Legal Services State Support

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

LSAP Publishes 2024 Legislative Session Summaries Each year the Legal Services Advocacy Project (LSAP) compiles a comprehensive review (with citations) of Minnesota law changes that, in whole or significant part, impact legal aid’s clients. LSAP is a statewide division of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA), which provides legislative and administrative advocacy on behalf of all legal services programs. LSAP attorneys Jessica Webster, Ellen Smart, and Ron Elwood work on discrete and systemic policy issues that affect the lives of thousands of Minnesotans every year. Read more: https://ow.ly/3iX250SSvUC

Former MMLA Lawyer Sworn in as Associate Justice on Minnesota Supreme Court On July 25th, former legal aid attorney Sarah Hennesy took the oath of office as a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice. Following law school and a career start in the eastern U.S., Hennesy’s first job in Minnesota was with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) in its St. Cloud office. Under the leadership of deputy director Ann Cofell, Hennesy was one of the first to counsel clients in the Stearns County Felony Domestic Violence Court. Later, she became Stearns County district judge. Hennesy was appointed by Governor Walz to succeed Justice G. Barry Anderson, and she has served on the bench since mid-May ahead of her official swearing-in ceremony with Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. In her remarks, Hennesy promised to continue to be a voice for greater Minnesota and trial judges. In acknowledging the limitations of the justice system, she noted in the Star Tribune, “The reality is, the legal system is an institution that is built on a foundation of inequality by people who were themselves biased. And despite the fact that we call it a justice system, far too often it is not just.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gVBU5Xk4

Minnesota Judicial Branch Adopts Historic Framework for District Court Hearings On July 18, 2024, the Minnesota Judicial Council voted to adopt a new district court hearing framework that will reshape the way district courts conduct in-person and remote hearings to deliver justice in Minnesota. The new framework aims to bring statewide consistency to how district courts hold hearings in both criminal and non-criminal matters, while at the same time respecting judicial discretion and providing local flexibility. “This new hearing framework builds on all of the lessons we learned from the pandemic,” Minnesota Chief Justice Natalie E. Hudson said. “We gathered feedback from more than 5,500 judicial officers, staff, justice partners, litigants, and members of the public because we are committed to listening to the people we serve and delivering the highest-quality system of justice to the people of Minnesota.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/g78rX3tq

Dr. Johnanna Ganz to Present Conference Plenary on Challenges of Community-Centered Work This fall’s Legal Services Statewide Conference will offer attendees a focus on community, culture, and the work of legal aid as colleagues gather to reconnect, learn, and earn CLE credit. On Friday morning, November 8th, conference participants will join Dr. Johnanna Ganz, founder of J. Ganz Consulting, for “In Defense of Radical Hope: Fostering Change Through Interdependence and Possibility,” a candid conversation on the challenges facing our community-centered work and the dynamic responses available through radical hope, possibility, and interdependence. Dr. Ganz will help participants think through how to cultivate vision with practical action based on learning, insights, and connections built throughout the conference. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gBVWGBhd