Law For Non-Profits is a free resource offered by Pacific Legal Education Society (PLEO), an organization that has been providing legal services to the non-profit and arts sector since 2005. Operating under the name “Artists’ Legal Outreach” (ALO) in the beginning of PLEO’s inception, PLEO’s first project was the launch of a pilot legal clinic for artists originally run by law student Jamie Mellott and lawyer Martha Rans. The clinic still operates today. Based on positive reception of this service and popular demand, in 2010, the ALO changed its name to PLEO to reflect its extensive involvement with other non-profit societies. PLEO delivers its mission through its Law for Artists and Law For Non-Profits initiatives, each providing educational programming, information, resources and advice.
The Pacific Legal Education & Outreach Society aims to empower artists and non-profits in Canada to access justice efficiently, effectively and equitably. With this mission, PLEO works to shift the paradigm in how non-profits and artists experience the law, providing them with accessible tools, education, and information needed to prevent a legal issue before it happens.