CLIMB (Charlotte Legal Initiative to Mobilize Businesses, Inc.) is pleased to announce Casey Burke will serve as its first executive director. An experienced pro bono lawyer dedicated to expanding access to legal services, Burke joins CLIMB from the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, where she managed the organization’s pro bono unit.
As executive director of CLIMB, Burke will work closely with the board of directors to scale the pro bono program. Her strong relationships with both local law firms and corporate legal departments will serve as an important resource as CLIMB seeks to engage additional partners.
“With Casey at the helm dedicating her full attention to CLIMB, we are confident the program will expand its mission of connecting more entrepreneurs with volunteer lawyers and uplifting small businesses in our community,” said CLIMB board member Kate Maynard of Robinson Bradshaw.
CLIMB began through a collaboration of local law firms seeking to advance economic mobility and social justice in the Charlotte region. CLIMB provides pro bono legal services through a network of volunteer lawyers from law firms including Alston & Bird, Bradley, Cadwalader, Hunton, McGuireWoods, Mayer Brown, Moore & Van Allen, Parker Poe, Troutman Pepper, Robinson Bradshaw and Womble Bond Dickinson. In CLIMB’s first two years, volunteer lawyers have assisted nearly 100 local entrepreneurs with their business legal needs.
“We are excited for Casey to expand and deepen CLIMB’s relationships and to learn more about how the organization can serve the needs of entrepreneurs and small business owners who cannot afford to pay for legal services,” said Kimberly Zirkle, CLIMB board member and Moore & Van Allen partner.
CLIMB is a nonprofit legal services organization created to provide pro bono business law services to historically under-represented entrepreneurs and small business owners of limited means in the Charlotte community. CLIMB volunteer lawyers are available to assist eligible clients with business law matters, such as entity formation, corporate governance, employment law matters, financing transactions, contracts and commercial leases. CLIMB prioritizes services for people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities and veterans. For more information, visit www.climbnc.org.
