Immigrant Outreach in Rural Minnesota
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Sometimes help is needed in places you’d least expect. Contrary to common belief, the areas with the most rapidly growing number of immigrants and refugees are not in Minnesota urban settings, but rather in rural communities.
After conducting a series of focus groups in southeast Minnesota in 2016, it was determined the growing Somali community in Faribault was in need of legal support. Read more
here.
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SMRLS attorneys
Lisa Hollingsworth and
Laura Jelinek were recently featured in a
Star Tribune article highlighting a disability rights case. Lisa and Laura represented a client facing wrongful eviction by a rental company for refusing to accommodate the client and her therapy dog. Click
here to read more.
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Second Judicial District Pro Bono Award
In October, SMRLS Volunteer Attorney
Mark Genereux received the 2017 Second Judicial District of Minnesota Pro Bono Award. Mark has volunteered at SMRLS for more than 35 years and in the last 15 years alone, he has represented 76 SMRLS clients with more than 400 hours of legal service. In that time, Mark has provided clients with advice and representation on a wide variety of legal subjects, including landlord/tenant, estate planning, probate, income tax and debt collection issues. Mark is a regular participant in SMRLS’ Tuesday Evening Pro Bono Clinic and in this past year, Mark also worked with clients at our Wills for Seniors clinics in the metro area.
Without Mark’s help, these clients would not have access to the justicial system. Mark’s commitment to serving low income clients is clear, and SMRLS is delighted that he was honored for his devoted service.
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Get Legal Help at an Upcoming Pro Bono Clinic
Did you know that SMRLS' Volunteer Attorney Program hosts
free legal clinics? We handle a variety of client needs, ranging from divorce, wills for seniors and single parents, and criminal expungements.
Interested clients call SMRLS at 1-888-575-2954 or
apply online.
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Divorce Clinics
Jan. 9, 2018 - Owatonna 1 PM
Jan. 12, 2018 - Mankato 1 PM
Jan. 24, 2018 - St. Paul 9 AM
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Eviction Expungement Clinics
Jan. 5, 2018 - St. Paul - 12 PM
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Power-Up Legal Clinics
Jan. 4, 2018 - St. Paul - 1 PM
Jan. 18, 2018 - St. Paul - 1 PM
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2017 Annual Fall Appreciation Luncheon
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Held on November 21st at the St. Paul Intercontinental Hotel, the 2017 SMRLS Fall Appreciation Luncheon was widely attended and well received by the audience of more than 400 people. Former Campaign for Legal Aid Committee member and retired
Supreme Court Justice Esther Tomljanovich and former SMRLS Director of Development
Kathie Battle Sayles each received Lifetime Leadership Awards. Due to health reasons, Kathie’s father, Rev. Robert Battle accepted the award on her behalf. SMRLS paralegal
Mary Vrieze received the 3M Charlton H. Dietz & Bruce Beneke Outstanding Advocate Award.
Kelly Olmstead, President, Ramsey County Bar Foundation, presented SMRLS CEO Jessie Nicholson a check of $19,772.35 from proceeds of the RCBA Bench and Bar Benefit.
The luncheon was highlighted by
Hon. Mark Kappelhoff, Minnesota’s Fourth District, who captivated the audience with his presentation about the investigations he led in Ferguson, Missouri as part of the Office of the Assistant Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice. Thank you to Hon. Kappelhoff and everyone who attended the event.
Top Right: Hon. Mark Kappelhoff
Lower Right: Retired Justice Esther Tomljanovich
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Lawyers on Ice
Join us on
Monday, January 8, 2018
at 4-9 pm at the Xcel Energy Center for a hockey tournament. Compete against other members of the legal community in this lively fundraiser. Food, beverages, and jerseys are included with registration. Visit
smrls.org/LOI
for more information.
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"Race on the Brain" CLE
Join the SMRLS Racial Justice Committee on
Friday, February 16, 2018
at 8:30 am via webinar or live at Mitchell Hamline for Professor Jonathan Kahn's "Race on the Brain" CLE. The CLE will cover Professor Kahn's groundbreaking new book about implicit bias and structural reform. Registration is free for SMRLS volunteer attorneys. Click
here
to learn more.
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Congratulations to SMRLS staff and volunteers recently recognized for their tireless commitment to equal justice for all.
- In 2017, SMRLS staff Julie Craig, Ray Beckel and Ann Sullivan celebrated 25 years at SMRLS.
- SMRLS pro bono attorney Mark Genereux received the Second Judicial District Pro Bono Award in October 2017.
- SMRLS attorney Kathy Eveslage received the 2017 Direct Legal Service Award from the Minnesota Justice Foundation in November 2017.
- SMRLS paralegal Phengta Phetsarath was recognized by the Refugee Resettlement Programs Office for her work with helping new refugee arrivals on November 9, 2017.
- SMRLS paralegal Mary Vrieze received the 3M Charlton H. Dietz & Bruce Beneke Outstanding Advocate Award at the 2017 SMRLS Fall Appreciation Luncheon on November 21, 2017.
- The Second Judicial District Housing Court Workgroup, featuring SMRLS attorney Gerry Kaluzny, received the 2017 A. M. "Sandy" Keith Alternative Dispute Resolution Award from the Dispute Resolution Center on December 13, 2017.
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Michael Galvin (1930-2017)
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Attorney Michael “Mike” Galvin passed away on September 21, 2017 at age 87. Mike first got involved with SMRLS when he co-founded the Briggs & Morgan/SMRLS Equal Justice Partnership in 1968. Through his leadership, Mike recruited and mentored young lawyers in the late 60s and early 70s, such as Dan Cole, Sally Scoggin, Ann Huntrods, Alan Maclin and the Honorable Sam Hanson. By the mid-70s, Mike’s collaboration with SMRLS Coordinator, Pat Brummer every Tuesday night at SMRLS in many ways established the pro bono "gold standard" for other firms to follow.
Mike’s leadership in the RCBA and subsequently in the MSBA helped cement their reputations as the most effective in the nation, working with a bipartisan legislature, the courts, legal aid and pro bono lawyers and foundations to raise resources for equal justice. Mike is also credited for creating the
Campaign for Legal Aid (CLA)
in 1990, which he co-founded with Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly
lawyer, Jay Ryan, along with other founding partners, 3M, Robins Kaplan and Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly.
Mike always led by example by being a great pro bono lawyer and recruiting others to handle pro bono work within his firm. Mike's compassion and care for others, his tremendous low-key enthusiasm and sense of humor, and his outstanding lawyering and leadership skills have made a wonderful difference the past 50 years in promoting pro bono, community service and equal justice before the law for all persons, regardless of income.
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Long time giant in the Mankato legal community and dedicated SMRLS supporter and volunteer attorney, Kelly Gage passed away on October 5, 2017 at age 92. Kelly was at one time in the state legislature and served as president of the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA). Several years after his retirement from Blethen, Gage and Krause, Kelly learned that SMRLS was facing funding cuts. He came out of retirement to volunteer 2-3 days per week for a half dozen years beginning in 2005.
Kelly recorded 1,200 pro bono hours helping low income people with Social Security, disability appeals and other civil matters. Many years prior to this, Kelly was instrumental in starting SMRLS Campaign for Legal Aid in Greater Minnesota. Kelly is known as a champion for SMRLS and for free civil legal assistance for low income people.
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Your support is critical for SMRLS to provide access to justice for nearly 10,000 clients per year.
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Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services | (651) 228-9823 | smrls.org
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