Hacker communities in many cities are becoming interested in starting hackerspaces. Getting together a core of talented, inquisitive, and creative people is an integral part of it, but it is also important to address the legal questions that arise. The goal of this presentation is to make anyone interested in hackerspaces aware of the most likely legal issues to arise, and to equip them to ask the right questions. The subjects discussed in the presentation include choosing an organizational structure, specific benefits and concerns that arise if a hackerspace is organized as a nonprofit, zoning and leasing issues that arise when finding a physical space, and managing liability in order to protect officers, directors, members, and guests alike.
<strong>Nicolle Neulist </strong>, "RogueClown", is an attorney licensed in the state of Illinois. She is a founding member of Pumping Station: One, Chicago's hackerspace, and has done their legal work from the ground up. When she is not navigating the jungle of legal bureaucracy, she is probably coding, singing karaoke, or getting that darn theremin to work.