity fits best with your vision?
-
Employment law: Whether you're an employer, employee, or a cooperative, we can answer questions on how to prevent or resolve issues?
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Tax law: What are the ways to receive tax exemption for your org?
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Contracts: Contract review, drafting, and negotiation
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Liability issues: What are your governance requirements to avoid liability?
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Environmental law: Do you have questions about how to create more green spaces for your community?
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Worker Self Directed Nonprofits: How can you run your nonprofit organization more like a worker-owned cooperative?
Note: We especially encourage Black, Indigenous, people of color, and low-income communities to RSVP. We focus on cooperatives, participatory or democratic nonprofits, land trusts, and mutual aid groups. If you need Spanish Language or American Sign Language interpretation, please email Hope ([email protected]) with Subject Line "Interpretation Request - for [mm/dd/yyyy] event." We will do our best to accommodate your request.
Keep an eye out for an e-mail when you RSVP. The e-mail will have your appointment slot, instructions on how to attend our Legal Cafe remotely, and an intake form that we need you and your partners to fill out.
Format: You and/or your group will be paired with a lawyer for 30-45 minutes to get answers to questions about entity formation, contracts, governance, and more! Since we're based in Oakland, our event times are listed as Pacific Standard Time.
Got any questions? E-mail [email protected]!
Only one person per group needs to RSVP.
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Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 12:30 PM PDT · $20.00 USD · 3 rsvps
Engaging Meetings with Visual Thinking
Visual thinking can help make meetings more accessible, effective, and energizing! Join Nonprofit Democracy Network collaborator Jenny Leis to explore visual tools to energize your meetings, move through stuckness, and create more space for non-linear thinking and varied processing styles.
This fast-paced class covers visual tools for agendas, decision-making, personal and group reflection, clarifying organizational or workflow processes, exploring emotions, developing worksheets for trainings, and navigating conflict.
Prepare to immerse in many visual concepts in this carnival of color! Bring a recent or upcoming meeting agenda to use as your example for trying out the ideas. Please also bring blank paper and colored pencils or markers. You will leave with many examples to spark creativity in your own facilitation.
This is Part 1 of our three-part offering: Getting All Hands on Deck - Facilitation Tools for Thriving Groups. Join one, two, or all three to build your skillset with participatory group facilitation.
This event is part of our All Hands on Deck Grassroots Fundraising Campaign.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 01:00 PM PDT · 1 rsvp
Complete Redesign of Coop Law
This will be an interactive workshop where participants can brainstorm how to completely redesign laws that apply to coops, with the goal of removing barriers to collaboration and having fun in the process. We will ask questions like:
- How could laws facilitate instead of hinder people working on projects together?
- Could we replace limited liability with something else, like community accountability, and what would that look like?
- What would happen if we suspended the legal distinctions between non-profit/for-profit, landlord/tenant and employer/employee? Could we create other ways of ensuring that people's basic needs are met, and the community's needs are met too?
This event is part of our All Hands on Deck Grassroots Fundraising Campaign.
Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 09:30 AM PDT · 7 rsvps
Facilitating Group Process: Building Connection and Alignment
Join the Nonprofit Democracy Network to learn a simple, powerful facilitation tool to build alignment in groups. Through the use of strategically crafted questions, called “threshold questions”, learn how you can support a group to surface and integrate dissent, skillfully navigate power and rank, and move past stuckness to achieve alignment.
Participants will leave with:
- A clear, powerful tool that can used when facilitating group processes
- A facilitator’s guide with follow up resources to explore more deeply
- Experience with practice sample facilitation scenarios
This is Part 2 of our three-part offering: Getting All Hands on Deck - Facilitation Tools for Thriving Groups. Join one, two, or all three to build your skillset with participatory group facilitation.
Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM PDT
Online via Zoom in Oakland, CAResilient Movements Legal Cafe
Sustainable Economies Law Center’s Resilient Movements Legal Café is a legal advice clinic for grassroots groups, nonprofits, and community organizations seeking to strengthen infrastructure resilience, operational continuity and preparedness, and legal compliance. These sessions offer a supportive container to work through practical questions related to governance, entity structures, and internal policies, and to demystify how to navigate periods of heightened scrutiny, helping groups move from uncertainty to grounded strategy and planning in support of their missions and day-to-day operations.
