LSC's Model Practices & Innovations Report Features LSNM Contributions

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) recently featured data and best practices from Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM) in its Model Practices & Innovations series. In the report, LSNM shares how Legal Kiosks and Justice Buses helped the program bridge the digital divide and reach clients without reliable internet access.

LSNM’s executive director, Anne Hoefgen, and communications and outreach coordinator, Kelly Wencl, contributed to the publication, which covers challenges of the pre-existing digital divide in greater Minnesota. That divide was exacerbated when Minnesota courts shifted from in-person hearings to remote civil proceedings in March 2020 in compliance with public health orders.

In 2020 LSNM received LSC-provided COVID-19 funding to increase reach in their service area while awaiting CARES Act funding. Then, working with the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition (MLSC), Reach Justice Minnesota was formed to leverage technology and staffing during the pandemic. Four legal aid organizations primarily comprise Reach Justice and collectively cover all 87 Minnesota counties. Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota (LASNEM), Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA), Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS), and Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM) serve as the four regional hubs for the project’s initiatives. For more about the resulting innovations and current practices, read Dialing Up: How Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota Expanded Its Services to Bridge the Digital Divide.

SMRLS' Justice Bus Tours Communities in Southern Minnesota

Spring is finally here, and Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) is on the road bringing legal services access and resources directly to the people with its Justice Bus. Beginning this week, the Justice Bus is traveling through communities in southern Minnesota like Rushford, Preston, Le Roy, Red Wing, Cannon Falls, Owatonna, and Faribault. The bus is a mobile legal aid office, so instead of people coming to a SMRLS office to get legal services, the program comes to them.

First launched in summer 2021, the Justice Bus project, along with Legal Kiosks, are part of Reach Justice Minnesota, a series of initiatives created to leverage technology in response to the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19 and to meet clients in their communities.

Jocylyn Poehler, lead family law attorney of SMRLS’ southeast region, recently spoke with News 8 Now and KIMT News 3 about the planned stops on this opening Justice Bus tour, what kind of services are offered, and hopes for a meaningful impact in the lives of those who use it.

LASNEM Featured in January/February 2023 Edition of Duluthian Magazine

In “Striving to Provide Safety, Security, and Stability,” Duluthian Magazine offers its readers a thorough introduction to the far-reaching work of the Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota (LASNEM).

The publication’s overview begins with LASNEM’s 1952 charter by members of the local bar association and delves into how the organization’s mission has remained primary, as its services and priorities have expanded.

With a service area of 27,683 square miles, LASNEM is led by executive director Dori Rapaport and a staff of dedicated professionals serving eleven counties with offices in Duluth, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, Virginia and Pine City.

The article explains how much of LASNEM’s advocacy work accelerated during the pandemic with unprecedented opportunities to respond to client needs with more precision, speed, and efficacy. Some of the projects discussed include virtual housing court and staff expansion through virtual services, the Legal Kiosk and Justice Bus initiatives for meeting clients where they are, incorporation of a business improvement model that includes a call center intake process, and other outreach efforts aimed at “taking it to the streets” to raise awareness of legal aid and the importance of funding civil legal services.

“We want people to understand the critical nature of the work we do,” Rapaport said. Read the article (PDF).

LASNEM Executive Director Dori Rapaport Featured on Talk Justice Podcast

Talk Justice, an LSC podcast that explores ways to expand access to justice, recently hosted a conversation with Dori Rapaport, executive director of Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota; David Estep, supervising attorney at Legal Aid of West Virginia (LAWV); and Jeanne Robison, Salt Lake City Justice Court Judge.

In the episode, Rapaport, Estep, and Robison each discuss their creative outreach methods to promote access to justice, in part by Holding Court Outside the Courtroom. Rapaport talks about the establishment of Minnesota’s statewide Reach Justice Project, and the use of Legal Kiosks and Justice Buses to meet clients where they are, as well as coordination with the courts for virtual hearings, all to enable legal aid to expand client services particularly in rural areas.

Talk Justice guests are leaders from the legal community, government, and business, who share their unique perspectives and explore strategies for addressing the justice gap. Recent episodes have examined the role of law schools and the benefits of medical-legal partnerships.

LSC recently became affiliated with Legal Talk Network to support Talk Justice and enhance the podcast's sound quality and reach. Listen to episode 47: Holding Court Outside the Courtroom.