UNITED WAY / CERIDIAN CORPORATION April 12-13, 2012

Agenda Overview of LawHelpMN.org Key Features of LawHelpMN.org LiveHelp Navigational Assistance LawHelp vs. Self-Help Center Research Scenario: Zoey Zalopa & Consumer Rights Online Intake and Advice Legal Information vs. Legal Advice Your Questions Throughout

Overview of LawHelpMN.org First version launched in 1999 Built on a national platform; now in 28 states  New design (a leap forward) launched Feb. 29, 2012 Helps low- and moderate-income Minnesotans understand and address civil legal services

Key Features Fact Sheets and Booklets  Family, Housing, Consumer/Debt, Seniors, Employment, Immigration, Disability, and more  Critical Legal Rights and Responsibilities Self-Help Materials  Legal Forms/Letters  Legal Form/Letter Interviews  Links to Self-Help Center Legal Referrals Legal Clinic Calendars

Legal Education Materials Plain Language  Most materials at 5 th or 6 th grade reading level Rights and Responsibilities Many in multiple languages  Fully translated Spanish site – lawhelpmn.org/espanol  Translated Somali “mini-site” – somalilawhelp.org  53 resources in Hmong  Seven other languages have eight or more resources

LiveHelp “Chat” tool for navigational assistance Available 35 hours/week  Approx. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Legal information and referrals  LawHelpMN.org  MN Courts Self-Help Center  A few others Navigators do not provide legal advice

LawHelpMN.org Self-Help Center civil legal issues (not criminal)  exception: expungement emphasis on legal educational materials and legal referrals includes non-court and federal legal issues chat help civil legal issues (not criminal)  exception: expungement emphasis on court forms, court rules and legal clinics state court legal issues only phone and help LawHelpMN.org vs. Self-Help Center

Research Scenario: Zoey Zalopa Pertinent Consumer Rights Facts  Household Income Sources:  Herman receives unemployment benefits  Zelda receives Social Security benefits  Zoey lost her job  Car Accident Lawsuit:  Zoey received Summons and Complaint  Required to serve an Answer in three days  Completed an Answer at the LAP clinic  Rec’d “discovery” request (interrogatories & req. for production)  Big Bad Bank Collections:  Account canceled and demand for $5,000 Visa cash advance  Sent to collections

Using LawHelp to Assist Zoey A closer look…

Online Intake Available in 20 counties, including Hennepin Four other counties for Seniors (60 & over) Statewide for disability legal issues

Online Advice Northwest Minnesota The process:  Step 1: screening for legal aid eligibility  Step 2: client submits a legal question through an online form  Step 3: private attorney researches & sends answer through online form  Step 4: client returns and reviews answer; may ask follow-up question(s)

Online Intake Online Advice Online Advice & Intake County List Anoka ** Benton Big Stone Chippewa Chisago Hennepin Isanti Kanabec ** Kandiyohi Lac qui Parle Lincoln Lyon Meeker Mille Lacs Morrison Pine ** Renville Sherburne Stearns Swift Todd Wadena ** Wright Yellow Medicine Becker Beltrami Clay Clearwater Douglas Grant Hubbard Kittson Lake of the Woods Mahnomen Marshall Norman Otter Tail Pennington Polk Pope Red Lake Roseau Stevens Traverse Wadena Wilkin ** Seniors only NOTE: Any county for disability law issues

Legal Information vs. Legal Advice Avoid Providing Legal Advice  Definition: Interpreting and applying the law to a person’s specific factual circumstances  Examples of Legal Advice  Guessing about the meaning of a law  Advising about merits of various legal options  Predicting how a judge will rule

Legal Information vs. Legal Advice The Good News – Many options in providing Legal Information  Providing legal information means guiding users to facts/resources based on their legal concerns  Examples:  providing relevant fact sheets, booklets, court forms, etc.  connecting people with legal services providers (and even advising they speak with a lawyer)  providing information about court/legal aid locations/hours  helping someone navigate lawhelpmn.org and mncourts.gov/selfhelp

Links LawHelp: Spanish LawHelp: Somali LawHelp: FormHelper: Self-Help Center: SHC Help:

Questions? Please feel free to contact me for…  Questions about LawHelp and legal services providers  Adding content you use to LawHelp  Creating new content, including document assembly  Requests for brochures & other outreach materials  Future presentations

Thank you!