Central Minnesota Legal Services: An Overview
Central Minnesota Legal Services, Inc. (CMLS) is a private non-profit Minnesota corporation organized under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 317. The purpose of the corporation is to provide legal assistance and representation to low-income and elderly persons referred to the corporation by a funding source.
Central Minnesota Legal Services was incorporated in 1975 as a legal services program. In 1977, the program became a state funded legal aid program receiving the majority of its funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. In June 1989, CMLS entered into an agreement with the University of Minnesota to deliver legal services to low-income persons in Central Minnesota by students enrolled in the University of Minnesota Law School .
CMLS serves 10 counties in Central Minnesota: Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright, Cass, Pope, Todd, Douglas, Morrison and Wadena. CMLS also provides brief legal services at two rural family services centers. CMLS has both certified senior lawyers and resource attorneys who assist with the delivery of legal aid services to clients. Staff attorneys provide advice, negotiate settlements, write letters and pleadings, and if needed, represent clients in administrative hearings and litigation. Central Minnesota Legal Services also encourages people to represent themselves in court through the use of various materials.
Variety of Legal Services Provided by Central MN
Central Minnesota Legal Services specializes in a wide range of legal areas. However, in the last few years, they have begun to see that their cases have taken a turn towards more specific groups and subtypes. While initially formed to help the economically challenged and people with low incomes, CMLS has also started seeing more cases from non-profit organizations as well. Some of these non-profits have seen funding cuts, cuts to their own organizations as well as cuts in available programs or services to the community they support. Consequently, the pursuit of those causes has led to a large uptick in the number of people who need assistance. It has also led to a large number of Minnesota’s young, educated people being choosers into these organizations. That said, the majority of the clients are still those who have difficulty finding the means to get legal support. CMLS works hard to make sure that the people who do have the financial means do not bouy up the statistics for the low-income families and people in need of their help. CMLS focuses primarily on civil legal issues. As such, they do not offer any representation on criminal matters, including misdemeanors and traffic offenses. They also do not offer help with personal injury cases. There are several areas where CMCLS concentrates their efforts. First and most importantly, CMLC will help people obtain temporary restraining orders or Orders for Protection against those who are perhaps threatening violence or have already committed acts of violence. This helps victims of domestic, spousal or common-law partner abuse, including those who have been subjected to abuse by a parent against a child or other family member. These Orders for Protection can help with cases involving child support and temporary custody. In addition, CMCLS offers advice on landlord/tenant issues, foreclosures and retention situations. This advice is not reserved solely for renters and owners, however, as unknown dangerous health threats such as lead and fumes can also be an issue addressed by CMCLS. When it comes to divorce, CMCLS will help people who qualify for their services work through various areas of separation and mediation. This includes division of marital property and debt. It also covers child custody and child support issues. Any other civil legal issues are addressed on a case-by-case basis. Their area of law consultation is free, but in order to receive this consultation, clients must meet two criteria: they must be legal residents of the six counties covered by CMCLS and they must not have an income sufficient enough to afford other representation.
Criteria for Accessing Legal Services
Central Minnesota Legal Services provides free civil legal services to all persons who reside in Becker, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, LeSueur, Mahnomen, Morrison, Murray, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Polk, Ramsey, Rice, Wadena, Washington, Wilkin, Winona and Wright counties, and the Red Lake Indian Reservation, who meet our income guidelines. We obtain our funding from the Legal Services Corporation, which is a federal agency designated by Congress to provide equal access to justice in support of our American tradition of providing fair and effective resolution of disputes for those who cannot afford an attorney.
At Central Minnesota Legal Services, we’re proud that the individuals we serve come from a variety of backgrounds. Last year, over 73 percent of our clients were women. Over half of our client households included someone who is disabled. Our clients come from ethnic backgrounds that include White (60%), African American / Black (16%), Hispanic (12%), Native American (7%) and other (5%). Approximately 41% of our clients are employed. And over 75% have children at home.
If you are financially eligible, we are pleased to help you with the term of your problem. Some matters will be handled in full, while in others we may simply provide you with information and advice that will help you manage the case more successfully on your own.
