Working through red tape: How FIU Law students will help small business

County Commission Chairman Joe A. Martinez is on a mission to clean up the entire code of ordinances – and he’s recruited students from the College of Law to help get the job done.

Together with FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg and R. Alexander Acosta, the college’s dean, Martinez announced Jan. 31 that he is launching an initiative to make county ordinances more business friendly.

“I’ve heard complaints, time and time again, that it’s so hard to open a business in Miami-Dade,” he said. “I’d like to remove as many obstacles as possible.”

Bedelia Campbell, assistant project director for the Neighbors and Neighbors Association, a nonprofit that provides assistance to mom-and-pop shops in Miami-Dade, has heard about these obstacles firsthand. She is happy to see the county and FIU are partnering to help.

Vanessa Pinto '09 listens as Bedilia Campbell, who represents mom-and-pop shops in Miami-Dade, expresses her hopes for the initiative. Photo: Ruben Rivero.

“We hear about people having to go to the City and the County just to get what is essentially the same permit. If they need to do any construction, they have to get even more permits from more places,” she said. “The simplest case can become very complicated and very costly fast because of the county’s antiquated laws and disparities among communities. This partnership is a positive for us.”

Rosenberg echoed Martinez’s wish for a more efficient system, adding, “Nothing is more important right now than creating more job opportunities in our community and streamlining processes for small businesses to succeed. FIU is committed to this project.”

How Panthers will help

Three College of Law students are involved in this initiative. Under the supervision of assistant county attorneys, Lissette Alvarez, Vanessa Pinto ’09 and Jorge Sevilla are already poring over the code, section by section, essentially flagging areas that could affect small business.

Acosta is proud to see his students involved.

“This project is important because our students are giving back to the community and having an impact on the community as well,” he said.

For Pinto, who’s also cutting her teeth in the College of Law’s Community Development Clinic providing counsel to small business owners and nonprofits, the initiative is a good learning experience.

“We’re working on something that really matters,” she said. “I’m definitely looking forward to the next phase when we begin meeting with the business owners we’re here to help.”

Martinez expects these meetings to commence later this spring.