use of our specific suite of services to achieve that goal. I proposed that RMG provide pro bono legal services to five early-stage, Blackowned businesses in the area. The firm was eager to meaningfully support BLM, and the idea was met with overwhelming enthusiasm. Within a few days, RMG formed a planning committee and the Building Black-Owned Business in Baltimore Initiative (BBOBB) was born. On July 1, 2020, RMG opened applications and, after a two-month review process, five promising local businesses were selected to receive pro bono legal services through the end of the 2021 calendar year. The diverse participants represent a vast array of industries and they all share RMG’s commitment to supporting Black communities and building Black wealth. BBOBB utilizes RMG’s expertise in business law to aid local, Black-owned
businesses at a crucial point in their timeline: the beginning, when the farreaching effects of systemic racism are profoundly felt in what often amounts to the absence of capital necessary to pay start-up costs, including legal fees. Since BBOBB was announced, at least one other Baltimore-area law firm has announced a similar program. Firms across the country have either reached out for advice on how to launch similar programs, or offered their assistance in our representation of BBOBB participants. BBOBB is an example of how legal professionals can make meaningful change through thoughtful pro bono work. Such programs support individual clients and their communities while encouraging other legal professionals and organizations to take similar steps. I look forward to seeing the program through and pledge to continue to use my legal education to make positive change.
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