To determine if you may qualify for our services, we invite you to apply. You will be asked to provide information about yourself, your household, your monthly income and the legal problem for which you are seeking help. Central Minnesota Legal Services conducts an income eligibility determination based on current federal poverty guidelines. Because we are funded by Legal Services Corporation, we are restricted by federal law from providing legal services that would benefit non-indigents or organizations.
Applying for Legal Aid
To apply for legal assistance with Central Minnesota Legal Services, you need to complete a series of steps that begin with determining your eligibility. CMLS provides free legal assistance to those who qualify based on their income and other factors. Their services focus on particular areas of law and specific types of legal cases, so it is crucial to ensure your situation aligns with what they offer.
The first step is to call the CMLS office and speak to an intake staff member. They will ask a set of predetermined questions to determine your eligibility. Be prepared to provide information about your income, expenses, family members, and an overview of your legal issue. Masterson also explained that in some limited cases, like their Reasonable Accommodations program for people with disabilities, they do have staff able to communicate through American Sign Language.
If you are eligible, the CMLS staff member will schedule an intake appointment. This appointment can either be held over the phone or in-person at their office location. Depending on the type of case you need assistance with, an in-person appointment may be required. Bring any relevant documents to the meeting with the intake officer and explain your situation to them.
After the intake process, if you are referred to an attorney, they will review your case and determine if they are able to help. If you qualify for legal services, you will be placed on a wait list. The CMLS staff will contact you once they can get a lawyer to take your case. If you don’t qualify for assistance, the CMLS staff will refer you to another legal aid organization, the Courthouse Self Help Center, or they may provide you with legal information to help guide you through the process.
Keep in mind that sometimes you may not qualify for their services but still have a valid claim. In this scenario, you can represent yourself using your knowledge of the law gathered through research. The CMLS staff is always available to help provide self-representation guidance.
Impact and Case Studies of Central MN Legal Services
CMLS success can be measured in many ways. Most obviously, the clients who CMLS serves have a voice. By helping individuals and families address their legal issues, CMLS lawyers are helping them overcome barriers so they can focus on their families, education, health care, housing, employment and finances. They know they will have the help of an advocate and the means to make that help a reality.
Because preventive legal assistance is so effective, we also know that fixing legal problems before they actually happen saves our community a great deal of money. CMLS saves hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for local hospitals, county social services and other service providers by helping low-income people with serious legal problems who would otherwise depend on public funding to fill gaps in their lives created by legal issues.
"My life was a mess. Yet I was able to put my life together again. That was because a nurse, a doctor, and a lawyer cared enough to help."
– CMLS Client
"Through the work of CMLS, doctors and nurses at churches learned to recognize when patients are experiencing legal problems. As a result, medical personnel everywhere know there is a place to refer their patients who cannot afford a lawyer."
– CMLS Client
"St. John’s White Gift Sunday Interns are in their second year of volunteering in Stearns County Family Court on Wednesday nights. Through this program, the interns are gaining valuable first-hand experience and a better understanding of family law cases."
– Dan Stowell, Stearns County District Court, 7th Judicial District, and Ryan Schmelzer, St. John’s White Gift Sunday Intern
Collaborations at Central MN Legal Services
Central Minnesota Legal Services recognizes that access to justice is not achievable in a vacuum. In an effort to magnify the effect of the limited resources our program has, CM homeless advocates continually look for ways to partner with other agencies. By working collaboratively, we can be more effective and help to expand the safety net of assistance available in our community than any single agency could do on its own.
