Organization Name: MSBA, HCBA, and RCBA Appellate Practice Section & The Minnesota State Law Library
Type of opportunity: Brief legal advice clinic – delivered by phone
Program Description: A monthly clinic conducted by telephone to offer brief advice to people who are representing themselves in Minnesota Court of Appeals or Minnesota Supreme Court cases.
Approximate time commitment: This free brief advice clinic is held once per month on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm. The clinic involves 30-minute consultations with clients by phone. Volunteers are asked to commit to at least one clinic shift per month for at least one year.
Requirements: Volunteers must have previous appellate experience and carry their own malpractice insurance. While membership in the Appellate Practice Section is encouraged, it is not required.
Why it matters: Appeals are expensive, time-consuming, and very complicated for pro se litigants. There are also very few pro bono resources available for appeals, so the clinic meets a critical need in the community . There are no income guidelines for clients, but most clients served cannot afford an attorney for their case.