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Orientation to Making a Difference for Clients in Poverty

Highly recommended for all attorneys who are interested in helping clients experiencing poverty, this afternoon’s interactive CLE is four hours long, with an option for leaving after the first three hours. Those who attend the full CLE, as well as complete the 1.0 hour of pre-work, will have fulfilled all required ethics (3.0) and elimination of bias (2.0) credits for a three-year reporting cycle. 

From noon to 3:00 PM (3.0 ethics credits approved):

We will focus on how to fulfill our ethical obligations under the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct when representing clients living in poverty. Specifically, participants will leave with a greater understanding of, practical tips about, and resources related to:

  • The systemic need for pro bono legal services and fulfilling that under Rule 6.1
  • How to provide diligent help (Rule 1.3)
  • How to provide the most impactful help (Rule 2.1)
  • How to identify the client’s objectives (Rule 1.2)
  • How to identify the best means for carrying out the client’s objectives (Rule 1.2)
  • How to communicate effectively: recognize and overcome common challenges to effective communication, such as low literacy, oral vs. print communication styles, and unresolved trauma) (Rule 1.4)
  • And how to determine what is “reasonable” under Rule 6.5

We will end this section with 15 minutes of one-on-one or small group meetings with VLN staff members around specific volunteer opportunities. Given the breadth of volunteer opportunities at VLN, these mini-meetings are an excellent chance to ask questions related to area-specific resources, CLEs and other supports for volunteering.

Pre-work (1.0 on-demand elimination of bias credit)

To make our time together as productive as possible, participants are asked to watch 1.0 hour of video excerpts from an on-demand elimination of bias video of Dr. Beegle describing her personal experience of poverty barriers to accessing the legal system (CLE event code: 249918). More information will be provided in the registration confirmation email.  (NOTE: if you do not receive this email immediately after registering, please check your SPAM folder.)

From 3:15 – 4:15 PM (1.0 elimination of bias credit approved):

We will focus on strategies for identifying and overcoming unconscious bias.  Participants will leave with additional context about the lives of people living in poverty and concrete strategies for interrupting unconscious bias, so we may provide our clients with the highest quality service possible.

Location: Volunteer Lawyers Network, Minnesota Law Center, 600 Nicollett Mall, Suite 390A, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Cost:  The CLE is free for current members of VLN, HCBA, MABL, MHBA and/or MAIBA. Others pay a nominal fee of $25 (scholarships available). Payable by credit card in advance or by check on the day of the CLE. 

Lunch: Pizza lunch, soft drinks, and coffee provided.


Which date would you like to attend?*
What times are you currently planning on attending?*
Name*

Payment*

Thank you very much for volunteering! Please enjoy this CLE at no cost.

Please present a check for $25 payable to VLN before the session begins.

COST:

To help us tailor the orientation as much as possible to each group, please give us some information about yourself and your experience, below. If you would like a copy of your answers to be emailed to you, please indicate that below.

Have you represented clients in poverty before?

We offer the following support to our volunteers:

Learning/applying the law

  • Summaries of the applicable law
  • Forms and boilerplate language
  • Free or low-cost CLEs
  • On-demand CLEs
  • Online access bankruptcy software
  • Mentor attorneys
  • On-staff resource attorneys

Administrative support for your VLN representations

  • Malpractice insurance (as long as you have been approved as a volunteer and are at a VLN clinic or have accepted a VLN client
  • Access to office space for meetings
  • Phone messages, receipt of mail
  • Obtaining court orders on file
  • Bringing orders to the signing judge on your behalf

Learning more about poverty and effective practices for working with people living in poverty

  • On-demand CLEs
  • In-person CLEs (including part of this orientation)
  • Print resources

Maximizing time

  • CLE credit for pro bono (up to six credits per reporting cycle; six hours of pro bono - one CLE credit)
In which topics are you interested in hearing information?
Are you able and interested in providing legal assistance in another language?

Do you have any dietary restrictions you would like to share with us? (VLN will try to reasonably accommodate requests received by Monday at 10AM.)

Would you like a copy of your answers to be emailed to you for your reference?*

Thank you! We look forward to seeing you soon. Please press "Submit Form" below to complete registration for the CLE.

 

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