Media ContactLisa Ramirez, Communications Manager, lramirez@mylegalaid.org
On the occasion of her birthday, Legal Aid Lawyer Laurie Davison is remembered this Oct. 11 by colleagues as a generous mentor and brilliant legal scholar. She pursued cases that changed law, improved lives and got the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court. In her honor, MMLA Minneapolis, at the behest of Attorney Anne Robertson, is now home to the “Laurie Davison Memorial Civil Rights Law Library.”
In legislative testimony and in front of a packed news conference, our client Amy Lemer described how her husband harassed and chastised her. “He told me I would be homeless, penniless and childless by the time he was done with me.” Amy shared her story in support of the Debt Fairness Act.
In the matter of the Housing Authority v. Johnson, a grandma on the verge of eviction cried and the maintenance man, a witness for the plaintiffs, cussed up a storm. But only the attorneys were real. That’s how it played out at trial school!
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.
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