Brenda Tausch Lapora

Attorney (Of Counsel)

Practice Areas

  • Startup & Formation
  • Business Transactions & Services
  • Nonprofit

About Me

I work with community-based organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses – especially those led by and/or that center people most impacted by structural racism and oppression.

My practice focuses on nonprofit corporations, federal tax-exemption, small businesses, and business transactions. I help with governance, incorporation, alternative leadership structures, federal tax-exemption, fiscal sponsorships, and contracts.

I balance my law practice with teaching for the University of Washington’s Communication Leadership graduate program, long-form writing, and parenting my 5-year-old and 9-year-old.

  • Washington State Bar, 2007
  • University of Washington School of Law, J.D., 2007
  • JustLead Washington, 2017 Leadership Academy Fellow
  • People’s Institute Northwest (PINW) Undoing Racism Training 2016; ongoing relationship building with European Dissent and PINW
  • Fulbright Grant, Brazil, 2003-2004
  • University of Washington, B.A. cultural anthropology, summa cum laude, 2002
  • The Law and Ethics of Organizations (Instructor), University of Washington Communication Leadership graduate program (2014-current)
  • Washington State Nonprofit Handbook (2022) (Advisory Committee), Communities Rise, WA Secretary of State, Nonprofit Association of Washington,
  • Board Standards in Washington State (Co-Author), Communities Rise, WA Secretary of State, Nonprofit Association of Washington, July 2022
  • Community Collaboration Agreement Toolkit (Co-Author), Communities Rise, Communities of Opportunity, March 2022
  • Nonprofit Advocates Program (Founder, Lead and Curriculum Development), Communities Rise, 2015-2019
  • “We are a 501c3! Now what? All You Need to Know about Nonprofit Compliance” (Trainer), Wayfind/Communities Rise, June 2019
  • “Let’s Go Legal” (Trainer), Wayfind/Communities Rise, Nonprofit Association of Washington, Nonprofit Association of Washington, Apr. 2018, Apr. 2019, Dec. 2019
  • “Conflicts of Interest Demystified” (Author), Jacobson Jarvis & Co, PLLC Newsletter, Aug. 2018
  • Communication for Advocacy (Instructor), University of Washington Communication Leadership graduate program (2017-2018)
  • “Nonprofit Legal Checklist” (Trainer), Nonprofit Leaders Conference (Ocean Shores), Oct. 2016
  • “7 Tips for Social Media” (Author), Jacobson Jarvis & Co, PLLC Newsletter, Aug. 2016
  • Served as Communities Rise’s Legal Director and General Counsel, nonprofit and small business capacity-building and legal services provider with 2-million-dollar budget; collaboratively led 5-person team with 3 people directly reporting; reviewed complex government, grant and partnership agreements; engaged in merger, strategic planning and alternative leadership processes; represented nonprofit and small business clients
  • Prepared numerous successful applications for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status for organizations working for racial and social justice
  • 23 years of experience working for and with nonprofit organizations
  • Served on 6 nonprofit boards over a 12-year period, including founding boards and boards encountering financial and relationship challenges
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