Provide Law Representation In “Legal Deserts”

 

My bill aims to provide free legal services from Minnesota licensed attorneys to individuals in rural communities.

Lawyers will receive a stipend of $2,500 if they work a minimum of 100 hours in a calendar year. They will offer legal

services to residents in “Legal Deserts”. This initiative will start as a “pilot” program in two counties in Minnesota

with high poverty rates. This bill hopes to improve access to legal aid for low-income individuals.

 

In Minnesota, there are 3.3 legal aid attorneys for every 10,000 potential clients who qualify for legal aid. This bill

aims to improve that ratio. Unlike criminal cases, non criminal legal matters do not have court-appointed public

defenders. Many litigants in rural areas proceed without legal representation because either they cant afford

representation, they cant access representation, or both. This can negatively impact their finances, housing, family,

safety, immigration status, employment and hurts the wellbeing of a community.

 

Legal Desert: a county with fewer than one lawyer per 1,000 people.

Litigants: Someone involved in a lawsuit either as the one suing (plaintiff), or the one being sued (defendant).

Rural: areas that are not urban, characterized by low population density, open land, and small settlements.

 

There are approximately 30,000 lawyers registered in Minnesota. If the annual lawyer registration fees are increased by

5$ per person there will be $150,000 for the stipends. This will pay for 60 licensed lawyers providing legal aid in the

two pilot counties. This number is subject to review based on the participation and success of the pilot year.

 

The participating attorneys must be licensed and in good standing with the Minnesota bar association. The penalty for

breaking this rule will include a ban from the program in the future and a complaint to the office of lawyers

professional responsibility. The participating attorneys can do more than 100 hours of service, but will not receive

more than $2,500. The participating attorneys may also opt out of the stipend and instead donate their time to the

cause.

 

My bill has an effective date of January 1st of 2027 after it is passed.