Jessica Webster, staff attorney with the Legal Services Advocacy Project (LSAP), recently spoke to Kare11 News about how school policies differ when kids run out of lunch money, and how a new federal law will require school districts nationwide to make their policies entirely clear to parents and the state. LSAP and Legal Aid, long-time advocates of prohibiting the denial of hot lunches to low-income children, released a 2014 report on Minnesota school lunch practices. Watch /read more from Kare11.
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Announces Drew Schaffer as New Executive Director
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA), Minnesota’s largest civil legal aid provider, announced this week that its Board of Directors has selected Andrew (Drew) Schaffer as the organization’s new Executive Director.
“We are extremely excited to have found a new Executive Director with the leadership, poise, and deep commitment to our mission and clients,” said Robert McLeod, Board President of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA). “This is a time of many real and potential changes for our client community. We’re confident that Mr. Schaffer can build on MMLA’s long history of excellence and innovation addressing the civil legal needs of people with low-incomes in central Minnesota and people with disabilities across the state.”
The announcement follows a nationwide search undertaken after current Executive Director Cathy Haukedahl’ s announcement last fall that she would be retiring in June 2017. Ms. Haukedahl has been with MMLA since 2002 and has served as its Executive Director for the past six years.
Mr. Schaffer has been in private practice, prior to which he was a Staff Attorney and Managing Attorney with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid for 11 years. Schaffer was also an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School for 9 years. He and Ms. Haukedahl will begin a one-month transition starting May 22.
As Mr. Schaffer approaches this role he says, “To me there is nothing more exciting than the idea of leading Legal Aid in overcoming the present and future challenges the organization and our clients face. I cannot imagine a better way to spend every day.”
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid was established as the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis in 1913. For more than 100 years it has provided free civil legal services to individuals with low incomes on a wide range of civil legal issues, including: housing, family law, government benefits, immigration, tax, and consumer law. It also has projects targeted at the unique legal needs of youth and seniors. In addition, MMLA is the Protection and Advocacy System for the state of Minnesota and its Disability Law Center addresses the unique legal issues facing people with disabilities throughout the state. MMLA has offices in Minneapolis, St. Cloud, and Willmar. It closes over 10,500 civil legal cases each year.
Mr. Schaffer holds a JD from the University of Minnesota Law School. Mr. Schaffer did graduate work in geography at the University of Iowa, and graduated summa cum laude from St. Cloud State University, where he studied History and Geography. Mr. Schaffer is recognized as a legal expert on housing issues for people with low-incomes and has served on variety of advisory committees and non-profit boards.
Legal Aid's Legacy of Wraparound Services for DV Victims
In We Arm Them With Lawyers, Attorney at Law magazine generously provides space for a monthly article on Legal Aid’s work. In this issue, We Arm Them With Lawyers reveals Legal Aid’s longstanding commitment to Minnesota’s domestic violence victims.
Using an approach referred to as "wraparound services," Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's domestic violence work includes everything from family law advice and orders for protection, to basic necessities such as food, security, housing, health care, consumer protection, and emergency benefits. More recently, MMLA has collaborated with shelters, medical clinics, and community organizations to make access to a legal services safer and easier.
In 2008, MMLA - St. Cloud joined in the formation of the now nationally recognized Stearns County Domestic Violence Partnership, which advises the Stearns County Felony Domestic Violence Court (DVC). “Before this project, the violent offender had a right to a public defender but the victims had no lawyer they could talk to about anything,” says Legal Aid Deputy Director Ann Cofell. “The DVC gives them that lawyer. It gives them a voice in the system.” Read more in Attorney at Law magazine.
MMLA Supervising Attorney Honored with Hope for Tomorrow Award
Dan Morris, supervising attorney with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, was honored this month with Safe Avenues' Hope for Tomorrow award.
