Wayne State University Law School’s new incubator law firm, the Wayne Alumni Law Group (WALG), is not just developing better lawyers, it’s also developing the Detroit economy.

The nonprofit firm, which launched late last year, is staffed by four recent Wayne Law grads who are providing Detroit-area entrepreneurs and start-up companies with reduced-fee legal services in areas such as intellectual property, patent law, and general business.

The young lawyers, Rula Aoun, Christopher Banerian, Henry Ibe, and Bonnie Smith were selected based on their interest in developing a practice in metro Detroit and contributing to the growth of the community. As part of this incubator program, they will receive training from local attorneys at Bodman PLC as they work on developing a client base. After a six-month training program, the foursome will begin a year-long apprenticeship. The training will focus on the skills needed to run a law practice, while the apprenticeship will focus on the relevant law and Detroit’s entrepreneurial community.

WALG is overseen by a board of directors, whose members are: Director Eric Williams, assistant (clinical) professor at Wayne Law; Wayne Law Dean Jocelyn Benson; Jonathan Burleigh, Member, Bodman; Wayne Law 2004 alumnus John Walus of Warsh Alpert & Alpert; and Wayne County Circuit Judge Edward Ewell, a 1985 Wayne Law alumnus.

Professor Williams sees WALG as addressing both the needs of recent graduates in increasing on-the-job training opportunities, and those of entrepreneurs in finding affordable planning and legal services. With the assistance provided to local entrepreneurs, WALG is sure to be on the cutting edge of Detroit’s economic comeback.

—Benjamin Ensroth (Robert Mathis and Lynn Ingram contributed to this story.)