Legal Services State Support

How Can Legal Aid Hold on to Good Attorneys? Earlier this month, Dori Rapaport, executive director of Justice North, and Lee Richardson of Legal Aid of Arkansas, discussed their multi-faceted efforts to attract and retain high-quality attorneys and staff on LSC’s Talk Justice podcast. While it’s no secret that legal aid does not lead to the highest potential salaries in the profession, it does offer rewarding, and sometimes high impact work. Leaders must be creative with limited resources, familiar with their program’s most pressing legal needs, and knowledgeable about the priorities of public interest attorneys. Read more: https://ow.ly/YBYQ50TTyjZ

Making Justice a Reality in Our Communities: Minnesota Celebrates Pro Bono Week — October 20-26, 2024 Each October Minnesota celebrates its pro bono commitment in tandem with the American Bar Association’s national Pro Bono Week Celebration. Pro bono work is a professional responsibility and an individual ethical commitment of each lawyer. Since 2009, legal organizations across America participate in the ABA’s national celebration because of the increasing need for pro bono services during harsh economic times and the unprecedented response of attorneys to meet this demand. This year, the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA), Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM), Justice North, and the University of MN Law School invite you to participate in a week-long series of CLEs and social events for pro bono lawyers and advocates. Additional CLES and new links just added! More details here: https://ow.ly/AS0O50TM8Wv

Legal Paraprofessional Pilot Project Becomes Permanent in 2025 The Legal Paraprofessional Pilot Project began in late 2020 as a statewide pilot project that allowed approved Minnesota legal paraprofessionals to represent and advise clients in select matters with oversight by a licensed Minnesota attorney. The Pilot Project was intended to increase access to civil legal representation in case types where one or both parties typically appear without representation. Justice North was an early adopter of this pilot project, and currently employs five legal paraprofessionals. "We have seen the positive impact on our client communities through faster legal advice via our Hotline, one-on-one assistance with family law documents, and representation at mediations and court hearings," said Tiffany Doherty, Justice North's Director of Advocacy. "Talented paralegals now have the opportunity to expand on their skill set and continue to learn and grow while also assisting the client communities who badly need greater access to justice." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gJwiSWUY

MJF Announces 2024 Outstanding Service Award Recipients On October 9, 2024, the Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) will hold its Annual Awards Celebration to recognize colleagues who have demonstrated a commitment to public interest legal work. MJF’s Outstanding Service Awards were established in 1991 to honor the dedicated service, achievements, and excellence of students, lawyers in private practice or in-house settings for their pro bono work, and public interest legal service providers. MJF is pleased to announce this year’s award recipients! Advocate Award: Jenna Saverynski, Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) Direct Legal Service Award: Sarah K. Moore, Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM) Private Practice Lawyer Award: Clinton E. Cutler, Fredrikson & Byron P.A. and the University of Minnesota Law School’s Bankruptcy Clinic Read more: https://lnkd.in/gvHNw3ar

Consolidated Housing Court Calendar Means More Accessibility in Northwest MN MPR News recently spoke with Sarah Moore, attorney at Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM), about the new consolidated housing court calendar and what it means for clients. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, hearings for housing related cases such as evictions appeared on general calendars for greater Minnesota judges, meaning that they could be scheduled at any time. Moore explained the hardships this presented for clients, such as getting time off work, arranging childcare, and transportation to name a few. During the pandemic courts moved online to Zoom, and it exponentially increased accessibility for both clients and their attorneys. As the end of the moratorium on in-person hearings approached, the judiciary considered the positives that had resulted from holding proceedings virtually. With the housing court calendar now consolidated, and hearings taking place on Zoom as a matter of course, Moore noted how much more accessible LSNM is for those who need it most. “People are able to appear on their phones. They’re able to appear on a computer if they have one,” Moore said. “And all the courthouses in our area, it doesn’t have to be necessarily the courthouse where the hearing is being held, but if there’s a courthouse that’s closer, they have iPads or computer kiosks that tenants can use.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gE4naNby

