The institute is preparing for a soft launch at the end of 2024 , with full operations expected in 2025. It aims to support entrepreneurs often overlooked by traditional business law organizations by utilizing AI and task-based assignments to power a virtual law clinic .
This approach will match entrepreneurs with the necessary legal resources efficiently.
The institute is designed to be cost-effective, with Winslow estimating that running one clinic would cost approximately $600, 000 compared to the $3.6 million market rate for legal services.
The vision includes matching founders with lawyers, particularly young lawyers seeking to expand their client bases, up until human intervention is necessary. The Equalizer Institute will have in-house counsel to take on cases when outside legal counsel is unavailable, with a planned staff of four attorneys and two additional members.
“What I’ve described, nobody else does,” Winslow said, referring to the institute’s unique “bite-sized pro bono” approach.
The institute envisions a platform where technology and crowdsourced legal staff can handle specific questions , rewrite letters, and help grow businesses through smaller yet essential steps.
The Virtual Law Office’s project director is the only staff announced so far, and significant capital has been raised through donations from The Cummings Foundation, Rappaport Institute, and M&T Bank.
Suffolk Law is the first publicly announced partner, with plans to collaborate with third-year law students from various law schools to ensure efficient functioning. Winslow sees this as the first step in a national project to help resource-limited and disadvantaged entrepreneurs succeed, and he considers King’s involvement as a major endorsement .
“Her name is very valuable and she’s a national icon through her family and her work ,” Winslow said. “For Bernice A. King to come into this role and endorse this concept, we think is huge and exciting because she gets it. She understands the potential for this on a national level.”
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