Legal Tools

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Immigrant-Owned Cooperatives

Information on best practices for immigrant-owned cooperatives, including the LLC cooperative model, is available on this password-protected page.

Think Outside the Boss Manual/Workshop

Beginning in 2013, SELC and the East Bay Community Law Center have been hosting half day workshops called “Think Outside the Boss” three times per year in the San Francisco Bay Area. These Think Outside the Boss workshops provide community members an introduction into the nuts and bolts of starting and running a cooperatively owned business. We go over legal issues in an accessible way to help you understand the relationships between cooperatives, employment, and community wealth-building. Attorneys, law students, and experienced cooperative professionals give short presentations on legal issues, governance structures, financing, and more. We also typically host breakout sessions on specialized topics with attorneys, cooperative accountants, business planning specialists, and discussions led by cooperative worker-members.

Co-op Bylaws and Other Governance Documents

Bylaws and Operating Agreements can be living documents that create systems for your organization to thrive as a worker-owned business. On Co-opLaw.org, you will find sample Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Operating Agreements, and Disclosure Documents.