Private attorneys agree to take cases for clients who have been screened through the intake process and either need representation in a matter that is not an area of Legal Assistance of Olmsted County's expertise, or where there is a conflict of interest. Areas of available legal assistance may include: - Consumer/financial law - Elder law/wills - Employment law - Family law - Guardianship/conservatorship law - Immigration law - Landlord/tenant housing law - Property/real estate law

Deals only with civil law issues, does not cover criminal law: - Attorneys will only advise on wills and do not draw them up - High priority for seniors with "consumer questions" since so many seniors are victims of consumer fraud Topics include: - Housing - Medical assistance - Powers of attorney - Healthcare directives - Harassing creditor phone calls - Garnishments - Long-term care - Income and benefits issues

HUD certified housing counselors provide assistance with navigating the rental process, information regarding legal protections, and advocacy. Counselors also help renters develop household budgets, determine financial assistance eligibility, apply for assistance, and identify an affordable place to rent. Provides free renter's rights and responsibilities workshops that address how fair housing laws protect renters, how affordable housing is calculated, the importance of insurance, and more. Workshops are hosted by a HUD-Certified Housing Counselor.

Free legal advice and basic services on a variety of civil issues including immigration, housing, and debt collection

Provides legal assistance and educational opportunities and resources. Legal issues covered include: - Debt collection - Divorce, parenting time, custody, or other family law issues - Employment - Impounded car - Landlord/tenant or property - Probate - Purchase or service contracts - Simple wills and health care directives - Any other civil legal issues

Administers legal programs and services through offices in Anoka, Minneapolis, Saint Cloud, and Wilmar. Helps eligible clients through direct representation, brief advice, and through participating in community legal education programs and clinics. Services include: - Family law - Housing issues - Public benefits - Employment - Criminal expungement - Consumer dept Does not provide representation in CRIMINAL law matters

Provides legal advice and/or representation in cases involving: - Denial of relocation benefits based on government displacement and non-return of security deposits - Discrimination - Eviction (Unlawful Detainer) - Illegal lockouts and utility terminations by landlords - Maintenance and repairs in rental housing - Mortgage foreclosures and cancellations of contracts for deed - Public and subsidized housing admissions and terminations - Utility shut-offs

Pre-eviction service to help divert nonpayment of rent, breach of lease and failure to vacate cases from the courtroom. Tenants have access to the services available through the Eviction Prevention Program without having to go to court, including legal advice, mediation/negotiation, and financial counseling and assistance.

Volunteer attorneys spend between 15 - 30 minutes per client providing legal advice and/or brief services and assistance in preparing forms on conciliation court claims up to $15,000. Attorneys can usually complete and print the conciliation court claim form and can help prepare for a hearing, draft demand letters, and prepare a counterclaim or cross-claim related to an existing conciliation court case. Conciliation court issues could include: - Back rent owed - Damage to property - Defective goods - Defective workmanship - Property recovery - Security deposits - Unpaid wage claims Note: Individuals receive free legal advice or brief services, not representation, from an attorney. The attorneys are volunteers and may have emergencies that may require them to cancel at the last minute.

- Monthly CLE available to members of the Minnesota and Wisconsin State Bar - Internet access including Wi-Fi access - Photocopier and fax machine - Provides access to legal resources including statutes, legislative materials, court rules, court forms, WestLaw, regulations, ordinances, self-help materials, forms, case law, legal treatises, and encyclopedias Legal Clinic Services Civil Law Clinic: Automobile title transfer; conciliation court; consumer issues; creditor/debtor issues; default judgment, housing; housing eviction; eviction expungement; judgment collection Criminal Law Clinic: Traffic tickets, criminal process, criminal expungement, and DANCO orders Family Law Clinic: Child custody, child support, domestic abuse, marriage dissolution, name change, paternity issues, and spousal maintenance

Consultation with attorney in regard to tenant/landlord issues. Depending on the circumstances, the attorney may provide legal advice only, brief service or extended court representation.

