Legal Aid of West Virginia’s statewide Community Economic Development Legal Project (CEDLAW) is a project of Legal Aid of West Virginia, that provides free legal assistance to qualifying businesses and nonprofits throughout the state.

Who we help:

• Individuals in WV with limited resources who want to start or grow a small business in an economically challenged community.
• Nonprofits promoting community development to benefit low-income or low-opportunity residents . Individuals facing barriers to work, education, or training because of problems with licensure, past criminal records, or other legal issues.

Before You Call:

We can help with legal problems you encounter when you begin to grow your business or nonprofit, but we can’t do the legwork needed to develop your idea. Before picking up the phone, you should have a solid plan in place.

As soon as you complete these foundational steps, you can reach out to us to proceed:

• Research your business or nonprofit area of interest
• Write a business plan or a plan for your non-profit, with steps to implement your mission statement
• Identify funding
• Develop preliminary budgets

Our staff also presents on legal topics related to growing a small business or nonprofit.

What Our CEDLAW Team Can Do for You – Available Services Include:

• Forming legal entities
• Creating bylaws
• Applying for tax-exempt status
• Establishing employment policies
• Drafting contracts
• Trademarks and copyrights
• Commercial lease review
• Zoning compliance
• Corporate governance
• And more…

Are you facing barriers to employment?

At CEDLAW, we are also committed to helping individuals get back to work. We can provide resources to individuals encountering barriers to work, training, or education. If you, or one of your employees are facing problems related to licensing past criminal records, or drivers license issues, give us a call at 304-343-3013, x2115, or visit us online to learn how we can help.