Grants are one of the most important funding sources for small businesses. Law firms, in particular, typically need a couple of years to establish credibility within their communities.
Unlike loans or venture capital investments, grant money doesn’t need to be paid back or exchanged for shares in the company. By proving your business worthwhile, you can benefit from funding opportunities to support regional expansion, technology adoption, or launching community service initiatives.
Law Firms Can Also Benefit From Small Business Grants
Like other small businesses, small law firms go through challenges and struggles similar to more conventional business ventures that only money can solve.
There’s usually lots of pressure associated with borrowed money, especially with how quickly you’ll need to pay it back. Opting for grants instead of loans can alleviate the burden of having to repay them with interest once they’re due.
With grants, your law firm can invest in the technology necessary for legal procedures, such as Electronic File Management (EFM) software, expanding services, or providing pro bono work for your local community. And if you’re just starting, grants can help cover the cost of recruitment.
Benefit From Small Business Grants as a Service Provider
While many small business grants are industry-specific, many are aimed at service-based small businesses. After all, service providers often need access to similar financial support early on. That said, expenses tend to focus more on talent and digital infrastructure rather than product stock.
For example, America’s Seed Fund is a grant program for early-stage startups. It offers financial support to small businesses with innovative approaches to their target markets. Your state and county may also offer programs to support small local businesses, like the PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), which provides funding and other resources to small businesses.
Develop Your Workforce With Government Support
While financial funding is the most commonly known type of grant, there are other types of support for small businesses on a local scale. Most government-funded small business grants for law firms are offered by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).
The Basic Field Grant
The Basic Field Grant is a competitive bidding process. The grant aims to improve legal access for low-income people.
It funds up to three years of training for qualified attorneys and legal aid organizations. It focuses on improving skills typically lacking in the local legal market, such as knowledge of cybersecurity or data privacy laws.
The Pro Bono Innovation Fund
The Pro Bono Innovation Fund aims to encourage more lawyers to get involved in pro bono services to address gaps in accessibility to legal services nationwide. It offers funding for planning, project management, and sustainability, as well as for the transformation of infrastructure.
The Technology Initiative Grant Program
The Technology Initiative Grant is not only aimed at legal practices and law firms, but it also funds innovative uses of technology in legal services and the judicial system. This grant primarily supports the efforts of pro bono attorneys by providing the infrastructure for technologies, including mobile, cloud computing, and automated document assembly.
Grants for Women-Owned, Minority-Owned, and Veteran-Owned Law Firms
Law firms, in particular, benefit from having diverse voices that represent the U.S. population. That’s why a law firm started by a person from a protected minority group qualifies for specific grants and development programs aimed at supporting their small business. Some of these programs include:
The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program
The WOSB Federal Contract Program is a part of the National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF). It awards a minimum of 5% of all federal contracting to women-owned small businesses annually. To qualify, the law firm must be at least 51% owned and managed daily by American women.
The EnrichHER Small Business Grant
Founded and operated by a Black woman, the FinTech company offers the EnrichHER grant of $5,000 to small businesses developing new products or services in the U.S. As of 2025, this grant has already awarded $14 million to minority-owned small businesses across the mainland USA.
The Veteran Institute for Procurement
The Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP) provides training resources for service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses based in the United States. This program aims to help you secure federal government contracts through in-person training programs, educational events, and industry-specific networking opportunities.
Tips for Finding the Winning Grants for Law Firms
Thanks to the internet, you can access countless grants and development programs aimed at small law firms in your area.
Explore Government Grants
Grants.gov is a centralized repository of all grants offered by the federal U.S. government to individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations. You can narrow your search to the Department of Justice, as it focuses most of its grants on law firms, attorneys, and legal practices.
The best part is that you can apply for your grant directly through the Grants.gov platform, where you can also verify that you qualify for any specific grant.
Conduct a Filtered Google Search
For grants offered by private entities or NGOs, your best option is to be smart about using Google search. Include key terms in double quotations to mandate them in the search results. For example, try using “law firm” or “attorney” as you look for grants.
Also, from the “All results” drop-down menu, you should select “Verbatim” to show more relevant results.
4 Best Practices For Submitting Outstanding Grant Applications
While most grants are awarded based on merit, you can still optimize your application to increase your chances of being selected.
- Confirm Eligibility: Applying for grants you don’t qualify for can be a huge waste of time and resources. If you don’t qualify at first, see if you can make the necessary changes to make your business eligible before applying.
- Apply Early: This gives you time to resolve any issues in your application before the deadline.
- Hire a Grant Writer: If writing isn’t your strong suit, consider working with a professional grant writer to research, draft, and submit your proposals.
- Showcase Your Business’s Value: Because grants mainly focus on community development, you should showcase your firm’s positive effects on the local community or industry.
Law Firms: Apply For The Small Business Flexibility Grant
Just because you don’t run a small business in the traditional sense, doesn’t mean you won’t have access to specialized funding through grants. While free, applications do take time, so focus on higher-return grants, like the Small Business Flexibility Grant provided by Stamps.com.
It’s open for small businesses, primarily targeting small professional services businesses. The Stamps.com grant offers $25,000 to help small businesses, such as law firms, get off the ground. Apply now before the submission deadline of May 31, 2025.
