Lessons from a JEP Legal Fellow: Q&A with Amy Cook

For the last six months, Amy Cook has been working part-time at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee through a pro bono residency funded by the Chicago Bar Foundation called the Justice Entrepreneurs Project (JEP). As she prepares to end her fellowship, the attorney and award-winning former Editor-in-Chief of the CBA’s “The Record” shared some of her experiences with us.

Q: What first drew you to legal practice?

A: I was initially drawn to law in undergrad, through a class I took on First Amendment Law. I was fascinated by the law having really no right or wrong answer, learning that it was all about the strength of your argument, and by the idea of having to defend speech that we find horrible and hateful because America is fundamentally about free speech. I’d always been interested in mass communications, which was my undergraduate major. When I went to law school, I pursued both a law degree and a masters in journalism.

Q: How have you crossed between the legal and the writing worlds?

A: I’ve worked on a lot of contracts for publishing companies and as a literary agent. Contracts can be dry and boring, but I like reviewing them and making sure they’re good for my clients. I often write for Writer’s Digest magazine about legal issues for authors, and I was Editor-in-Chief for Chicago Bar Association. I like editing and writing articles about the law. I also have a long-term interest in food, and I represented cookbooks as a literary agent. I even became the executive director of a nonprofit, The Farmer Chef Alliance, and am interested in working with small businesses and nonprofits related to food.

Q: What’s your experience been like as a JEP Legal Fellow at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee?

A: When I first heard about JEP I thought it was just for new or younger lawyers, but JEP can be a good fit for any level of experience as long as the missions align. During the pandemic, I had lost a lot of my work as a consultant and wanted to practice law again, but I couldn’t really jump into it on my own. I needed some assistance and a network to support me. JEP ended up being just the handholding I needed. There’s so much training and access to resources that only bigger law firms have, like continuing education or discounts on software and products. It’s a nice blend for someone who’s considering starting out on their own as an entrepreneur, but still needs some advice and guidance.  At Chicago Lawyers’ Committee, I’d get inquiries from small businesses and nonprofits looking for assistance. I’d gauge their questions and dig for more information, and I’d handle the legal work for things like reviewing contracts, looking over nonprofit bylaws and corporate governance documents, or answering questions on trademarks and copyrights. I was also able to give some presentations for nonprofits and small business groups, which was great because I love to hear all the different questions people have.

Q: What’s the connection between civil rights and assisting small businesses & nonprofits?

A: I definitely see a connection in my work to civil rights. Any small business or nonprofit needs a solid legal foundation and funding in place for baseline success. That economic success helps the community at large. For example, in the food world, if farmers and urban gardens aren’t successful, then none of us have access to healthy locally produced foods. Every business and nonprofit has contracts or bylaws that they often piece together themselves from the internet. This is a great way for attorneys to get involved and help, especially in underserved areas. Especially with intellectual property issues, we could always use more volunteers.

Q: So what will you be doing next?

A: I’m currently setting up my own firm where I’ll be taking in my own clients, and folks can find me through amycooklaw.com. I will miss the work I’ve been doing here. I’ll be continuing some of that as a volunteer, like advising Chicago Lawyers’ Committee on IP issues with the Illinois Civics in Prison curriculum being developed with Chicago Votes. I’ll also continue volunteering with Lawyers for the Creative Arts, reviewing and drafting contracts and protecting intellectual property.