Legal Aid Society History

The Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis traces its roots back to 1913 and the founding of the Legal Aid Bureau. Throughout this proud tradition, the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis has been committed to our mission of providing high-quality services to as many poor people as possible.

While low-income people in Hennepin County face a wide array of legal issues, our attorneys and advocates focus primarily on housing issues, public benefits issues, family law issues, and issues that seniors and people with physical and mental disabilities face. With more than 87 lawyers, advocates, paralegals and support staff, Legal Aid serves about 6,000 low-income families and individuals per year, and we are proud to say that 95% of those clients enjoyed successful outcomes to their cases.

Whether it’s working with an individual to get an education for job training, helping a family keep its home or teaching people how to help themselves, Legal Aid uses many strategies to assist people. Quite often, clients simply need an explanation of their rights and responsibilities in certain circumstances. By the same token, landlords, state agencies and program administrators need to understand what their responsibilities are under the current law.

Legal Aid’s lawyers and support staff are widely regarded as the experts in poverty law. More than half of Legal Aid’s legal staff have more than 12 years experience in their areas of practice. As a result, staff members are often called on by the Legislature, special task forces and government agencies to provide perspective from a low-income person’s point of view.

We work at the policy development level, as well as at the implementation level. In addition to representing people in individual cases, we are proud to have developed advocacy projects that represent and bring justice to all low-income Minnesotans.