Protective and Legal Services: - Temporary Restraining Order filing office - Issues warrants, subpoenas, and executions on judgments - Performs civil marriage ceremonies Court and Legal Information: - Landlord/tenant information - Law Library - Pro-se forms for self-representation - Information on other legal issues Coordination of Court Activities: - Coordination of public defender - Jury selection - Coordinates and schedules court's calendars - The department is responsible for processing and calendaring of Civil, Family/Probate, Criminal/Traffic, Juvenile, and Conciliation (small claims) cases through the court system. Court calendars reflect scheduled courtroom hearings, but they do not include all matters handled by the court each day. Confidential cases are not posted in this calendar, so if the case does not appear on the calendar, do not assume that court appearance has been cancelled or rescheduled. Fees and Filing: - Collection and receipt of fees, bonds and escrow funds - Notary Public - Files Notary Public registration - Wills - Minister credentials Licenses and Records: - Divorce/custody records - Other legal records

Free legal advice and brief services from volunteer attorneys with the Volunteer Lawyers Network. Services focus on civil issues such as: - Debt and consumer issues - Housing (tenant/landlord) - Immigration Appointments are typically brief, 15 - 30 minutes per client, and volunteers may occasionally need to cancel due to emergencies. Call the center to confirm schedules and availability.

Volunteer attorneys spend about 15 minutes per client providing legal advice and/or brief services on housing court issues involving a current landlord. Priority is given to individuals with a court hearing that day. - Free legal services for low income tenants and landlords - May provide a referral to full representation services - Provides advice for eviction actions (Unlawful Detainer), lease violations, repair problems, emergency repairs, lockouts, current landlord demanding rent owed, landlord harassment or access violations, Section 8 or public housing terminations, utility shut-offs, and help with expunging or sealing housing court records, such as past Unlawful Detainers Note: Individuals receive free legal advice and/or brief services, not representation, from an attorney. The attorneys are volunteers and may have emergencies that may require them to cancel at the last minute.

Provides free legal advice and referrals on most civil legal issues, including: - Criminal expungement - Employment law - Family law (custody related to divorce) - Landlord/tenant - Legal Kiosk: Provides a private room with a computer and secure password login for use by youth to maintain court dates, appointments with the county, and other legal appointments. Must reserve the legal kiosk room. Volunteer Lawyers Network attorneys may or may not specialize in a given area but should be able to point clients towards resources if they are unable to offer assistance in a client's particular need.

Court Administration includes the following services: ?- Coordination of public defender - Collection and receipt of fees, bonds, and escrow funds ?- Civil marriage ceremonies ?- Court records including custody, divorce, law enforcement, and other records ?- Files notary public registration, wills, and minister credentials - Issues warrants, subpoenas, and executions on judgments - Jury selection ??- Legal information including landlord/tenant issues - Law library - Pro-se forms for self-representation - Restraining orders for protection, domestic abuse, and harassment

Provides certification programs, learning opportunities, and education information in real estate. Educational opportunities include: - Advocacy on affordable housing to bring about positive change in the multi-housing industry. Aims to help owners and managers engage government officials in constructive, ongoing dialogues, and participate in policy decisions affecting the ability to provide qualify housing to communities. - Assisted housing manager - Certifications in becoming a Certified Resident Manager (CRM) and Certified Resident Maintenance Technician (CRMT) - Continuing education courses for Minnesota Real Estate licensing - Fall convention and products show - Landlord and tenant law - Maintenance training - Monthly investor's club meetings for independent owners - Preparation seminars for special and second-class boiler licensing - Speaking at conventions or workshops - Successful evictions - Understanding and controlling property taxes

Deals only with civil law issues, does not cover criminal law: - Attorneys will only advise on wills and do not draw them up - High priority for seniors with "consumer questions" since so many seniors are victims of consumer fraud Topics include: - Housing - Medical assistance - Powers of attorney - Healthcare directives - Harassing creditor phone calls - Garnishments - Long-term care - Income and benefits issues

