Media ContactLisa Ramirez, Communications Manager, lramirez@mylegalaid.org
As the Minnesota law providing free school meals gains national attention and enters its second year on the books, this story recalls the history, the Legal Aid attorney and years of hard-fought work that made it happen.
In this staff profile piece, Attorney Steve Schmidt reflects on five memorable cases. Each focused on disability rights for clients of Legal Aid’s Minnesota Disability Law Center. All had far-reaching effects in achieving justice for countless others in areas of legislation, prisoner rights, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and increasing access to time with personal care assistants.
Sonja Peterson, attorney with Legal Aid’s Minnesota Disability Law Center and client Chou Yang, whose first language is American Sign Language, talk to Minnesota Public Radio about MDLC’s recent settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
The Minnesota Department of Education agreed, our client, a senior in high school, should not have been expelled. But when MDE ordered the school to reinstate him, they refused. Legal Aid then argued in front of the Court of Appeals that the school’s case should be dismissed. Ultimately, it was. By then, however, our client’s chance to graduate with his class had come and gone. Today, two grad seasons later, our client William and his family share how far he’s come.
Centering our mental health is essential to overall well-being. You may know this, but it’s not always easy to take the time or find the time to do it? To inspire, we share the mindful practices of Legal Aid staff.
As Fair Housing Month comes to a close, we celebrate our client’s win in mediation after her landlord refused to renew her lease when her Emotional Support Animal entered the picture.
Tax Attorney Hannah Stephan says her work is not tedious, dry or boring. Rather, she sees tax issues as “puzzles to be solved and so very interesting!”
Legal Aid Attorney Jessica Webster describes the 2023 child tax credit as a “powerful anti-poverty tool” and calls the 2024 proposal, “smart and equitable tax policy.”
In a Leap Day race to beat the clock, Legal Aid’s Project Care navigators tackled the cases of clients whose pending coverage was due to expire at midnight, March 1. Thanks to their tenacity, by the day’s end, eight households (24 people, including 10 children) had secured health coverage for the next 12 months.
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