Notice: No legal services are being provided or offered by Access Justice at this time.
If and when AJ resumes its operations, public notice will be provided on this website. Read Full Notice

Wanted: Pro Bono Attorneys

The Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys touches on one area in particular that Access Justice is committed to: public service.

 

MN Rule 6.1 encourages lawyers in the state to voluntarily provide pro bono services. Namely, it states that:

Every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay. A lawyer should aspire to render at least 50 hours of pro bono publico legal services per year”

The Rules also (primarily) provide that these services should be provided to persons with limited means. The Rules also touch on lawyers providing services regarding the protection of civil rights and participating in activities in order to improve the legal system.

In addition, a lawyer should voluntarily contribute financial support to organizations that provide legal services to persons of limited means.

The ABA House of Delegates has formally acknowledged “the basic responsibility of each lawyer engaged in the practice of law to provide public interest legal services” without fee, or at a substantially reduced fee, in one or more of the following areas: poverty law, civil rights law, public rights law, charitable organization representation and the administration of justice.

Access Justice provides quality and affordable legal services to persons with limited means. In order to provide such services, however, AJ needs skilled attorneys– both staff and volunteer. Thus, Access Justice encourages any attorneys to contact our offices, if they are interested in a position as a staff attorney, volunteer attorney, or if they are interested in simply donating to our organization (pursuant to Minnesota’s Rules of Professional Conduct).

Providing Services to Indigent Clients

The ABA Journal, Law News Now, featured an article on March 1, 2013 titled: Fifty years after Gideon, lawyers still struggle to provide counsel to the indigent. And what a resonating tone that topic struck with the staff here Access Justice, who aspire to provide as much quality and affordable legal services to low-income clients as is humanly possible. However, with such an underserved population, it often feels like indigent individuals’ legal needs are going unheard and their pressing problems unresolved.

The ABA article details that: In its Gideon decision, the justices unanimously overruled a 1942 case, Betts v. Brady, and held that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel was a fundamental right made applicable to the states through the 14th Amendment. Justice Hugo L. Black wrote for the court that it was an “obvious truth” that a fair trial for an indigent defendant could not be guaranteed without the assistance of counsel. The “noble ideal” that every defendant “stands equal before the law … cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him,” Black wrote.

Access Justice hopes to fulfill that obvious truth and provide quality and affordable legal services, as is illustrated in our missing statement.

Access Justice℠ is a full service, nonprofit law firm… Serving clients’ needs and the public interest. No longer must our society accept the huge and unfortunate gap in the availability of quality, affordable legal services. Access Justice, with our emphasis on social justice, offers quality assistance across a wide spectrum of legal issues. And, we do so either without cost (“Pro Bono”) or at very modest, affordable rates (“Low Bono”).

 

“We help clients protect what is rightfully theirs and achieve their goals at minimal cost.”
-Elizabeth, former AJ Volunteer Attorney

If you are interested in being a part of Access Justice or in donating to our extraordinary cause, please call us today at 612-879-8092 or visit our financial support page on the website at Donate to Access Justice. Thank you so much for your support, as it helps Access Justice’s efforts in continuing to provide the ever-so-needed legal services to the low-income populace!

Access Justice En Español

Access Justice is proud to announce that we offer a full range of legal services for Spanish speaking
individuals, including primarily immigration law with our experienced staff attorney Rachel E.B. Lang.

 

If you’re interested in Access Justice or would like more information about our services En Español,
please call (612)879-8092 or visit our relevant website page http://accessjustice.net/espanol/.

 

 

 

Expanding Access Justice

Access Justice is reaching out to working class groups within the community.

 

We hope to continue to expand our organization in order to provide more quality and affordable legal
services for ordinary, working class people. Most recently, Access Justice promoted its legal services
in Minneapolis Labor Review. It’s encouraging to receive such positive feedback from the legal
community.

 

Thank you for your continued support. And we promise, Access Justice will continue to champion for
quality and affordable legal services.

 

For more information about our post in Minneapolis Labor Review, please visit: Minneapolis Unions,
their February 22, 2013 issue, or visit the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation’s Facebook page.

 

AJ Executive Director’s Television Appearance

To view Jim Cohen’s Catherine’s Crossing appearance, please see the clip below.
Thank you, all, for your support.

 

Access Justice’s Executive Director Jim Cohen recently appeared on Metro Cable Network 6. He met
with host Catherine on Catherine’s Crossing to discuss the empowering, quality, and affordable legal
services that Access Justice offers.

 

AJ’s Annual Open House Scheduled for December 5th.


Access Justice, PSC

Quality, Affordable Legal Services
a full service, nonprofit, public-interest law firm– for ordinary, working class people.

 

Cordially invites you to

AJ’s Annual Open House

 

Come, meet, and mingle with your office neighbors and friends!

 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at the Flour Exchange Building
3 P.M. – 6 P.M.

 

Join us for Good Food, Beverages & Conversation, and Holiday Cheer!

 

We look forward to seeing you on December 5th!

