Upcoming Clinics

  • Beautiful Laundrette, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and SMRLS host free legal clinics focusing on advice on immigration, family law and housing law issues, with some help in other civil legal areas available. Beautiful Laundrette is located at 625 Stryker Ave, St Paul MN 55107. Clients must complete an income screening and appointments are recommended. To sign up, please contact 1-877-696-6529 and ask to sign up for the clinic.

    Upcoming Dates

    10/25/24

    11/15/24

    12/20/24

    All will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  • At criminal expungement clinics, a volunteer attorney works with you to prepare the petition and discuss the process. The volunteer may be assisted by law students and legal secretaries. Clients will represent themselves in court and SMRLS staff will file and serve petitions. This clinic can only serve Statutory expungements and advance screening is required. SMRLS typically holds an expungement clinic every 2-3 months. To join the list of participants for the next clinic please contact us at 1-877-696-6529 for more information and to see if you are eligible or apply online.

  • At this brief advice clinic, volunteer attorneys answer questions on harassment from debt collectors, debt collection regulations and lawsuits, garnishment exemption forms, lemon laws, and purchase or sale contracts (not including real property). The clinic does not provide representation. Some clinics are in person and some are on Zoom. To sign up, please contact us at 877-696-6529 to complete an intake.

    Upcoming dates:

    More Dates Coming Soon!

  • At this clinic we help you do your own divorce. A family law attorney will be there to answer your questions and review your paperwork. You will be working with a volunteer attorney or law clerk to complete all of your papers. All of the required papers will be completed at the clinic. In some circumstances, SMRLS will file your case and serve your spouse. You represent yourself in court.

    To participate, you must be income eligible and have an appointment. Call us at 1-877-696-6529 for more information and to see if you are eligible or apply online.

    Upcoming Divorce Clinics

    November 5th at 1:00pm

  • Olmsted County Eviction Prevention Project

    SMRLS and Legal Assistance of Olmsted County (LAOC) provide advice and representation to eligible residential tenants at eviction hearings in Olmsted County. If you are a tenant facing eviction in Olmsted County and want help, please contact the Rochester Office at 507-292-0080 for an eligibility screening.

    Ramsey County Housing Court Clinic

    SMRLS and VLN run this clinic during the Ramsey County Housing Court first appearance calendar via zoom. Clients receive free legal advice from a volunteer attorney before heading into the courtroom. They can also apply for Emergency Assistance and work with a mediator from the Dispute Resolution Center to reach a settlement in their case. This clinic does not take advance sign ups through SMRLS-clients complete an income screening and request services during court hearings.

    SE MN Eviction Prevention Project

    SMRLS provides advice and representation to eligible residential tenants at eviction hearings in Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, and Winona Counties. If you are a tenant facing eviction in the listed counties and want help, please contact the Rochester Office at 507-292-0080 for an eligibility screening.

  • At eviction expungement clinics, a volunteer attorney works with you to prepare the petition and discuss the process. The volunteer may be assisted by law students and legal secretaries. Clients will represent themselves in court and SMRLS staff will file and serve petitions. Evictions that can be expunged through this clinic are typically cases that are settled, were dismissed, or were paid off and the landlord supports expungement. To participate you must be income eligible and have an appointment. Eviction expungement clinics have a remote option and are available to eligible clients in any location in our service area.

    Upcoming Clinics:

    November 19th at 2:00pm

    To join the list of participants for the next clinic, please contact us at 1-877-696-6529 for more information and see if you are eligible or apply online.

  • This clinic is currently on hold. Check back for more information!

  • Speak with an attorney, identify your legal issues, and get advice. Please call or email to make an appointment at one of our sites.

    Legal Checkups are similar, in ways, to a checkup at the doctor. When you complete your yearly exam at the doctor, they ask questions to assess your overall health. If the doctor notices anything concerning, they order more tests, gather history, and/or offer treatment. Medical checkups are important because you may have an issue that you aren’t even aware of until you meet with a doctor who knows the right questions to ask.

    Similarly, when SMRLS staff completes a legal checkup with an individual, we are looking at someone’s overall situation to see if there are legal issues we can help with. We ask targeted, simple questions in 10 different areas of law. Oftentimes, folks don’t even know they are experiencing a legal issue until they are asked. And even if they know they’re experiencing a legal issue, they don’t know how to access help.

    SMRLS’ goal with Legal Checkups is to ensure that low-income individuals are informed of their rights, obtain legal advice and information, and are provided with community resources.

    If you'd like more information or would like to make an appointment call 507-396-6806 or email erika.boyer-kern@smrls.org

  • If you need legal help, call 651-222-5863 beginning at 12:30pm on the day of the clinic. Or, go to Progressive Baptist Church on the day of the clinic between 12:30 and 3 and say you are there for the Power Up Legal Clinic. The address is 1505 Burns Ave, St Paul.

    IMPORTANT

    • Say you are calling for the Power-Up Legal Clinic.

    • Provide your name, phone number, address, and a brief description of your legal issue.

    • an income eligibility screening is required

    • If you have documents to discuss with the volunteer attorney, you will be instructed how to send photos.

    • After the brief introductory call, a volunteer attorney will call you back between 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm that same day.

    Upcoming 2023 Dates:

    • December 7th

    • December 21st

    Upcoming 2024 Dates:

    • Jan 4

    • Jan 18

    • Feb 1

    • Feb 15

    • Feb 29

    • March 14

    • March 28

    • April 4

    • April 18

    • May 2

    • May 16

    • May 30

    • June 13

    • June 27

    • July 11th

    • July 18th

    • August 1st

    • August 15th

    • August 29th

    • September 12th

    • September 26th

    • October 10th

    • October 24th

    • November 7th

    • November 21st

    • December 5th

    • December 19th

    Speak to an attorney. No criminal law issues. First-come, first-served basis. Last appointment at 3:00. Legal issues include:

    • Landlord/tenant or property

    • Debt collection

    • Impounded car

    • Purchase or service contracts

    • Probate

    • Employment

  • Upcoming Wills for Seniors Clinics

    • Wills clinics in the St Paul and Mankato areas are completed for 2024. Please check back soon for 2025 dates! If you live in southeastern Minnesota we still may have volunteer attorneys helping people with wills. Please contact us to complete an intake.

  • Are you a single parent or caregiver of a child and concerned about what would happen if you could not care for them?

    Get your affairs in order with a simple Will, Power of Attorney, and Health Care Directive.

    An estate planning attorney will be there to answer your questions and review your documents. You will leave with signed and notarized documents.

    To participate, you must be income eligible and have an appointment. Call us at 1-877-696-6529 for more information and to see if you are eligible or apply online.

    Upcoming Clinics

    • No clinics scheduled at this time