Wiley - New York State’s Chief Judge announced on September 19 that
prospective attorneys will be required to spend 50 hours performing pro
bono work as a requirement to be admitted to practice law in New York
State in 2015 and thereafter. With her book Good Counsel: Meeting the
Legal Needs of Nonprofits (John Wiley & Sons 2012), Lesley Rosenthal,
the General Counsel of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, maps out
ready-made and meaningful legal projects to assist students in
fulfilling this requirement and charities in meeting their missions.
Released earlier this year in anticipation of an upsurge in law
students’ interest in providing pro bono service to charities, Good
Counsel provides 10 work plans and companion text for lawyers in
training to help nonprofits in areas such as corporate law, governance,
contracts, copyright law, trademarks, fundraising, trusts & estates,
investments, labor and employment, social media, litigation, regulatory
matters, real estate and investigations, and lobbying/government
relations. Using Good Counsel, students under supervision can
immediately get to work tackling common legal, governance and compliance
issues facing nonprofits.
With Good Counsel as their playbook, law school-based clinical programs,
law students in internships, summer jobs and independently supervised
volunteer work, and supervising attorneys at law firms and nonprofits
are shaping actionable projects in fulfillment of pro bono requirements,
better public service by organizations, and the greater good. As
emphasized by Chief Judge Lippman, “These pro bono experiences hopefully
will encourage law students to continue with volunteer pro bono services
after they are admitted, and help prospective lawyers acquire hands-on
skills under the supervision of committed members of the legal
profession.”
What lawyers, students, academics and nonprofit leaders are saying about
Good Counsel:
“Good Counsel is brilliant counsel. Some books make a difference. Others
make a great difference. Very few become standards. This work by Lesley
Rosenthal will become a standard of the nonprofit world.”
Peter S. Britell, Universityof MiamiLaw News, Feb. 2013. (link for
reference: http://www.law.miami.edu/news/2013/february/img/pdf-2490a.pdf)
New York Bar Journal: “A remarkable, up-to-date and virtually
all-inclusive practice treatment...An impressive array of guidelines and
how-to suggestions and materials intended to train incoming counsel and
those on both sides of the attorney-client relationship."
Robert L. Ostertag, Past President, NYSBA. July-Aug. 2012.
Philanthropy Front and Center: “Good (and understandable) Counsel.
Useful tool...practical, readable! Many will want a personal copy for
staff, trustees and (if they have one) for their own attorneys."
Patricia Pasqual, Director, Foundation Center, May 3, 2012.
Amlawdaily: “Rosenthal gives us the scoop on how lawyers can parlay
their firm experience into a job in the nonprofit sector.”
Vivia Chen, The Careerist, April 2012
New York Law Journal: "A true must-read for nonprofit lawyers,
executives, board members and even law students....If you interact with
nonprofits, this is the book."
Stephen P. Younger, Past President, NYSBA, Feb 21, 2012.
About.com: “There is no doubt that once you have this book in your
hands, you’ll be grateful, whether you’re a development director, the
ED, or a ‘member of the board’. Add Good Counsel to your nonprofit
management bookshelf and make sure that your entire management team
knows about it.”
Joanne Fritz, Nonprofit Charitable Orgs Guide, Feb. 2012.
Does Your Nonprofit Need Legal Counsel About Using Social Media?: “Great
resource... Her writing style is less lawyerly, and well, human. The
book is filled with stories, practical resources, and tools.”
Beth Kanter, How Networked Nonprofits Leverage Networks and Data for
Social Change, Jan. 17, 2012.
Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits is available for
purchase at www.wiley.com/buy/9781118084045.
It is also available at Amazon.com and BN.com in hard cover and e-book
editions.
About the Book
Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits (Wiley, ISBN:
978-1-1180-8404-5; Hardcover / 352 pages / $80.00) is the
first-of-its-kind guidebook written by the sitting General Counsel of a
major nonprofit. It takes a department-by-department look at legal
topics relevant to programs, fundraising, finance, communications, human
resources, operations, contracts, government relations, and more.
Workplans accompanying each chapter are designed to launch productive
relationships between counsel or supervised law students and nonprofits
in need of legal advice. The book imparts confidence, demystifies
issues, and leverages legal resources to help organizations do the
public good. With illustrative examples from human services, higher
education, cultural, and other organizations, Good Counsel also contains
focus questions, practice pointers, case studies, sample documents and
other explanatory materials for educators, practitioners and students.
Used along with its companion website, the book shows readers how to:
Energize the boardroom with role clarity and trustee engagement
Boost fundraising activities
Negotiate contracts that serve the organization’s best interests
Support a committed workforce with sound employment policies
Strengthen the organization’s name and protect its good works
Understand the business model and applicable regulations
Find the sweet spot for entrepreneurial initiatives
Start up or step up a network of legal supporters
The book also reveals how good governance ties to mission and
fundraising; how to protect the organization’s name and monetize its
original works; potent phrases that can turn gift pledges into
enforceable contracts; and one thing NOT to say in a hire letter or
employee handbook. It also provides useful guidance on finding a coveted
law job at a nonprofit.
About Lesley Rosenthal
Lesley Rosenthal leads the legal, governance, and compliance functions
of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. Since 2005, she has
fashioned the legal context for the renowned arts center’s world-class
cultural and educational offerings, its entrepreneurial initiatives in
media, fashion, and international consulting, and the $1.2 billion
redevelopment of its iconic physical complex. Rosenthal has served in
many roles throughout the nonprofit sector, including for the New York
State Bar Association and its Foundation. For 13 years, she was in
private practice as a business, litigation, and technology lawyer at
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in New York City. Rosenthal
graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. The National
Organization for Women (NOW-nyc) has named her a “Woman of Power and
Influence” and the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel has
named her “Counsel of the Year” for excellence in arts law. Follow her
on Twitter @GoodCounselBook or find her on Facebook at
Facebook.com/GoodCounselBook.
ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT:
GOOD COUNSEL: MEETING THE LEGAL NEEDS OF NONPROFITS
By Lesley Rosenthal
Hoboken, NJ, January 11, 2012, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., - With her book
Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits, Lesley Rosenthal,
the astute General Counsel of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts,
has created the indispensable guide for the most common legal,
governance and fundraising compliance issues facing nonprofits. She
distills to the essentials the legal context of a million public
charities in the U.S. in a clear and accessible style, with humor and
storytelling, and offers practical tools. Written for organization
professionals, board members, lawyers and students, Good Counsel has
received advance praise from across the legal, nonprofit, academic, and
cultural sectors.
Advance praise for Good Counsel:
“A treasure trove for nonprofit executives, attorneys and board members
seeking to better understand their responsibilities and opportunities.”
–Hon. Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge Emerita, State of New York
“A remarkable achievement, essentially a one-volume guide to the entire
practice of law relating to nonprofits.”–Kelly Kleiman, The
Nonprofiteer, Chicago
“Lesley Rosenthal has composed a score for nonprofit leaders and their
legal advisors. Lively, comprehensive, and easy to understand.”–Wynton
Marsalis, Jazz Leader and CBS Cultural Correspondent
“Good Counsel is a unique and inspiring contribution to nonprofit
management. I am buying this book for my entire senior leadership
team.”–Erin S. Gore, Chief Financial Officer, University of California,
Berkeley
“In the fast-moving and freewheeling excitement of connecting artists
and audiences, Lesley Rosenthal’s savvy and sound counsel is a go-to
guide for the industry. Her direct style, keen insight, and
entrepreneurial sense make Good Counsel indispensable.” –Nan Keeton,
Director of External Affairs, San Francisco Symphony
Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits is available for
purchase at www.wiley.com/buy/9781118084045.
It is also available at Amazon.com and BN.com in hard cover and e-book
editions.
About the Book
Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits (Wiley, ISBN:
978-1-1180-8404-5; Hardcover / 352 pages / $80.00) is the
first-of-its-kind guidebook written by the sitting General Counsel of a
major nonprofit. It takes a department-by-department look at legal
topics relevant to programs, fundraising, finance, communications, human
resources, operations, contracts, government relations, and more. The
book imparts confidence, demystifies issues, and leverages legal
resources to help organizations to do the public good. With illustrative
examples from human services, higher education, cultural, and other
organizations, Good Counsel contains focus questions, practice pointers,
case studies, and work plans for educators, as well as sample documents.
Used, along with its companion website, the book shows readers how to:
-- Energize the boardroom with role clarity and trustee engagement
-- Boost fundraising activities
-- Negotiate contracts that serve the organization’s best interests
-- Support a committed workforce with sound employment policies
-- Strengthen the organization’s name and protect its good works
-- Understand the business model and applicable regulations
-- Find the sweet spot for entrepreneurial initiatives
-- Start up or step up a network of legal supporters
The book also reveals how good governance ties to mission and
fundraising; how to protect the organization’s name and monetize its
original works; potent phrases that can turn gift pledges into
enforceable contracts; and one thing NOT to say in a hire letter or
employee handbook. It also provides useful guidance on finding a coveted
law job at a nonprofit.
About Lesley Rosenthal
Lesley Rosenthal leads the legal, governance, and compliance functions
of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Since 2005, she has fashioned
the legal context for the renowned arts center’s world-class cultural
and educational offerings, its entrepreneurial initiatives in media,
fashion, and international consulting, and the $1.2 billion
redevelopment of its iconic physical complex. Rosenthal has served in
many roles throughout the nonprofit sector, including for the New York
State Bar Association and its Foundation. For 13 years, she was in
private practice as a business, litigation, and technology lawyer at
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in New York City. Rosenthal
graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. The National
Organization for Women (NOW-nyc) has named her a “Woman of Power and
Influence,” and the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel has
named her “Counsel of the Year” for excellence in arts law. Follow her
on Twitter @GoodCounselBook or find her on Facebook at
Facebook.com/GoodCounselBook.
In conjunction with the book’s release, Rosenthal will speak at
professional conferences for lawyers and nonprofit leaders as well as
law schools in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Detroit, Washington DC,
Boston, Philadelphia and elsewhere.
About the Wiley/Lincoln Center Publishing Alliance
Launched in 2006, John Wiley & Sons and LincolnCenterfor the Performing
Arts, Inc., under a joint imprint, publish books that draw on Lincoln
Center’s archives, performing artists, global presentations, and Lincoln
Center Institute’s educational expertise. Titles to date include: Art at
Lincoln Center: The Public Art and List Prints and Poster Collections;
celebrated operatic bass Hao Jiang Tian’s memoir Along the Roaring
River: My Journey from Mao to the Met; and In The Wings: Behind the
Scenes at the New York City Ballet by Kyle Forman, and two books by
composer/educator Rob Kapilow, the most recent in September 2011, What
Makes it Great?: Short Masterpieces Great Composers.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) serves three primary
roles: presenter of artistic programming, national leader in arts and
education and community relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center
campus. A presenter of more than 5,000 events performances, tours, and
educational activities annually, LCPA’s series include American
Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out
of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival, White Light
Festival, and the Emmy Award-winning Live From Lincoln Center. As
manager of the Lincoln Center campus, LCPA provides support and services
for the Lincoln Center complex and its 10 other resident organizations.
In addition, LCPA is leading a series of major capital projects, now
nearly complete, on behalf of the resident organizations across the
campus.
