LegalCORPS Pro Bono Project Provides Invaluable Service to Underserved Entrepreneurs

LegalCORPS, a partner organization of the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition, was recently lauded by Derrick Brent, U.S. deputy undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property, at the Pathways to Inclusive Innovation conference at the University of Minnesota. Brent recognized Minnesota’s dedication to the provision of pro bono services particularly through the Pro Bono Patent Program, which operates through 23 regional programs, including LegalCORPS.

For nearly 20 years, LegalCORPS has provided free assistance in non-litigation business law matters to low-income owners of small businesses, small nonprofit organizations and low-income innovators and entrepreneurs in Minnesota — through the services of volunteer attorneys. As a nonprofit organization, its mission is to expand access to the legal system in business law to those who could not otherwise afford legal consultation and/or representation.

This year, LegalCORPS reached a major milestone in the 11-year history of its Inventor Assistance Program with the issuance of its100th patent to a client.

On achieving this milestone, executive director Nicole Deters said, “We are a unique organization in the U.S as there are just not legal aid agencies offering the wholistic services that are offered here in Minnesota. When the United States Patent and Trademark Office decided to implement a patent pro bono program, they came to LegalCORPS to design the national program based on how we were doing things here. That is a proud history for LegalCORPS and reaching 100 patents with our clients is a significant program triumph for not just LegalCORPS but for the patent pro bono program across the country.”

Learn more about the Pro Bono Patent Program in Minnesota LegalCorps recognized for pro bono work supporting emerging entrepreneurs, from the Star Tribune.

Standpoint and Mitchell Hamline Staff Honored at Minnesota Justice Foundation Awards Celebration

The Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) is pleased to once again host its Annual Awards Celebration in person! Join MJF at 4:30pm on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at the Campus Club at the University of Minnesota. This year MJF is excited to welcome keynote speaker Robin Maher, longtime capital defense lawyer and federal defender, former Director of the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project, and now with the US Department of Justice, Office for Access to Justice, speaking on the topic of “The Stories We Tell: Humanity and Hope in the Justice System.” MJF will also recognize the winners of their 2022 Outstanding Service Awards.

Every year since 1991, MJF has honored the work of public interest attorneys, private pro bono attorneys, advocates, and law students whose commitment to Minnesotans with low-incomes shines as a beacon of hope and embodies the very best of our profession.

This year, MJF is pleased to present its 2022 Advocate Award to Raelene Caswell, housing advocate at Standpoint. Caswell (she/her) began her work as an advocate in 2009, and as Standpoint’s housing advocate she works alongside the housing attorney to assist tenants who are victim/survivors of domestic and sexual violence in navigating housing issues. These issues include breaking a lease due to fear of violence, asserting Violence Against Women Act housing protections, and communicating with landlords. She also provides training to advocates across the state. With the team of advocates, Caswell provides legal advocacy through Standpoint’s Action Line on housing, Orders for Protection and Restraining orders, and other safety-related concerns. She provides supervision and mentorship for Standpoint’s general interns, works with the Alexandra House, responds to victim/survivors in the hospital, and provides support on the crisis line and through shelter-based advocacy. Caswell has worked with several agencies, including the Sexual Violence Center, Cornerstone, Women’s Advocates, SafeJourney, Catholic Charities, and Freedom House to provide dignified services to those seeking safety. She is particularly passionate about preventing burnout and promoting the wellness and resiliency of advocates in the field.

MJF’s 2022 Direct Service Award goes to Bradford Colbert of Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Professor Colbert is the director of the Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners (LAMP) Clinic at Mitchell Hamline. The LAMP Clinic represents people who are incarcerated on civil legal issues. LAMP cases range from default dissolutions to complicated class actions. In addition to directing the LAMP Clinic, Professor Colbert teaches Criminal Law and Constitutional Criminal Procedure at the law school. While he was an appellate public defender, he argued Minnesota v. Carter before the United States Supreme Court (and lost). Professor Colbert has been awarded the William E. McGee Public Defender Award of Excellence and the Minnesota Lawyer Attorney of the Year.

