Study Shows How Legal Aid Secures Millions of Dollars for Minnesota Annually

The Minnesota Legal Services Coalition has released a report to inform policy makers and other stakeholders about the economic benefits of civil legal aid in Minnesota. This study, based on 2014 data, shows that legal aid programs have generated nearly $112 million in revenue. This amount is comprised of both retained and new federal benefits, protected and new non-governmental dollars, as well as avoided costs from domestic violence and homelessness.

In addition, legal aid staff attorneys spent approximately 350,000 hours on direct representation valued at $70.8 million in legal services provided to clients. In-kind revenue of pro bono representation represents nearly $33 million in donated legal time.

For every $1.00 spent on Legal Aid the return on investment is $3.94.

Legal aid provides direct service to all 87 Minnesota communities and has been a trusted provider of high-quality legal advocacy for low-income Minnesota for years. Legal aid focuses on resolving civil legal matters that directly affect the basic human needs for safety, shelter, and household sustenance.

The Legal Aid St. Cloud office, for example, closed more than 3,500 cases in 2015 on issues including consumer fraud, housing, immigration, and family law.

Saint Cloud attorney Brent Thompson and paralegal Heather Helmer worked with Andrea who had six children, ages five to fifteen, and was living in a battered women’s shelter in California after fleeing an abusive husband in Minnesota. Legal Aid told her they would take her case. Once home, a restraining order was put into place for her husband. Andrea enrolled at Bethel University, took two part-time jobs, and got her kids back in school. “Legal help at that crucial time can give people their freedom," Andrea reflects. “My life is as it should be because of the help I got from Legal Aid. There are other lives like mine out there, waiting to be changed.”

Read the full Economic Impact Report.

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services Releases Racial Justice Report to Community

The Racial Justice Committee of Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) is proud to announce the release of its 2016 Racial Justice Committee Report to the community.
 

The report has three primary purposes:

  • Create awareness of how SMRLS is involved within the community;
  • Create awareness of the programs that SMRLS offers; and
  • Create awareness of the services that are available within the community.

The Racial Justice Committee serves to welcome all clients, encourages and supports a diverse staff, and advocates effectively to eliminate barriers for persons of color and to ensure their equal access to and fair treatment by SMRLS and the legal system. Download a copy of the Report.

Minnesota Legal Services Coalition Chosen as Host for National ATJ Tech Fellows Program

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Legal Services State Support, a project of the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition, has been chosen as a host for the newly launched ATJ Tech Fellows program. Miguel Willis and a group of Seattle University law students created the summer fellowship program as a way to provide law students around the country with a unique opportunity to work on a range of innovative projects and initiatives aimed to improve the delivery of legal services for low-income Americans. They wanted to equip the next set of leaders with the tools and skills to leverage technology and innovation in addressing our nation’s widening access to justice gap.

In Minnesota, State Support will host a full-time, 10-week fellow to be part of its team. The Fellow's duties will be determined in part by the applicant's areas of interest and relevant skills, and will likely include work on State Support's document assembly interviews using A2J/HotDocs and analyzing and summarizing user data from these interviews. Learn more about the opportunity and how to apply here. Applications close February 15, 2017 at 7:00 pm CST.

State Support Staff to Present at Legal Services Corporation's TIG Conference

On Thursday January 12th, State Support's supervising attorney Mary Kaczorek and Legal/Technology Project Manager Jennifer Singleton will join two national colleagues to present "Using Your Data to Improve Your Projects" at LSC's 2017 Technology Initiative Grants Conference (TIG). The workshop will explore how tools like Google Analytics, Optimizely, and a pilot data warehousing tool through LawHelp Interactive can be used to improve online resources. Examples will be provided from the website world, as well as for online form projects.

This presentation will be streamed via Facebook Live at 2:45 p.m. CT on Thursday, January 12. To participate live, visit LSC’s Facebook page during the conference. Click here to learn more about Facebook Live. Find out more about "Using Data to Improve Your Projects" and other TIG sessions here. #LSCTIG