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!
Monday, July 06, 2026 at 01:00 PM PDT · 9 rsvps
WebinarMCLE Webinar: How to Change Our Relationship to Land
There is an exciting movement for democratizing land access afoot. Many are even drawing on the historical legacy of integral land reform, and asking what it would take to do the same in California. What does it mean to democratize land access, truly? In what ways does property law shape and perhaps even limit our imagination? If we are committed to Indigenous rematriation, constructive reparations, and life-affirming labor, what would have to change?
This webinar is meant to take a practical look at what, absent constitutional or territorial reform, we would have to navigate as we continue liberating land for our communities. We will look at the big statues, institutions, and cultural attitudes that shape our relationship to land, and which of those relationships we can change in order to change the land, too.
This activity is approved by the California State Bar for 1 MCLE credit.
Please email dorian@theselc.org for accessibility needs.
Presented by Dorian Payán Dorian is the Law Center's Director of Holistic Land Relations. Dorian focuses on food systems work through the framework of agroecology. Dorian became a lawyer after years of working as a farmer, and seeing a drastic need to support enterprises in developing cooperative and vertically integrated ecosystems free from exploitation. Dorian's work is also focused on supporting the development of a land ethic that is based on rematriation, and that can serve to create land relations where all people can belong to the land.
Wednesday, July 08, 2026 at 09:30 AM PDT · 5 rsvps
ZoomSolidari-Tea Time
A companion to our Legal Cafes, Solidari-Tea Time provides opportunities for solidarity economy movement organizations to get advice, coaching and support with challenges you are experiencing on your organizational development journey.
- Are you having trouble making decisions together?
- Do you need support sharing work more effectively?
- Are you having a hard time bringing in new members to your organization?
- Are experienced members struggling to adapt to your new ways of working under shared leadership?
- Are you experiencing conflict as you encounter growing pains?
- Are you wondering what your next steps are as you transition to shared leadership?
You are not alone! And we’re here to help.
Building organizations that align with our values of justice, shared leadership, and participatory democracy is challenging. Bring your questions, challenges, and stumbling blocks to Solidari-Tea Time, and get support from consultants and practitioners experienced in building worker self-directed nonprofits, cooperatives, and other organizations practicing liberatory values.
Thursday, July 09, 2026 at 12:00 PM PDT
Online Zoom inA Training with Dean Spade! Working Together Joyfully: Preventing and Addressing Patterns of Resentment in Collaborations
RSVP below!This event is brought to you by the Artist Legal Cafe, a cross-sector partnership between SELC, Vital Arts, and Movement Law, an artist-led initiative that offers direct services and capacity-building to individual artists, artist collectives, and arts organizations. The ALC is generously supported by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the Gerbode Foundation, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, and the City of Oakland.
DESCRIPTION : WORKING TOGETHER JOYFULLYMany collaborative relationships and group projects, as well as personal relationships, become mired in toxic resentment. In this session, we'll look a what resentment is, why it is so common, how it is formed, how it can masquerade as empowerment, and how we might work through it in order to reconnect to authentic choice in our work and relationships.
ABOUT DEAN SPADE
Dean has been working in movements for queer and trans liberation, and against war, police, prisons and borders for the past 25 years. He’s the author of Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law, and Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) the director of the documentary “Pinkwashing Exposed: Seattle Fights Back!.” His new book is Love in a F*cked-Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up and Raise Hell Together, and he is the host of a new podcast with the same name.
ARTIST LEGAL CAFE PARTNERS
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]!
Thursday, July 09, 2026 at 12:30 PM PDT
Online - Zoom in Oakland, CAOnline 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.
Thursday, July 16, 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:
-
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.
Got any questions? E-mail [email protected]!
Only one person per group needs to RSVP.
-
Wednesday, July 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:
-
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.
Got any questions? E-mail [email protected]!
Only one person per group needs to RSVP.
-
Thursday, July 23, 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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July 23, 2026 12-1:30pm PST (RSVP by July 13 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, August 04, 2026 at 09:45 AM PDT
ZoomSolidari-Tea Time
A companion to our Legal Cafes, Solidari-Tea Time provides opportunities for solidarity economy movement organizations to get advice, coaching and support with challenges you are experiencing on your organizational development journey.
- Are you having trouble making decisions together?
- Do you need support sharing work more effectively?
- Are you having a hard time bringing in new members to your organization?
- Are experienced members struggling to adapt to your new ways of working under shared leadership?
- Are you experiencing conflict as you encounter growing pains?
- Are you wondering what your next steps are as you transition to shared leadership?
You are not alone! And we’re here to help.
Building organizations that align with our values of justice, shared leadership, and participatory democracy is challenging. Bring your questions, challenges, and stumbling blocks to Solidari-Tea Time, and get support from consultants and practitioners experienced in building worker self-directed nonprofits, cooperatives, and other organizations practicing liberatory values.
Wednesday, August 05, 2026 at 03:00 PM PDT
Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco in San Francisco, CAMoving from Hopelessness to Agency: Movement & Mindfulness with Sarah Crowell
RSVP below!
This event is brought to you by the Artist Legal Cafe, a cross-sector partnership between SELC, Vital Arts, and Movement Law, an artist-led initiative that offers direct services and capacity-building to individual artists, artist collectives, and arts organizations. The ALC is generously supported by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the Gerbode Foundation, the Zellerbach Family Foundation, and the City of Oakland.
DESCRIPTION:
Moving from Hopelessness to AgencyThis workshop will combine simple mindfulness practices with movement and theater exercises that work to remove the obstacles to experiencing joy and connection. We will also participate in dialogue that connects with the movement and mindfulness practices.
Sarah Crowell has worked with groups for over 30 years, using mindfulness, movement, and facilitated dialogue, to build collaborative spirit, unpack complex socio-politic dynamics and embody purpose and vision. Each workshop session is built on the belief that building resilience and hope in a divided world requires embodied practice, curiosity, honesty and a sense of joyful play.
ABOUT SARAH CROWELL
Sarah Cowell is an award-winning dancer, choreographer, arts educator and nonprofit leader who creates powerful collaborative experiences through movement, intimate storytelling and scathing political commentary.
For 30 years she was a leader at Destiny Arts Center, a youth arts organization based in Oakland, whose mission is to inspire and ignite social change through the arts.
Since leaving Destiny in 2020, Sarah has worked with arts organizations, colleges and universities, nonprofits and foundations, as a performer, curator, speaker, facilitator, collaborator and curriculum writer. In August of 2025 Sarah accepted the position of Artistic Director of Dance Mission Theater in San Francisco.
FREE LEGAL CONSULTATIONS FOLLOW
After the workshop, we will roll into the legal consult portion of our Artist Legal Cafe.
Want to sign up for a FREE legal consultation after the workshop? RSVP here to receive a free 30-45 minute legal consultation.ACCESS NEEDS? Let us know!
ARTIST LEGAL CAFE PARTNERS
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.
Questions? Access needs? E-mail [email protected]!
Wednesday, August 05, 2026 at 03:30 PM PDT
TBD 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.