Background
These Legal Café sessions build on our broader work supporting groups and organizations with nonprofit protection, risk education, and proactive legal planning. Over the past year, we’ve developed training, resources, and hands-on support, often in partnership with aligned organizations, focused on organizational resilience, entity structure options, and risk-aware operations. In 2025, we offered these new resources to grassroots groups, alongside limited-scope consultations for organizations seeking support. This year, we’re dedicating additional resources to monthly Legal Cafés to support durable structures and practices that help organizations sustain their missions over the long term.
To RSVP, please click the RSVP link for the session you’d like to attend:
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February 25, 2026, 12-1:30pm PST (RSVP by February 15 for priority)
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March 31, 2026, 12-1:30pm PST (RSVP by March 21 for priority)
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April 8, 2026, 12-1:30pm PST (RSVP by March 30 for priority)
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May 14, 2026, 12-1:30 PST (RSVP by May 4 for priority)
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June 10, 2026, 12-1:30 PSt (RSVP by June 1 for priority)
What this space supports
These sessions are for groups and organizations seeking proactive support to strengthen infrastructure resilience, operational continuity and preparedness, and legal compliance including groups navigating increased scrutiny or operational vulnerabilities. We welcome questions related to nonprofit governance (board/staff policies), entity structure considerations, resilience assessment, documentation practices, compliance, and operational planning.
Note: This space is designed for proactive planning and capacity-building and is not intended for urgent, time-sensitive emergencies. If your organization is facing an immediate legal deadline or acute situation, we recommend seeking direct counsel right away. One of our partners, Muslims for Just Futures, has also put together an excellent Community Defense Resource Hub.
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Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM PDT · 3 rsvps
Internal Resilience Roles at the Law Center
This session will introduce the outside world to our Internal Resilience Circle and its various functions/roles.
It will answer the following questions:
How does the IR circle strengthen the organization?
How does the IR circle fit into the larger architecture of the organization?What purpose does it serve in the organization in lieu of an HR role?
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 03:00 PM PDT
Bandaloop Studios in Oakland, CAIn-Person Individual Donor Cultivation for Artists Nano-Training
RSVP below!This nano-training will cover practical strategies for identifying, approaching, and cultivating individual donors in ways that feel authentic, relational, and aligned with your artistic practice.Presented Nicole Lugtu (she/her). Nicole is a Bay Area-bred immigrant and arts fundraising professional who is proud to support and amplify local creatives and artists through her work and advocacy. She is an artist as a hobby and an art historian by education, thanks to the vibrant cultural institutions and vast opportunities to engage with art in the Bay. Nicole worked in development at San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, and SFMOMA and currently uplifts the work of Asian and Asian diaspora artists by working in philanthropy at the Asian Art Museum. Her personal art practice includes darkroom photography, watercolor, and acrylics with room to learn much more. She is a passionate advocate for our local and regional arts and hopes to give back to the communities that positively impact her own work and values.The Sustainable Economies Law Center provides direct legal support to individuals and groups who are working to create new solutions for resilient local economies. The Resilient Communities Legal Cafe provides sliding-scale donation-based legal advice by appointment.
Vital Arts envisions a world in which groundbreaking arts and culture that are essential for the continued health and vitality of society at large are recognized and cultivated. We seek to bring this about by implementing projects to meet the needs of low income artists in the Bay Area.
Movement Law, the client-centered law practice of Hope Mohr (she/her), is dedicated to supporting artists, changemakers, and mission-driven organizations.
Want to attend an Artist Legal Cafe? RSVP here to receive a free 30-45 minute legal consultation.
Got any questions? E-mail [email protected]!
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 03:30 PM PDT
1601 18th St, Oakland, CA 94607 in Oakland, CAIN PERSON Artist Legal Cafe
RSVP below!
In partnership with:
The Sustainable Economies Law Center provides direct legal support to individuals and groups who are working to create new solutions for resilient local economies. The Resilient Communities Legal Cafe provides sliding-scale donation-based legal advice by appointment.
Vital Arts envisions a world in which groundbreaking arts and culture that are essential for the continued health and vitality of society at large are recognized and cultivated. We seek to bring this about by implementing projects to meet the needs of low income artists in the Bay Area.
Movement Law, the client-centered law practice of Hope Mohr (she/her), is dedicated to supporting artists, changemakers, and mission-driven organizations.
Got any questions? E-mail [email protected]!
Here are some questions we will be prepared to answer:
❖ Radical real estate law: How to form a housing cooperative, real estate cooperative, or nonprofit housing?
