Legal “incubators” help young lawyers gain the practical skills they need in order to set up moderately-priced law practices in local communities. Thus, incubators serve a dual purpose: they expand career options for law graduates, while also supporting the creation of affordable services for people of low and moderate incomes (who, studies show, are increasingly unable to access legal help).
The first incubator opened in 2007 at CUNY Law School. Now, there are over fifty — in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, as well as dozens of other locations around the country. In an issue brief, “A Legal Incubator for Philadelphia?,” Temple law student Stephen Fox examines the incubator movement, and argues that the time has come to consider establishing an incubator here.