Safe Avenues, a Willmar organization that provides advocacy, parent-child visitation services, and emergency shelter for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, maintains a strong, symbiotic partnership with Legal Aid's Willmar office. "With most non-profits, resources can be thin," Morris said. "We have to make the most of what we can with what we have. Our partnership serves a similar population in the same community, and we have a lot of the same goals."
Part of the intake process at Safe Avenues is an assessment of potential legal questions or difficulties. Advocates then pass the information to Legal Aid, help gather documentation, and explain Legal Aid's role. The attorneys meet with clients at the shelter at designated appointment times.
The Hope for Tomorrow Award recognizes volunteers and professionals who work tirelessly to bring hope, healing, safety, and justice to the community by providing advocacy and justice to survivors, helping build communities intolerant of domestic and sexual violence, and working to change people’s lives for the better. It recognizes the courage and strength of these individuals, and the enormous influence they have in developing resources, promoting non-violent, cooperative, and healthy relationships, and facilitating the social change necessary to end violence against men, women, and children.
As supervising attorney, Morris has arranged for training of all staff on issues such as safety planning, and the realities of life for survivors. For Safe Avenues, he has provided training on matters related to family law and immigration issues faced by survivors. In addition to working to improve the systemic response to domestic violence through participation in community programs, he also serves as a role model to other staff in his treatment of victims. His service to each client is not only professional, but informed, because of his understanding and compassion for the unique struggles of each person. Legal Aid's deputy director Ann Cofell remarked, “through his work, and dedication to building strong and cooperative relationships, Dan multiplies the impact of all.”
Reflecting on the award, Morris said, "While it might be my name on the award, it truly is an honor I share with the office. I’m not the only one that does outreach, or works with the shelter staff to coordinate services; it's an office-wide effort, and so I see this award as not just a recognition of my work, but rather the office as a whole."
Minnesota Legal Advice Online: Brand New Look and Easier to Use
A few months shy of its third anniversary, State Support's popular pro bono legal advice website has a brand new look, and greatly improved usability for clients and lawyers. Freshly redesigned, Minnesota Legal Advice Online (MLAO), funded by a grant from the Court Technology Fund, is fully mobile-responsive – a critical element with 30% or more of its users arriving on a tablet or smartphone.
MLAO's web-based format helps eliminate the geographic and time barriers often faced when seeking legal assistance. Clients who live in remote areas, lack reliable transportation, or work night shifts can access legal clinic-style services that would otherwise be unavailable. Lawyers can respond to questions from clients anywhere in Minnesota, from wherever the lawyer is located.
Starting on March 23rd – the first week the redesigned site went live – 50 new questions were posted by clients. Volunteer lawyers are needed to answer questions and help keep pace with the rate of client submissions. State Support's current volunteer lawyers are busy closing out questions from the old iteration of the site, but more lawyers are sought to make sure people who need advice are getting it.
Minnesota Legal Advice Online site is a great way to engage in pro bono work. Like a brief advice, walk-in, or phone-in clinic, volunteer lawyers provide limited scope representation. There is no ongoing client relationship, and the time commitment is easy to manage – login and respond to questions when you have time, for as long as you want. The web-based platform has the added benefit of allowing lawyers to read and research a question before responding, if necessary.
Questions cover all areas of civil law, and range from procedural matters such as “how do I present evidence in my case?” to more subject specific issues like “I have a power of attorney for my brother who is in jail; the landlord won’t let us get his belongings from the apartment, what can I do?”
As with other pro bono programs, lawyers can earn CLE credits for participating. For every 6 hours of time volunteered through MLAO, lawyers can get 1 credit, with a limit of 6 credits redeemable for reporting requirements in Minnesota. Pro bono hours on the site also count towards the NorthStar Lawyers program. The site has a function that allows lawyers to enter and track the hours they spend responding to questions.
To sign up, visit www.mnlegaladvice.org and select “Lawyer Sign-up” from the top menu bar. If you have further questions, contact Emily Good at egoodmnlegalservices.org. We would love to have you volunteer!