CM believes in a multi-disciplinary approach to address complex legal and non-legal issues. To make an informed decision as to the most appropriate next steps for individuals and families that find themselves in a state of crisis, staff at CM must first build a trusting relationship with the client/client family. This includes not only actively listening to the client, but also conducting a needs assessment, and then offering options (legal or otherwise) to the client. As a result, CM advocates participate in a variety of multi-disciplinary meetings in the community. These meetings include: Coordinated Entry System meetings, Vulnerability Assessment program admission hearings, selection reviews for temporary housing, Hennepin County Housing Court navigator meetings, HMIS legal needs triage meetings , Navigators Roundtable, Multiple Agency Response Teams (MARTs) meetings, and weekly case conferences with the homeless outreach ADVANCE team. In addition to being able to effectively address co-occurring legal and non-legal issues, participation in these meetings creates opportunities for CM to educate partnering agencies on navigating legal issues, and build relationships that can be leveraged to reduce barriers to housing for legal services clients. CM has cultivated partnerships with the following organizations to address legal and non-legal issues that may negatively impact adults and families who are experiencing housing crisis: The collaboration CM is able to foster with other agencies in the community has been greatly enhanced through our affiliation with the MN Alliance on Crime and a federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The AWAKE program is the first of its kind in STC to focus on working with victims of crime who are experiencing homelessness and/or housing instability. As the first domestic violence advocate in the STC area, the AWAKE program helps to raise awareness of the needs of victims of crime and children found in precarious situations, like the women CM serves at Hands Across the World.
Issues Addressed with Central MN Legal Services
As is well-documented in our society, there are many challenges facing legal services and their ability to help those in need. Legal services around the United States receive far more applications for legal assistance than are able to be immediately serviced. In fact, a 2014 report by the Legal Services Corporation, which oversees legal aid funding for all states, cites that "…for every eligible low income person helped by LSC-funded programs, another is turned away due to lack of resources." 50% of low income households that experience civil legal problems in the past year were not able to obtain an attorney or get the help they need. Statistically, only 1 in 5 people that request help from a legal services organization like CMALS are accepted.
The reasons for these shortcomings run the gamut from financial to administrative. The common misconception that legal services agencies provide free legal advice and representation to everyone fails to account for the requirements to qualify for assistance. Those requirements cite income levels that only allow for acceptance of cases for people near the poverty level, and many people are turned away simply because their finances exceed those levels.
Legal aid organizations also struggle with solving the problem of underemployment. Legal professionals are in high demand in most job markets throughout the country, both public and private sector. Finding, training and retaining the best and brightest lawyers and legal staff is much harder in communities where legal services account for only a fraction of the employment opportunities available.
Funding is also a huge issue in the legal services community. Most legal services rely on grants apart from federal funding to round out their budgets and ensure that they can provide services for the whole year. But when legal services are viewed from the perspective of the "return on investment" by policy makers, legal services budget requests often fall short of funding. Because the problem is so large, and the return on investment is measured in decreased government benefits, private donations and other sources of funding are vital.
Supporting Central MN Legal Services
Central Minnesota Legal Services is always looking for different ways for the community to support and assist us. Community support is the lifeblood of a nonprofit organization. Currently, we have the following needs:
Financial Support
To support CMLS financially simply send us a check made payable to Central Minnesota Legal Services and mail it to 640 Adams St. SE, Suite 212, Willmar, MN 56201.
Volunteering
If you have computer skills, do you want to volunteer on case closure, filing, or to help with data entry? CMLS accepts volunteer applications and reviews them periodically. Call to find out how you can help.
Administrative Support
Do you have a particular skill you would like to share with us? Do you want to volunteer on case closure, filing, or to help with data entry? Central Minnesota Legal Services accepts volunteer applications and reviews them periodically. Call to find out how you can help.
Be sure to check our "Volunteer Opportunities" page for our current staffing needs.
In-kind Donations of Goods/Services
Do you have computers or other equipment you’d like to donate?
Legal assistance could also include: Law Office furniture such as desks, chairs, a conference room table and chairs, a small conference room chair and end table Matted and framed artwork for office walls.
Resources and Contact Details of Central MN Legal Services
Central Minnesota Legal Services, Inc. (CMSC)
CMSC will serve residents of 21 counties in Central Minnesota; the area includes Becker, Benton, Chisago, Clay, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pope, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Todd, Wadena, Wilkin, Wright, and Washington. CMSC has 5 offices in Minnesota; St. Cloud, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Brainerd and Pine City . Mailing Address: Central Minnesota Legal Services 200 1st Street N., Suite 301 St. Cloud, MN 56303. Phone: (320) 253-0138 Website: cmslaw.org CMSC Social Media: cmslawmn (Facebook), @cmslawmn (Twitter) CMSC provides information through its website, Website Blog and regularly scheduled E-newsletters. CMSC’s Podcast can be found on its website, I-Tunes and Podbean/CMSLAC.