New Continuing Legal Education Requirement: Mental Health and Substance Abuse This summer, the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education announced that a new CLE category focusing on substance abuse, addiction, and/or mental health was approved and is now a requirement for all reporting attorneys. On February 23, 2024, the Minnesota Supreme Court amended the Board’s Rules to require one credit in this area per 3-year reporting cycle. Category 1 lawyers due to report this year will not be required to submit this credit type. Category 2 lawyers due to report in 2025 will be the first group of lawyers subject to this requirement. The new Rules became effective July 1, 2024. Supported by the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA), a course for the new special category of CLE credit will “educate attorneys about substance use, addiction and/or mental health issues related to the practice of law.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/ghvEJm8i

Survey Finds Americans Lack Knowledge About Civil Legal Issues Experts discuss the findings from a new survey on Americans’ knowledge of civil legal issues on the latest episode of LSC’s “Talk Justice” podcast, released August 13th. The recent survey of more than 2,000 Americans was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of LSC. It revealed widespread misconceptions about civil legal rights, and that many people do not reach out for help with their civil legal problems. Lee Rawles hosts the podcast conversation with LSC President Ron Flagg and Harris Poll Vice President Kathy Steinberg. The survey revealed that 56% of Americans mistakenly believe they are entitled to free legal representation for all civil matters if they cannot afford a lawyer, a percentage that jumps to 67% among younger adults aged 18 to 34. Read more: https://ow.ly/JRZ050TagC3

Justice North Celebrates Cheryl Prince’s Pro Bono Service Award Justice North is proud to announce that Cheryl Prince, a distinguished attorney with Hanft Fride Law Firm in Duluth, MN, has been awarded the prestigious Pro Bono Service Award by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). The award was presented last month at the LSC Champions of Justice Award Celebration in Minneapolis, MN, in recognition of Prince’s outstanding commitment to providing legal services to those in need. Cheryl has been a dedicated volunteer with Justice North's Private Attorney Involvement program, following her service with the Volunteer Attorney Program. She has generously contributed her time and expertise, handling pro bono cases, staffing family law clinics, and mentoring other volunteer attorneys. In 2023 alone, Cheryl devoted over 300 hours to pro bono work with Justice North, exemplifying her unwavering commitment to justice and community service. Read more: https://ow.ly/E9ol50T3oPJ

Registration Opens Today for the Legal Services Statewide Conference Legal Services State Support is excited to announce that registration opens today for the 2024 Statewide Conference — Bridging Worlds: Community, Culture, and the Work of Legal Aid. The conference will be held from Wednesday, November 6 to Friday, November 8 at Madden's on Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN. This year's conference plenaries bring the community together to learn about how to connect with and serve Native clients dealing with our legal system, the challenges we face in our community-centered work and how to respond with hope, possibility, and interdependence, and tech topics with the power to amplify legal aid's impact. We'll also welcome State Representative and attorney Jamie Becker-Finn, who will share insights about the historic increase in state funding for civil legal services and public defense, the importance of the People of Color & Indigenous Caucus and Queer Caucus in Minnesota's legislature and the need for more people to engage in the legislative process. Read more: https://ow.ly/GKNI50T2tSs

Legal Services Champion Jamie Becker-Finn to Speak at Statewide Conference State Support is excited to welcome attorney and State Representative Jamie Becker-Finn to the 2024 Legal Services Statewide Conference as our featured speaker on Thursday, November 7. Rep. Becker-Finn serves as the Chair of the Judiciary & Civil Law Committee at the Minnesota State Legislature and her work focuses on lifting up unheard voices and addressing inequities in the justice system. She spearheaded the historic 2023 increase in civil legal aid funding at the state legislature and her efforts earned a “Champion of Justice” award from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). In addition to her legislative achievements, Rep. Becker-Finn is an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law and owns Makwa Coffee, a community-focused coffee shop in the city of Roseville. She is a Leech Lake Ojibwe descendant and grew up in rural Minnesota. Read more: https://ow.ly/tAJp50SY40j