Provides legal services including: - Creditor problems and harassment by bill collectors - Contract-for-Deed issues - Custody and visitation issues - Divorce - Evictions - Family issues - Fuel assistance - Garnishment - Housing code violations - Landlord-tenant issues including leases, evictions, denials of subsidized housing, fair housing, repair issues, etc. - Mortgage foreclosures - Representation for General Assistance, MFIP, Food Benefits, and Medical Assistance - Unemployment compensation - Utilities - Supplemental Security Income Legal Clinics: Virtual advice regarding Bankruptcy, Family Law, and Social Security is available Home visits may be possible Legal Aid does not handle adoption, paternity, or wills, but special circumstance cases are considered Assistance may involve representation, advice, or referral. The demand for services is high and Legal Aid is unable to handle all requests for assistance. There are established case priorities and, in some instances, waiting lists have become necessary to allocate services. Advice appointments may occur in person, on the phone, electronically, at clinics, or outreach.

Assists tenants with finding funding, alternative housing, and other resources to assist with legal questions

Provides Minnesota's veterans with legal information, referrals, and legal advice regarding most legal topics. Legal representation services for veterans who are in housing court on a case-by-case basis. Veteran advocate lawyers are only licensed to advise on Minnesota state law, but can connect veterans with legal resources in other states that will meet their legal needs. Legal clinics are also available across the state throughout the year to assist veterans with questions, legal forms, and counsel. Visit website for event details.

Provides free civil and criminal legal services to enrolled Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members. services available: - Answer questions - Go to court - Notary services - Provide legal services - Resolve cases on behalf of clients Program does not accept all cases and may deny services based on criteria of the case and the client. Cases accepted: - Child Protection (CHIPS) - Consumer law and debt collection - Criminal law - Domestic abuse - Elder law (health care directives, powers of attorney, estate planning, probate, guardianships, grandchild adoption/guardianship/custody, Indian trust land/accounts) - Estate planning - Family law (divorce and custody/visitation) - Housing - Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) - Juvenile delinquency - Probate - Public benefits (denial or termination of benefits such as Social Security) - Truancy cases Cannot accept cases such as: - 1st or 2nd degree drug possession - Bankruptcy - Commitments - Criminal or civil cases outside of the service area - Drug sales - Employment discrimination - Federal court cases - Personal injury - Suing other band members for money damages - Worker's compensation - Wrongful termination

- Ready-to-Rent workshops for tenants looking to establish or rebuild a positive rental history - Workshops for landlords on topics such as fair housing laws, local government rules and requirements, and business fundamentals - Community resource on the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords - Mediation services to help resolve tenant/landlord and neighbor to neighbor disputes, in hopes of reducing the costs of eviction on all sides

Legal services may include: legal advice, review court papers, assist in drafting paperwork, mediate, negotiate, litigate, and/or represent at an administrative law or district court hearing LSNM assists people with low incomes and issues critical to daily life. Cases including: - Consumer: threats or harassment by a creditor or debt collector, paycheck or bank account being garnished, and utilities shut off - Education: children with a disability and need an Individualized Education Program (IEP), wrongfully disciplined, suspended or expelled of a child - Employment: criminal history, denied unemployment benefits - Family: custody, divorce, parenting time rights, understanding court papers, etc. - Housing: contract for deed, denied of subsidized housing, evictions, foreclosures, housing discrimination and accommodation, locked out, and repair issues - Protective orders: from physically harming or threatening to harm an individual or child and harassment - Public assistance and disability benefits: food support, medical assistance or other public assistance, denied necessary medical care and unable to work because of a disability - Senior issues: health care directive, power of attorney, and simple will

HUD certified housing counselors provide assistance with navigating the rental process, information regarding legal protections, and advocacy. Counselors also help renters develop household budgets, determine financial assistance eligibility, apply for assistance, and identify an affordable place to rent. Provides free renter's rights and responsibilities workshops that address how fair housing laws protect renters, how affordable housing is calculated, the importance of insurance, and more. Workshops are hosted by a HUD-Certified Housing Counselor.