Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits [Hardcover]

Lesley Rosenthal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2012

A concise overview of the legal needs of nonprofit organizations

Good Counsel is a compact and personable overview of the legal needs of nonprofits, crafted by one of America's most astute nonprofit general counsels. The book distills the legal needs of the 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States.Written in a clear and accessible style, with plenty of humor and storytelling as well as illustrative case studies, Good Counsel explains the basics of nonprofit corporate law, governance, and the tax exemption. It then takes a department-by-department look at legal topics relevant to program, fundraising, finance, communications, human resources, operations, contracts, government relations, and more. Good Counsel is designed help organizations fulfill their missions to do the public good.

Designed to impart confidence and demystify the issues, Good Counsel is a must-read for nonprofit professionals and board members as well as lawyers and law students. Using Good Counsel as their playbook, lawyers, executives, and trustees can get an overview of the most common legal, governance, and compliance issues facing their organization and together ramp up a top-notch legal function.

• Contains practice pointers, checklists, and assessment tools
• Features sample contracts, licenses, and other form documents
• Filled with case studies and end-of-chapter focus questions, as well as available lesson plans for easy classroom use by educators in business, management, public policy, and law schools

Good Counsel is the first-of-its-kind guidebook written by the sitting General Counsel of a major nonprofit. Written by influential author, speaker, and Bar leader Lesley Rosenthal, the General Counsel of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Good Counsel shares the insights of a Harvard Law School graduate with years of in-house and business law experience as well as board service.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

If you care about nonprofits and their legal needs, this is your playbook. Never before has the General Counsel of a major organization taken readers on a grand tour that summarizes the legal responsibilities and opportunities of nonprofits. With illustrative examples from human services, higher education, cultural, and other organizations, Good Counsel helps executives, board members, and lawyers avoid mistakes and serve with excellence.

Highly relevant for lawyers and non-lawyers alike, Good Counsel distills to their essentials the legal needs of one million public charities in the United States: nonprofit corporate law and governance, the tax exemption, and business law topics relevant to program, fundraising, finance, human resources, communications, operations, and more.

With focus questions, practice pointers, actionable checklists, work plans, and sample documents, the book and its companion website invite readers 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

• Lobby effectively . . . without crossing the line

• Start up or step up a network of legal supporters

Good Counsel also reveals how nonprofits and lawyers work together, how they find one another, and how the smart ones leverage their relationships to the greatest benefit of all.

From the Back Cover

Good Counsel reveals:

• What makes a nonprofit a nonprofit (hint: it has nothing to do with whether the organization makes a profit)

• 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

• One thing NOT to say in a hire letter or employee handbook

• How to find a coveted law job at a nonprofit

good counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits

"Triple kudos to Good Counsel, a treasure-trove for nonprofit executives, attorneys, and board members. It's everything they would want to know, embellished with real-lifestories, checklists, forms, and available resources."—Hon. Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge Emerita, State of New York

"Lesley Rosenthal has composed a score for nonprofit leaders and their legal advisors. Lively, comprehensive, and easy to understand, Good Counsel speaks to the concerns of board members, administrators, legal practitioners, artists, and students."—Wynton Marsalis

"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

"Lesley Rosenthal addresses a wide array of legal issues in a fun, easy-to-read manner, using practical checklists and work plans. Good Counsel is invaluable not only for nonprofit and pro bono legal counsel, but also for board members and executives in the nonprofit sector."—Ira M. Millstein, Senior Associate Dean for Corporate Governance, Yale School of Management

"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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 11, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1118084047
• ISBN-13: 978-1118084045
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Law > Business > Corporate Law
  • #8 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Nonprofit Organizations & Charities

More About the Author

LESLEY ROSENTHAL is the author of Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits (John Wiley & Sons 2012). She 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 Manhattan. 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 the Arts. Follow her on Twitter @GoodCounselBook or find her on Facebook at facebook.com/GoodCounselBook.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where has this been all my (nonprofit legal) life?, February 9, 2012

By 

SMC - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits (Hardcover)

I wish I had this book during the first five years as in-house counsel for a global nonprofit organization...and I am glad to have it now!

Good Counsel is both informative and reassuring. It is the singular most important desk (or e-reader) reference that a nonprofit legal service provider (and those who love them, work with them or need one) should have at the ready.

Good Counsel gives legal practitioners and non-profit leaders alike a comprehensive overview of the issues likely to face any non-profit, big or small. If your nonprofit doesn't have (or can't afford) a lawyer to define the issues you'll encounter or to provide a primer on how to address them when you do, then you should have Good Counsel on your desk.

If you're a nonprofit legal service provider and have been wondering if others are facing similar issues, handling them the same way, etc., Good Counsel will provide reassurance and will also serve as a tool as you continue to address these important issues over time.

There are a lot of resources for lawyers advising nonprofits on basic formation, tax and compliance matters. There are few resources for lawyers advising (or working in house at) nonprofits on the day to day business matters that programmatic nonprofits face. Good Counsel is a resource for those doing the day to day legal work that helps great nonprofits achieve maximum impact.

A must have.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally...., February 8, 2012

By 

Jeff B. Sultanof (Paterson, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits (Hardcover)

If anyone has the credentials to write a book like this one, it is counselor Rosenthal. Her extensive experience both in the private sector and in non-profit settings makes her uniquely qualified to write a book dealing with the legal issues and challenges of non-profit organizations.

Ms. Rosenthal covers the gamut of issues likely to be encountered, such as corporate law, contracts, compensation of management, mission statements, copyrights, licensing, boards of directors, minutes of meetings, fundraising, trademark law and even government lobbying.

While it is written for lawyers and students (there are focus questions and and work plans at the end of most chapters), this book can be read by just about anyone who is involved or may wish to be involved in such organizations. The writing style is easy to understand; the author clearly explains her ideas in simple language.

The book has a companion website where additional information can be found.

Ms. Rosenthal has both good counsel and common sense in abundance. This book should be in the offices of every non-profit organization in the world. I dare you to put it down once you start reading it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Good Counsel" is not only good counsel but also valuable counsel., January 17, 2012

By 

Nancy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits (Hardcover)

I wish this book had been available when I was Executive Director of a religious organization. It answers so many questions I had, and makes me think of a dozen more I wish I had asked.