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, November 18, 2026 at 11:00 AM PST · $10.00 USD · 25 rsvps
ZoomTransitioning to Shared Leadership p. 3

So you're on the path? Seven Organizational Culture Shifts on the way to Shared Leadership
Organizational change work is both structural and cultural. The third and final training in this series will cover the culture shifts associated with an organizational transition to shared leadership, including shifting team relationships to time, efficiency, process, and roles. Participants will have time to identify and unpack the culture shifts most relevant to their organization and Hope will offer resources for navigating these processes as they unfold over time.
Part three of our Microtraining Trio: Transitioning to Shared Leadership
This is a three-part series of short (30 minute), participatory trainings for organizations considering the transition to shared leadership. Training topics include assessing organizational capacity (September 30), identifying and shifting power (October 21), and navigating organizational culture shifts (Nov 18). People are encouraged to show up with their organizational team, and will be invited to take steps between each session to deepen their exploration of building shared leadership. Join one, two, or all three!
Facilitated by attorney Hope Mohr, Fellow with the Sustainable Economies Law Center and Co-leader of the Artist Legal Cafe. Mohr co-stewarded the transition of the nonprofit that she founded and has since supported dozens of mission-driven organizations on the shared leadership journey.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM PST
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, November 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM PST
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:
- October 7, 2026, 12-1:30 PST (RSVP by September 23 for priority)
- November 19, 2026, 12-1:30 PST (RSVP by November 5 for priority)
- December 9, 2026, 12-1:30 PST (RSVP by November 25 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.
Thursday, December 03, 2026 at 12:00 PM PST
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, December 09, 2026 at 12:00 PM PST
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:
- October 7, 2026, 12-1:30 PST (RSVP by September 23 for priority)
- November 19, 2026, 12-1:30 PST (RSVP by November 5 for priority)
- December 9, 2026, 12-1:30 PST (RSVP by November 25 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.
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 at 03:30 PM PST
Online - Zoom in Oakland, CAArtist 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, December 16, 2026 at 11:15 AM PST
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, December 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM PST
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.
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