This training will cover immigration basics for non-immigration practitioners, how to identify clients who should be referred to an immigration attorney, updates in immigration law, policy and practice post-election, and how non-immigration attorneys can volunteer to do an immigration case with VLN.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) is a form of immigration relief for children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by a parent. SIJS provides a pathway to become lawful permanent residents. For a child to apply for SIJS, they first need to have a state court or “predicate” order. During this training, we will walk through obtaining a predicate order in different venues.

A lease is a lease... except when it’s not.  While rent-to-own agreements, leases with option to purchase, and contracts for deed provide an alternative path to homeownership, these contracts also have high potential for predatory and illegal terms that can seriously harm our clients.  Trainees will learn to differentiate between each kind of contract and learn key federal and state consumer protections along the way, including our new state laws governing contracts for deed.  This knowledge is particularly useful for the housing practitioner defending evictions – part of the training will include workshopping a “lease” that is really an installment contract in disguise!

This training includes a panel of three bankruptcy attorneys who have track records of successfully working with low-income clients to effectively discharge their debts via a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  While the primary focus of the training will be on how getting the case off to a good start is essential to working successfully with your bankruptcy client, the panel will also share best practices for getting the case across the finish line and receiving a Discharge Order.  Additionally, it will include a brief review of the state and federal exemptions available to protect a debtor's property in bankruptcy.  This training is appropriate for volunteers who are interested in taking their first bankruptcy case or newer bankruptcy volunteers who are interested in honing their practice.

After nearly three years of hard work, the Minnesota Judicial Branch has formally approved a new, long-term hearing framework for district courts.  This new hearing framework builds on all of the lessons learned and feedback received both during and after the pandemic.  It aims to bring statewide consistency to how our district courts hold hearings in both criminal and non-criminal matters, while at the same time respecting the need for case-by-case discretion and providing focused local flexibility. 

With the MJB’s new hearing framework going into effect on February 3^rd, the objectives of this training are to review the framework and answer questions participants may have about the new framework and discuss practices that support remote hearing professionalism and decorum.  Join us to learn how you can effectively prepare for these new changes and represent your clients remotely.

This “core” training will prepare volunteers to take their first full representation family law case from start to finish - a dissolution without children.  This training covers the applicable rules and statutes, the procedure of the case from start to finish, and practical pointers such as what documents to file and what a trial looks like.

Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is AFSP’s flagship suicide prevention education program that covers the scope of this leading cause of death, what the research has found to be the warning signs and risk factors of suicide, and the strategies that prevent it. In 2024, this presentation was refreshed based on feedback from presenters, content experts, and people with lived experience, resulting in a more inclusive presentation and design with additional strategies and examples for how to have a conversation about suicide.

The Voting Rights Access Project (VRAP) is a program created by Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's Minnesota Disability Law Center to support the broader government initiative known as the Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) program.  PAVA was established under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and aims to ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully participate in the electoral process, including registering to vote, casting ballots, and accessing polling sites.  This CLE will educate individuals regarding Voting Accessibility Rights and train participants to serve as volunteers (Accessibility Advocates) able to effectively evaluate polling precincts across Minnesota. 

State Support's long-running Better Know a Program series continues with the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) and its Vetlaw Program. 

Join Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison as he gives remarks about the work of the Attorney General’s office and access to justice.

This introductory CLE will explain the basic differences between statutory expungement, inherent authority expungement, and prosecutor-led expungement. This CLE will cover crime-free waiting periods that former defendants are required to meet in order to be eligible for statutory expungement and will also cover recent changes to the law.

Minnesota has had significant changes to family law in the 2024 Legislative Session. Join us to discuss the changes to several important aspects of family law, including parenting time, attorney’s fees, temporary orders, and spousal maintenance.

Attorneys and their colleagues frequently work with clients who have experienced trauma, and this exposure may cause vicarious trauma for the lawyer. We also bring our own experiences, which may include trauma, to our work. This presentation will help legal professionals recognize and address trauma in clients and themselves.

In this webinar, we will discuss the basics of domestic violence including important considerations like screening for domestic violence, safety planning, and working with victim/survivors.  This training will also cover best practices for litigating cases involving domestic violence, focusing on OFPs and HROs with an overview of other relevant case types.  Participants will hear from both an advocate and an attorney from Standpoint.

Volunteer Lawyers Network and Legal Services State Support present a two-part webinar on Chapter 7 bankruptcies for low-income Minnesotans.

Volunteer Lawyers Network and Legal Services State Support present a two-part webinar on Chapter 7 bankruptcies for low-income Minnesotans.

The U.S. Department of Justice has jurisdiction to bring cases under a number of federal statutes, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Civil Rights Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act, the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act. In this CLE, Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Page will explain how civil rights complaints can be filed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the types of civil rights cases the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigates and litigates.

In this webinar, participants will examine the transformative potential of generative AI (gAI) to improve access to legal services. What are the benefits and limitations of gAI in the context of legal aid? How can we ensure that its use aligns with the core values of providing fair and equitable legal assistance? This session will demonstrate the potential uses of gAI for legal professionals while tackling the crucial ethical considerations that come with integrating generative AI into legal practice.

This session will feature dynamic speakers Mary Kaczorek and Colleen Daly as they take you on a journey of learning about Minnesota’s foreclosure laws affecting low-income homeowners. Mary and Colleen will teach you about the requirements under federal and state law and go over Minnesota’s processes for both foreclosure by advertisement and judicial foreclosure.

An overview is provided of five high conflict personality disorders, traits of which drive most high conflict cases, including: Borderline, Narcissistic, Histrionic, Antisocial and Paranoid. Common conflict behaviors of these personality types and some related brain research will be presented, which explains what not to do when working with these clients.

Private sexual images are an increasingly common but often ignored feature of family law cases and raise complex legal issues.  This presentation will provide an overview of the various laws implicated by private sexual images and help family law attorneys understand this topic in the context of their work on family law cases.