Free Legal Help for Small Businesses: TAP Launches Pro Bono Legal Services with McDermott Will & Schulte

Inside TAP’s new Small Business Legal Services Referral Program with McDermott Will & Schulte, and its first Legal Health Check sessions led by pro-bono attorneys.

Quick Facts: Free Legal Help for Small Businesses

•       TAP has launched the Small Business Legal Services Referral Program, a new pro bono legal offering, in partnership with the law firm McDermott Will & Schulte.

•       In free, virtual Legal Health Check sessions, 14 small business owners met McDermott attorneys for a read on their legal health. 100% of survey respondents were “Very” or “Extremely Satisfied.”

•      The program serves as an initial intake opportunity for small business owners, potentially leading to further pro-bono legal support from McDermott.

Free legal help is one of the hardest resources for an under-resourced small business owner to find, and one of the most consequential. The Acceleration Project (TAP), a nonprofit that helps under-resourced entrepreneurs nationwide grow through free, high-impact coaching and technical assistance,  is closing that gap with its new Small Business Legal Services Referral Program. Launched in partnership with the law firm McDermott Will & Schulte, the program’s first step is a free, virtual Legal Health Check, where McDermott attorneys meet with owners to take the pulse of each business’s legal health and complete an initial intake form. In TAP’s post-session survey, every client who responded reported feeling very or extremely satisfied with the session, and 100% said the attorneys listened closely to their needs.

The first Legal Health Check sessions, held on May 20 and June 5, 2026, served 14 small business owners, who were each matched with two pro bono attorneys during the virtual sessions. TAP pairs entrepreneurs with skilled volunteer consultants for free support across finances, marketing, operations, and strategy, with the goal of helping small businesses strengthen their foundations, create jobs, and build wealth in the communities that need it most. This new partnership is an extension of that model and mission.

Why Pro Bono Legal Services Matter for Under-Resourced Small Businesses

For many small business owners, the legal side of building a company sits out of reach. Hiring an attorney is expensive, and the questions that go unanswered -how to structure a business, what to put in a contract, what compliance looks like - are exactly the ones that create risk later. Access to good legal guidance is often the difference between a problem prevented and a problem litigated.

That is the gap TAP’s Small Business Legal Services Referral Program is built to close. By offering pro bono legal services alongside its consulting, TAP gives entrepreneurs a way to address legal needs early, before they become costly. The Legal Health Check is the entry point to the program’s referral pathway, which can lead to deeper pro bono support from McDermott.

Jayme Cassidy, Pro Bono Transactions Counsel at McDermott Will & Schulte

Peter Greene, Co-Head of Investment Management, McDermott Will & Schulte

Spearheading this initiative were McDermott attorneys Peter Greene and Jayme Cassidy. Greene, Co-Head of Investment Management at McDermott Will & Schulte, is also Chair of TAP’s Board of Directors and has provided pro bono legal support since TAP’s founding, a sign of how deeply the partnership is rooted in TAP’s own leadership. Cassidy, the firm’s Pro Bono Transactions Counsel, works to expand pro bono efforts outside of litigation, engaging transactional, tax, private client, and health attorneys in initiatives that support small businesses, low-income entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and nongovernmental organizations in underserved communities around the globe. With strong early demand, TAP and McDermott plan to run more Legal Health Check sessions in the coming  months.

What Happens in a Legal Health Check Session for Small Businesses

Each Legal Health Check is a 90-minute virtual session that follows a simple arc. Owners first learn how TAP’s Small Business Legal Services Referral Program and the McDermott partnership work. Next, they join a breakout room with two pro bono McDermott attorneys for a pulse check on their business’s legal health. Finally, after the attorneys work with the entrepreneurs to complete initial intake forms, they learn about the next steps toward potentially securing deeper pro bono legal support.

Rather than a lecture, in the breakout rooms, owners walk through their business while the attorneys ask questions, take notes, and flag where legal support could help most. For many, having an expert look at the whole business was the value in itself. As one client told us:

Owners also said the session helped them see the legal health of their business more clearly and prioritize what to tackle first. In TAP’s post-session survey, 100% of respondents reported being “Very” or “Extremely Satisfied,” describing the attorneys as thorough, patient, and genuinely useful in pinpointing where their company could benefit.

Attorneys Who Listen: Personalized Feedback from Our Legal Health Experts

Asked whether the attorneys made them feel comfortable and listened attentively, every survey respondent “Strongly Agreed”. What stood out in the comments was not legal expertise alone, but attention. Owners felt their stories were heard, not rushed:

Others described the same care: a legal associate who double-checked contact details and left the breakout room to track down an answer in the main room on a client’s behalf, and partners who asked thoughtful questions throughout, leaving owners confident the attorneys understood their situation.

How Can Small Business Owners Apply for Free Help from TAP?

If you are a small business owner who could use expert support at no cost, TAP pairs you with volunteer consultants for free 1:1 help across finances, marketing, operations, and growth, with pro bono legal services now part of the picture. Apply for TAP services.

How Can Funders and Community Organizations Partner with TAP?

Are you a funder, donor, or community development organization that wants to expand access to free legal and business support for under-resourced entrepreneurs? Partner with TAP.