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.