Welcome to Matthew Benda, Esq.
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We are excited to announce Albert Lea attorney Matthew Benda was elected President of the SMRLS’ Board of Directors in March 2018. Mr. Benda succeeds Gail Olson as Board President, and member Brett Olander is the new First Vice-President of the Board.
Mr. Benda, partner at Peterson, Kolker, Haedt & Benda. Ltd., has served as a SMRLS volunteer attorney for more than 20 years and was appointed to the Board in 2002 by the Freeborn County Bar Association. In 2011, Mr. Benda was named one of
Minnesota Lawyer's
Attorneys of the Year in recognition of his work with watershed districts and local businesses.
Mr. Benda’s primary areas of practice are agricultural law, business planning and transactions and real estate. Added Benda, “The passion demonstrated by SMRLS’ attorneys and staff dramatically improves people’s daily lives. I am honored to be part of such a first-class organization.”
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SMRLS Receives Otto Bremer Trust Grant
In 2017, the Otto Bremer Trust awarded SMRLS a generous $80,000 grant to fund our healthcare-legal partnership (HLP) at Open Door Health Center in Mankato.
This HLP addresses the health harming legal needs of Mankato-area residents. This program, titled "Lawyers Advancing Wellness," connects low-income patients to free legal aid. Because of this HLP, patients can easily access a SMRLS attorney located at the clinic.
Read more
in this article recently published by the
Mankato Free Press
.
Thank you to the Otto Bremer Trust. We look forward to growing this program thanks to your generosity.
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SMRLS Launches Healthcare-Legal Partnership with Children's Hospital
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In addition to our healthcare-legal partnerships (HLPs) at
Bethesda Family Medicine Clinic
in Saint Paul and Open Door Health Center in Mankato, SMRLS recently partnered with Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in Saint Paul.
This new HLP addresses legal issues that stand in the way of healthy kids and families. Click
here
to learn more about this exciting partnership.
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RJC 2017 Report to the Community
SMRLS' Racial Justice Committee's
2017 Report to the Community
is now available. In the report you will learn about how SMRLS operates as an anti-racist law firm.
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SMRLS attorney argues before Minnesota Supreme Court
A SMRLS case from Martin County was argued before the Minnesota Supreme Court in early March 2018.
The father’s position is that his motion to modify his parenting time from 25% to 50% – proposing to extend the summer’s week-on, week-off schedule so that it would apply throughout the entire year – must be assessed under the “best interests of the child” standard at Minn. Stat. § 518.175, subd. 5.
SMRLS, representing the mother, argued that the district court properly found that the proposed modification would effectively change the child’s primary residence from mother, and is a change in custody to be determined under Minn. Stat. § 518.18(d), the “endangerment” standard.
The court’s opinion, expected in a few months, should address which legal standard a district court must apply to properly determine a parenting time motion that seeks to make a significant change.
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Know Your Rights – Responding to Offensive Speech and Behavior
SMRLS is co-sponsoring a series of community events this year to educate people about their legal rights who have been, or might be confronted, with offensive speech and behavior.
Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, SMRLS is partnering with local community organizations to educate 500 participants at 20 community legal education events across southern Minnesota.
The first event, organized by the Mankato Area Cross Cultural Connections group, was attended by 150 people. Many of those attending were in tears as they described their own experiences with racism. Other events have been held with the Mankato Islamic Center, Salvation Army in Austin, Communities United for Rochester, the Winona Human Rights Commission and other community groups.
More events are being planned and will be announced on the SMRLS website.
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The SMRLS Volunteer Attorney Program now offers five "brief services" clinics for our clients.
At our clinics, volunteers work with clients to complete important legal documents. Volunteer Attorneys with expertise in the law are on hand for consultation, and review each document before it is signed by the client. The clients handle any court appearance by themselves.
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We now offer these clinics:
- Wills for Seniors
- Wills for Single Parents and Caregivers
- Eviction Expungements
- Criminal Record Expungements
- Uncontested Divorces
Thanks to the many volunteer attorneys who participated in our clinics in 2017, we provided almost 400 clients with needed legal services at our clinics.
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Our clinics are easy ways for attorneys to volunteer for SMRLS. Volunteering takes only a couple of hours and the clients are very appreciative.
For more information, or if would like to volunteer, please contact Carol Bros, Volunteer Attorney Program Supervisor at 651-222-5863 or [email protected].
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"Race on the Brain" CLE at Mitchell Hamline
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On February 16, 2018, Professor
Jonathan Kahn
, author of
Race on the Brain: What Implicit Bias Gets Wrong About the Struggle for Racial Justice
, spoke at Mitchell Hamline School of Law to discuss implicit bias and its implications in society. If you missed this CLE, click
here
to purchase online for on-demand CLE credit.
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2018 UCare
Health Care
Legal Fair
On
June 6, 2018
, SMRLS, UCare, the Bethesda Family Medicine Clinic, and other community partners will team up for the 2018 UCare Health Care Legal Fair at the Intercontinental
Saint Paul
Hotel. Approximately 200 low-income Minnesotans will learn about the intersection of health care and legal needs and connect with related community resources. Many participants will benefit from free "legal checkups" and estate planning clinics.
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Social Justice UNCORKED!
Join us on
Thursday, June 14 2018
at 5:30 - 8 pm at Target Field
for SMRLS' largest annual fundraiser. Enjoy upscale fan food, craft mocktails, wine and beer tastings, baseball themed games, and the always entertaining live auction.
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2018 Fall Appreciation Luncheon
Save the date,
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
at the InterContinental Saint Paul Hotel for our annual Fall Appreciation Luncheon. Keynote speaker
John Pollock
, head of the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, will discuss the growing national movement for clients' rights to a free attorney for critical civil cases.
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- SMRLS staff attorney Joe Ambroson received the 2018 first quarter FEAST (Family law Excellent Acts on behalf of SMRLS) Award for his unparalleled dedication to his family law clients.
- On April 20, SMRLS staff attorney Gerry Kaluzny will receive the 2018 Bernard P. Becker Legal Services Legacy of Excellence Award from the MSBA in recognition of his outstanding service in the provision of legal services for low-income and disadvantaged persons.
- SMRLS staff attorney Meghan Maes is receiving the Southwest Crisis Center's 2018 Rock County's Face of Hope Award for all she does to help victims of domestic and sexual violence and their families.
- SMRLS Board of Directors member Abdi Sabrie has been selected as a 2018 Fellow by the Bush Foundation.
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Meagher & Geer partner and longtime SMRLS supporter Barbara Zurek sadly passed away on March 28, 2018 at age 62.
Ms. Zurek obtained a degree in nursing from Metropolitan State University and worked as a registered nurse at North Memorial Medical Center. She went on to study at William Mitchell School of Law and joined the law firm of Meagher & Geer in 1991 where she became a recognized and successful malpractice attorney.
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Ms. Zurek was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2007 and in 2017 was named for the 13th time to the Top 100 Lawyers in Minnesota.
Ms. Zurek will be remembered as a fierce advocate for her clients, a generous and loyal friend, and a loving wife and mother. Click
here
to read her full obituary in the
Star Tribune
.
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Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services | (651) 228-9823 | smrls.org
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