❖ Legal formation for small businesses: What are the regulations and requirements to have your organization legally function?
❖ Legal entity choice: Should your org be a for profit, non-profit, and which legal entity fits best with your vision?
❖ Employment law: Whether you're an employer, employee, or a cooperative, we can answer questions on how to prevent or resolve issues?
❖ Tax law: What are the ways to receive tax exemption for your org?
❖ Contracts: Contract review, drafting, and negotiation
❖ Liability issues: What are your governance requirements to avoid liability?
❖ Environmental law: Do you have questions about how to create more green spaces for your community?
❖ Worker Self Directed Nonprofits: How can you run your nonprofit organization more like a worker-owned cooperative?Note: We especially encourage Black, Indigenous, people of color, and low-income communities to RSVP. We focus on cooperatives, participatory or democratic nonprofits, land trusts, and mutual aid groups. If you need Spanish Language or American Sign Language interpretation, please email Hope ([email protected]) with Subject Line "Interpretation Request - for [mm/dd/yyyy] event." We will do our best to accommodate your request.
Keep an eye out for an e-mail when you RSVP. The e-mail will have your appointment slot, instructions on how to attend our Legal Cafe remotely, and an intake form that we need you and your partners to fill out.
Format: You and/or your group will be paired with a lawyer for 30-45 minutes to get answers to questions about entity formation, contracts, governance, and more! Since we're based in Oakland, our event times are listed as Pacific Standard Time.
Only one person per group needs to RSVP.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 03:30 PM PDT
Bandaloop Studios in Oakland, CAWAITLIST In Person Artist Legal Cafe
RSVP below!
In partnership with:
The Sustainable Economies Law Center provides direct legal support to individuals and groups who are working to create new solutions for resilient local economies. The Resilient Communities Legal Cafe provides sliding-scale donation-based legal advice by appointment.
Vital Arts envisions a world in which groundbreaking arts and culture that are essential for the continued health and vitality of society at large are recognized and cultivated. We seek to bring this about by implementing projects to meet the needs of low income artists in the Bay Area.
Movement Law, the client-centered law practice of Hope Mohr (she/her), is dedicated to supporting artists, changemakers, and mission-driven organizations.
Got any questions? E-mail [email protected]!
Here are some questions we will be prepared to answer:
❖ Radical real estate law: How to form a housing cooperative, real estate cooperative, or nonprofit housing?
❖ Legal formation for small businesses: What are the regulations and requirements to have your organization legally function?
❖ Legal entity choice: Should your org be a for profit, non-profit, and which legal entity fits best with your vision?
❖ Employment law: Whether you're an employer, employee, or a cooperative, we can answer questions on how to prevent or resolve issues?
❖ Tax law: What are the ways to receive tax exemption for your org?
❖ Contracts: Contract review, drafting, and negotiation
❖ Liability issues: What are your governance requirements to avoid liability?
❖ Environmental law: Do you have questions about how to create more green spaces for your community?
❖ Worker Self Directed Nonprofits: How can you run your nonprofit organization more like a worker-owned cooperative?Note: We especially encourage Black, Indigenous, people of color, and low-income communities to RSVP. We focus on cooperatives, participatory or democratic nonprofits, land trusts, and mutual aid groups. If you need Spanish Language or American Sign Language interpretation, please email Hope ([email protected]) with Subject Line "Interpretation Request - for [mm/dd/yyyy] event." We will do our best to accommodate your request.
Keep an eye out for an e-mail when you RSVP. The e-mail will have your appointment slot, instructions on how to attend our Legal Cafe remotely, and an intake form that we need you and your partners to fill out.
Format: You and/or your group will be paired with a lawyer for 30-45 minutes to get answers to questions about entity formation, contracts, governance, and more! Since we're based in Oakland, our event times are listed as Pacific Standard Time.
Only one person per group needs to RSVP.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM PDT · 6 rsvps
Online Facilitation in a Worker Self Directed Organization
In this training, we’ll go over some simple tools we’ve developed over the years for engaged online facilitation. We’ll talk about threshold questions, spectograms, fishbowls, 1:1 follow-ups, and right sizing conversations for the space. We’ll also leave some space for audience participation and questions.
This is Part 3 of our three-part offering: Getting All Hands on Deck - Facilitation Tools for Thriving Groups. Join one, two, or all three to build your skillset with participatory group facilitation.