 

Give to the Max Day

GIVE TO THE MAX DAY
Thursday, November 15, 2012 — Save the Date
Stop by and visit us on Give-To-The-Max Day
We Want and Need Your Support!

 

Give-to-the-Max Day is right around the corner! Access Justice (AJ) is excited about this year’s event and the opportunity to extend our network of supporters, in addition to connecting with the loyal core of current supporters, many of whom are former clients.

 

At Access Justice, we are all about helping one of the most overlooked and unserved groups in Minnesota: regular, working class people of modest means whose access to our legal system is virtually nil.

 

The Forgotten Working Class

These days, very few low- and moderate-income Minnesotans can afford to pay the often outrageous fees needed to hire private attorneys for any purpose. Worse yet, most such ordinary people are also not considered “poor enough” to qualify for free legal aid. This huge, unserved population of 1.3 million working class Minnesotans have long been forgotten by our legal system, and in desperate need of quality and affordable legal assistance.

 

Expect More. Get More.

AJ is unique: a pioneering public service organization and tax-exempt charity, the establishment of which had been urged by both the private Bar and general public for over 30 years.

 

In just a few years Access Justice has already filled a critical void in our legal system, earning the praise of clients, colleagues and donors alike. Notably, in September 2012 the prestigious Charities Review Council recognized Access Justice as one of Minnesota’s most trustworthy organizations.

 

With our emphasis on social justice, Access Justice offers quality assistance across a wide spectrum of legal issues–either without cost (“Pro Bono”) or at very modest, affordable rates (“Low Bono”), which never exceed $99 per hour. Never!

 

At Access Justice, we believe in Proactive Legal Services: preventive legal counsel that emphasizes, whenever possible, solving problems efficiently without resorting to time-consuming and costly litigation. We always keep our focus on serving the public interest; namely, efficiently and affordably solving problems for regular working class citizens who’ve been unfairly excluded from our legal system.

 

Think you might forget Give-to-the-Max day on November 15?
No problem. Schedule a donation today! Just click on VISIT-DONATE below, and you will be directed to our dedicated, secure page at GiveMN.

 

VISIT-DONATE

Thank you!

Charities Review Council

Access Justice is proud to announce that we have been recognized by the prestigious Charities Review Council as one of Minnesota’s  most trustworthy nonprofit organizations, because of our commitment to accountability and transparency through continuing public disclosure, good governance, healthy financial activity and ethical fundraising. We thank each of our supporters for your generous commitment to our continuing growth and sustainability.

Volunteering at Access Justice

If you are a professional with some services to offer a growing nonprofit law firm, contact us. Access Justice anticipates a growing demand for attorneys, staff, and volunteers in the coming months. Learn more about ways you can join a professional organization that is intent on providing meaningful service to the Twin Cities area communities.

If you are a student interested in gaining experience with a passionate band of legal professionals intent on changing the world (okay, the world of legal services, at least), contact us. Find out about gaining experience in your field of study this summer. Learn how you may want to focus your career goals from like-minded pros. Get on the short list to join the Access Justice team!

You can find out more

A Nation of Do-it-Yourself Lawyers

The Chief Justice of New Hampshire and the Chief Justice of California discuss ideas to close the “justice gap” and reduce the number of people going to court on their own, without a lawyer (pro se), in this Op-Ed piece from the New York Times:

heartWhat our supporters have to say...

This courageous effort is just what the doctor ordered.- - The Honorable Lawrence D. Cohen
Through our work with you, people in the Somali community will be able to get real legal assistance… There is no other firm like AJ.- - Dahir Mirreh Jibreel, Executive Director, Somalia Justice Advocacy Center
We help clients protect what is rightfully theirs and achieve their goals at minimal cost.- - Elizabeth, Access Justice Volunteer Attorney
You have launched a law firm that has long been needed!- - Deborah Randolph, Retired Minnesota Attorney
You seem to be attempting something I've been thinking (maybe dreaming) about for many years.- - Bob Seng, Assistant General Counsel, Target Corporation
This legal service model is desperately needed. - - Betsy Sitkoff, J-CHAI Coordinator, Jewish Family and Children’s Services

Quick contact

place

Access Justice, PSC
310 4th Avenue S Suite 1006
Minneapolis, MN 55415

Phone: 612.879.8092
Toll Free: 1.877.999.AJ OK (2565)
Fax: 612.879.8707
E-Mail: info@AccessJustice.net

Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice and this site does not create an attorney-client relationship or make any assertion regarding available attorneys in your jurisdiction.
See our Representation Policy.


Access Justice is proud to announce that we are a member of the Charities Review Council's Smart Giving Network. Charities Review Council Letter and Seal.

About company

Access Justice is a nonprofit, full service public interest law firm committed to providing quality, affordable (or free) legal services to low- and moderate-income persons who have no access to our legal system.

Access Justice is a Minnesota Professional Services Corporation operating under the trade name “Access Justice.” An attorney-client relationship with Access Justice will only be created upon the signing of a formal representation agreement between Access Justice and a client.

Access Justice is a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations to AJ are tax deductible. Donate.

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