Do you ever come across people in your practice or community who need free legal help? If so, the legal aid community wants to share two resources to help you connect people with free legal help: LawHelpMN.org and a new statewide number to reach legal aid, 1-877-MY-MN-LAW (696-6529).
LawHelpMN.org
LawHelpMN.org features information on many civil legal topics, including housing, government benefits, youth and education, seniors, consumer, family, immigration, employment, disability, and taxes. Information on LawHelp is written in plain language and updated annually. All fact sheets are available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali. LawHelp also helps users connect with legal resources, prepare documents in certain areas, and apply for legal services online. LawHelp is a service for all Minnesotans with civil legal questions regardless of income or geography, which makes it a great primary referral.
1-877-MY-MN-LAW (1-877-696-6529)
Minnesota now has a statewide centralized phone intake line for civil legal aid services. Callers to the toll-free number are asked to enter their zip code, and then the call is routed to the appropriate organization. Regional legal aid organizations screen incoming calls to determine if the applicant seeking help is eligible for free services at the regional program or another organization. Civil legal aid organizations provide advice as well as limited scope and extended representation services on a range of civil legal issues. This coordinated intake process aims to prevent callers from being bounced from one organization to another and to help eligible callers find the highest level of service for their issue. For someone to be eligible for legal aid services, they generally need to have income at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and need help with a civil legal issue.
Organizations participating in the coordinated intake system are: Central Minnesota Legal Services, Justice North (formerly LASNEM), Legal Assistance of Dakota County, Legal Assistance of Olmsted County, Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, and Volunteer Lawyers Network.
To learn more about the types of legal issues all civil legal aid organizations can help with, you can refer people to the Providers and Clinics search on LawHelpMN.