ProJusticeMN.org: New Tools for Pro Bono Support MVAP Meeting Minneapolis, MN June 15, 2010 John Freeman Staff Attorney / Website Coordinator Minnesota Legal Services Coalition State Support Office

I. Legal Resources

Practice Areas Civil Law –housing, consumer, seniors, public benefits, etc. Family Law Immigration Law Real Estate –equity stripping, foreclosure defense

Practice Area Libraries: Additions of Note in Past Year Recorded Webinars and Other Training Materials –Assisting Clients with Garnishment Exemption ClaimsAssisting Clients with Garnishment Exemption Claims –Board Service for Attorneys: Non-Profit Law & Ethics –Representing Tenants of Public Housing and Section 8 in Housing Court –Discovery That Works –Smoke-Free Multi-Housing and the Law: Benefits and Legal Strategies –Criminal Expungement Basics with Automated Tools

Practice Area Libraries: Additions of Note in Past Year Recorded Webinars and Other Training Materials –Health Care Updates for Single and Childless Adults –Fair Housing Implications –Procedural Protections for Section 8 Voucher Terminations –Working with Clients and Employees with Disabilities –Restorative Parenting –Representing Low-Income Clients –Advising Collection Proof Clients

Practice Area Libraries: Additions of Note in Past Year HotDocs® Automated Documents –Criminal Expungement Start-to-FinishCriminal Expungement Start-to-Finish –Affidavit of Service –In Forma Pauperis –Name Change –Garnishment Exemption (coming soon) –Answer to Complaint (coming soon)

Practice Area Libraries: Additions of Note in Past Year Topic Manuals –Conciliation Court Clinic ManualConciliation Court Clinic Manual –Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) Manual –Obtaining Client's Birth Certificate for State I.D. Applications New Topic: Elder Law 3 rd Party Custody: Sample Forms

II. Volunteering

MSBA Pro Bono Directory Searchable listings of ongoing pro bono opportunitiesSearchable listings of ongoing pro bono opportunities 85 Organizations Recently updated

Case Placement Tool: Current Functionality Basic Information About Potential Pro Bono Case is Submitted –Overview (without client-identifying information) –Contact for More Information Approved by Administrator Members Expected to Review Site Periodically Not Currently Active on ProJusticeMN.org Example: ABA Military Pro Bono ProjectABA Military Pro Bono Project

Case Placement Tool: 2011 Enhancements Case Field Changes –Minor changes to case placement fields –Possibly configurable by state and practice area New Cases Notifications –Members will be able to subscribe to receive notices of new posted cases –Can be limited to certain legal topics or geographic areas –Members can choose between “real time” and digest notifications Case Management –New cases can be selected for “review” or “acceptance” –Cases under review will be marked as such, and not available for acceptance –Cases not clearing conflicts check can be “returned” for review by others Reminders –For cases under review, member will be sent automated reminders –Admins will get weekly on case statuses

III. Legal Research

Research Wiki Research Wiki created as partnership between:Research Wiki –Volunteer Librarians Coalition (Law Firm Librarians and a Graduate Student) –Volunteer Lawyers Network –Westlaw A research library and research assistance with specific questions Currently for VLN volunteers, but the partners have generously agreed to expand to support pro bono practitioners statewide through ProJustice

IV. Client Resources

Client Resources / Referrals LawHelpMN.org –LawHelpMN.org/FormHelper (coming soon) MNCourts.gov/SelfHelp Statewide Legal Clinic Calendar (coming soon)

Your Ideas Content Needs Content to Contribute What Works? What Doesn’t?

Thank you! John Freeman, Staff Attorney / Website Coordinator Minnesota Legal Services Coalition State Support (651) ext. 105 Contact me (or Steve) for… Questions about ProJustice or LawHelp Questions about ProJustice or LawHelp Requests for brochures & other outreach materials Requests for brochures & other outreach materials Demos to legal services staff, pro bono attorneys Demos to legal services staff, pro bono attorneys Adding your content (or other content you use) Adding your content (or other content you use) Creating new content, including document assembly Creating new content, including document assembly Document assembly testing volunteers Document assembly testing volunteers

URLs ProJusticeMN.org Practice Areas Civil Law Practice Area: Family Law Practice Area: Immigration Practice Area: ProJustice Real Estate Practice Area: HotDocs® Automated Documents Criminal Expungement: Affidavit of Service: In Forma Pauperis: Name Change: Garnishment Exemption: coming soon Answer to Complaint: coming soon

URLs Recorded Webinars and Other Training Materials (not a complete list) Garnishment Exemption: Board Service for Attorneys: Representing Tenants in Housing Court: Discovery That Works: Smoke-Free Multi-Housing: Criminal Expungement Basics: Health Care Updates: Fair Housing Implications: Section 8 Voucher Terminations: Working with Clients and Employees with Disabilities: Restorative Parenting: Representing Low-Income Clients: Advising Collection Proof Clients:

URLs Topic Manuals Conciliation Court Clinic Manual: Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) Manual: Obtaining Client's Birth Certificate for State I.D. Applications: New Topic: Elder Law: rd Party Custody: Sample Forms:

URLs MSBA Pro Bono Directory: Military Pro Bono Project (Case Placement Tool Example): VLC Research Wiki: LawHelp: LawHelp FormHelper (coming soon): Statewide Virtual Self-Help Center: