Message from the Director
Professor of Law Eric Gouvin, Director
I founded the Small Business Clinic at Western New England College School of Law in 2002 to provide legal assistance to entrepreneurs who otherwise would not have had a lawyer. We partnered with the small business incubator at the Scibelli Enterprise Center and launched a pilot version of the Clinic. During that first time through I found that my clients had at least as many business problems as they had legal problems, so in the second iteration of the Clinic I asked two faculty members at the School of Business, Dr. Jim McKeon and Dr. Harlan Spotts, to bring their expertise and their students to the project. The next several editions of the Small Business Clinic were team taught law and business classes and provided enhanced services to the clients. In 2005 I founded the Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship, of which the Small Business Clinic is a key part. We hired Professor Robert Statchen to run the Small Business Clinic as a joint appointment between the School of Business and the School of Law.
The Law and Business Center expands on the Clinic’s efforts by presenting events designed to educate entrepreneurs and the general public about law and business topics. Each year we host an Interdisciplinary Conference and a series of speakers, along with a series of information sessions addressing issues facing entrepreneurs. Our EXTREME Business Makeover events allow an entrepreneur to present his or her business plan to a panel of experts and receive their feedback (in front of a live audience). Finally, our Entrepreneurship Institute provides hands-on advice to people starting a business or trying to bring an existing business to the next level. Members of the public are welcome to use our Resource Center located at the Law and Business Center on the first floor of the School of Law.
The City of Springfield has always been fertile ground for creative people and entrepreneurs. There is an excellent support system in the city to promote that kind of activity. We’re proud to be part of that support network. I hope I’ll see you soon at the Center or at one our many events.
To learn more, contact us at Tel.: 413-796-2030.