Attorney at Law Magazine recently featured a story about a unique and impactful partnership — the Home Ownership Pro Bono Project, a collaboration between Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA), Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., and the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Real Property Section. The partnership focuses on assisting senior homeowners with low incomes who are at risk of losing their homes. The volunteer attorneys involved in the project work with MMLA’s pro bono coordinator to identify cases where having an attorney could prevent foreclosure and possibly homelessness. They are often able to resolve cases through negotiation and before a trial is necessary.

Starting this year, the Minnesota Supreme Court requires all licensed attorneys to report their pro bono hours to the Lawyer Registration Office of the Supreme Court. Colleen Daly, MMLA’s pro bono coordinator, encourages attorneys to volunteer through a project like the Home Ownership Pro Bono Project, or with their firm or law school.

“We can likely find pro bono cases in any area where an attorney has expertise, but we welcome paralegals, law students, and attorneys to work outside of their practice area,” Daly says. “We have several projects where we will train and support you even if you are brand new to that area of law.”

Read about how the project made a difference for an 80-year-old Vietnam veteran facing foreclosure in “Home Ownership Pro Bono Project Saves a Senior’s Home.”