Following a trend that has spread to about a dozen schools across the United States, the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center is the latest to launch an “incubator” project to help graduates start their own solo practices or small firms. Modeled after medical residency programs, incubators typically operate a law office where graduates can build their client bases while receiving mentoring and practical skills training.
The Touro Law incubator, called the Community Justice Center, opened its law office this month in Hauppauge on Long Island. Like other incubators, it will focus on providing low-cost legal services to area residents who could not otherwise afford an attorney. Nine graduates, almost all of whom graduated in the past five years, have been selected to work there over the next 18 months. They each pay a low monthly rent as they consult with clients, with the hope they’ll be ready to hang their own shingles when they complete their incubator residency.
