Community Enterprise Law, a project of the Sustainable Economies Law Center (Law Center), hopes to provide accessible legal information, best practices, and supporting tools for community-based enterprises and nonprofits.

Current Contributors

Christina Oatfield, Policy Director, Sustainable Economies Law Center

Christina is a leader of Sustainable Economies Law Center’s Food Program and she supports the Grassroots Finance Program. She also leads California state legislative campaigns in a variety of issue areas. While she is not yet licensed to practice law, her areas of expertise include food safety laws, agricultural laws, securities laws, and cooperative and nonprofit corporations. Christina is pursuing an attorney license as part of the Law Office Study Program of the State Bar of California, which is an alternative to law school for aspiring attorneys seeking experiential learning.

 

Janelle Orsi, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Sustainable Economies Law Center

Outside of her work with the Sustainable Economies Law Center, Janelle Orsi is an attorney and mediator focused on helping individuals and organizations share resources and create more sustainable communities. Through the Law Office of Janelle Orsi, she works with cooperatives, community gardens, cohousing communities, ecovillages, and others doing innovative work to change the world.  She attended UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. In 2010, Janelle was profiled by the American Bar Association as a Legal Rebel, an attorney who is “remaking the legal profession through the power of innovation.” In 2012, Janelle was one of 100 people listed on The (En)Rich List, which names individuals “whose contributions enrich paths to sustainable futures.” Janelle is author of the book Practicing Law in the Sharing Economy (ABA Books 2012), and co-author of The Sharing Solution: How to Save Money, Simplify Your Life & Build Community (Nolo 2009), a practical and legal guide to cooperating and sharing resources of all kinds.

Cameron Rhudy, Staff Attorney, Sustainable Economies Law Center

Cameron is a staff attorney at Sustainable Economies Law Center and provides legal support to the Grassroots Finance Program, Fellowship Program, and the Resilient Communities Legal Cafe Program.Before becoming a staff attorney at the Law Center, Cameron opened a small law practice in Sacramento, CA while participating in the Law Center’s Fellowship Program. Her law practice serves small creative businesses, cooperatives, and social enterprises.

Past Contributors

• Cameron Holland, Attorney, The Law Office of Cameron Holland
• Caroline Lee, Attorney, Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP
• Devin McDougall, Attorney, Sive, Paget & Riesel, P.C.
• Jenny Kassan, Attorney/Consultant, jennykassan.com, and Co-Founder of Sustainable Economies Law Center