Cooperative Law Conference

Conference on Co-op Law and Development Offers Unique Learning Experience

On September 17 and 18, 2024, attorneys, accountants, business developers, entrepreneurs, and students from eight states and the District of Columbia, gathered in Columbus, Ohio, to explore the intersection of law and cooperative business development. The 2024 Cooperative Law Conference, organized around the theme “Building a Cooperative Economy Together,” explored legal considerations when raising capital, key responsibilities for co-op directors, selling a business to workers using a cooperative structure, and more.

Attendees of the 2024 Cooperative Law Conference pose for a group photo.

From keynote presentations by Cooperative Hall of Fame members Terry Lewis, Esq., and Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, to skill-building sessions on drafting co-op bylaws and understanding cooperative taxation, to a panel conversation about ‘growing and supporting new cooperators,’ the agenda included 13 learning sessions for both beginners and experts.

Two women standing talking to each other in front of a table in the foreground with conference attendees talking in the background.

Creating a Space for Co-op Legal Education

“Our goal was to create a space for entrepreneurs, developers, professionals, and future cooperators, to learn about the unique legal, tax, and financial characteristics of cooperatives, especially since learning opportunities about these concepts can be limited in our experience. I was energized by the engaging sessions, the opportunities to connect with knowledgeable experts, and the stories of people working to grow cooperatives,” shared Hannah Scott, program director of the CFAES Center for Cooperatives. “We want to thank Jason Wiener p.c., Dorsey, Ralph K. Morris Foundation, USDA Rural Development, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, and National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, for their support of the conference,” Scott noted.

Attendees of the 2024 Cooperative Law Conference listen to a presentation on the conversion of existing businesses to worker cooperatives in an auditorium-style classroom.

Organized by Collaborative Partners

The conference, first held in 2018, was hosted this year by The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Center for Cooperatives, and organized by a collaborative group of developers and practitioners, including Jacqueline Radebaugh, Partner and Shareholder with Jason Weiner p.c.; Michael Russell and Catherine Donnelly, attorneys with Legal Aid Society of Cleveland; Meegan Moriarty, Legal and Policy Analyst with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service; Bill Scott, accountant and Principal with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP; Dave Swanson, Partner with Dorsey & Whitney LLP; and Melissa Will, Training Coordinator with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio.

A photograph of a woman sitting at a table speaking into a microphone in the foreground with three people sitting at tables in the background.

Connect with the CFAES Center for Cooperatives

The CFAES Center for Cooperatives at Ohio State assists entrepreneurs, educates the community, and generates knowledge about the cooperative business model with a special focus on food, agriculture, and rural communities. Learn more at go.osu.edu/cooperatives.