Also to be honored at the 2022 MJF celebration is Private Practice Pro Bono winner Kurt W. Porter of Severson Porter Law. Law Student awards go to Marilys Solano (Mitchell Hamline School of Law), Madelyn Cox-Guerra (University of Minnesota Law School) and Kevin Green (University of St. Thomas School of Law). Register to attend the event.

Legal Assistance of Olmsted County Connects Seniors and Volunteer Lawyers

Started in 2017, a free wills clinic hosted by Legal Assistance of Olmsted County (LAOC) has been helping area seniors with legal paperwork. Volunteer attorneys review and update wills, powers of attorney and health care directives during the clinics. LAOC executive director Karen Fairbairn Nath said that seniors frequently think their wishes are covered, but it’s best to have a legal expert review and update documents. Pro bono attorneys with the program have seen the negative consequences of not having a valid will play out in court.

Chris Wendland of Rochester’s Wendland Utz law firm, and Alyssa Jerde of Wagner Oehler, both work with estate planning on a routine basis and volunteer regularly at the clinics.

“People attending the LAOC wills clinics are not that different from the clients I work with privately,” Wendland said. “They might not know as much about event planning coming in, but their needs are the same.”

Along with legal help, the wills clinics have begun including consultations with advocates from Elder Network, who can provide additional community resources and support. In collaboration with the Rochester Public Library, wills clinics provide a comfortable setting for what can be a difficult conversation.

The next clinic will be held in late April at the Rochester Public Library for income eligible residents who are at least 55 years old. LAOC is taking reservations for the available spaces, based on the number of volunteer attorneys on hand. For more details, read “Income-restricted seniors offered help with wills and other paperwork” in the Rochester Post Bulletin.

Equal Justice Conference Comes to Minneapolis in May

***Update 4/8/2022: Registration is now waitlist only. Join the waitlist.***
Registration is underway for the 2022 Equal Justice Conference (EJC) in Minneapolis next month. A project of the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Pro Bono and and Public Service and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), EJC 2022 will be held at the Hilton Minneapolis, May 12-14. The conference will bring together legal aid program staff, access-to-justice organizations, the courts, and private practice attorneys from across the country to share and learn about developments and innovations in the provision of legal services to people with low-incomes.

Featuring over 75 workshops on topics ranging from technology improvements to maximizing pro bono impact to examining equity in legal services systems, Minnesota will have presenters in at least 17 the offered workshops. The April edition of Bench and Bar highlights some of the Minnesota sessions, including Building Up In-House Pro Bono Partnerships and Opportunities with Alyson Cauchy (US Bank) and Jeffrey Proulx (Target); Community Coming Together to Respond to Civil Unrest with a full panel of Minnesotans discussing the coordinated legal and social service response to civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd; and The Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis and Collaborative Responses, with Sarah Brenes of Advocates for Human Rights and Rachele King from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

The conference will also feature video remarks from Senator Amy Klobuchar and a keynote address from Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Anne McKeig. A full list of the workshops and conference offerings can be found on the EJC website.

Minnesota host committee co-chairs Tom Walsh of Volunteer Lawyers Network and Caryn Boisen of Larson King have been working for nearly a year to help plan local content, scholarships for legal services staff, and other opportunities. The last time Minnesota hosted the EJC was in 2008, and the conference has been held virtually for the past two years.

On the significance of the upcoming conference, NLADA President and CEO April Frazier Camara said “NLADA is grateful for our longstanding partnership with the ABA on the Equal Justice Conference. For more than 20 years, EJC has provided a space for advocates representing the full array of legal services and pro bono providers, partners, and supporters in the movement for access to justice. We are honored to join everyone in Minneapolis this year and recognize the work of Minnesota’s access to justice community and that of our colleagues across the country.” Find out more about the EJC and register to attend here. ***Update 4/8/2022: Registration is now waitlist only. Join the waitlist.***

Home Ownership Pro Bono Project: Helping Seniors Keep Their Homes

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.”