Volunteer Legal Service Program (VLSP)
VLSP Client Spotlight: Exploring New Horizons
By Samantha Silvia, VLSP Intern
Exploring New Horizons (ENH) is a nonprofit organization which annually provides hands-on environmental education opportunities to enrich the lives of over 7,000 grade school children in the Bay Area. In April, they contacted VLSP’s Community Organization and Representation Project (CORP) for assistance with drafting a series of contracts. Tracy Weiss, a coordinator at ENH, said, “Being a nonprofit organization, legal representation is something we’ve never had before and cannot afford to have on our own.”
 CORP teamed them with volunteer attorney Chiara Portner, who, at the time was from DLA Piper. “ENH needed new format agreements for use with its schools and campgrounds to which it provides services. We had to discuss the various risks to leasing out a location to a group,” explains Portner.
Weiss praised Portner for her professionalism and helpfulness. “[Chiara and DLA Piper] helped us revise our user group contracts and our school contracts. We work with over 90 schools annually for fifth and sixth grade youth. We also rent out a facility. Previously we didn’t have a clear contract for each unique relationship but Chiara helped us figure out the rental agreements and helped to outline what we needed for the schools… Now we have the confidence knowing these are documents that have been legally reviewed and hold our best interest.”
While ENH gained assistance with its contracts for its outdoor education program, Portner also learned a lot by taking on the case. “It was interesting to see behind the scenes the various services offered to schools. We are all familiar with outdoor education but I did not know the depth of services they provide children!”
Now, thanks to CORP, ENH has appropriate working contracts so that they can safely provide an important service to urban youth. Weiss says, “We are really appreciative of this opportunity and it worked really well for us.”
Portner is currently an attorney with Paradigm Counsel LLP where she practices licensing, commercial contracts, and intellectual property and technology based transactions. When asked what she wants to do in the future, she responds, “I want to continue to volunteer for individuals and groups that help the community like VLSP. I anticipate that my daughter could be attending an ENH camp in the future and so it is nice to get involved at a different stage.”
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