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Pro Bono Contact |
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| Pro Bono Contact Name | Lindsey Hanson |
| Pro Bono Contact Title | Pro Bono Counsel |
| Pro Bono Contact Phone | (612) 349-8526 |
| Pro Bono Contact Email | [email protected] |
| Is the pro bono information indicated here firm-wide or specific to one office? | Firm-wide |
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| % Firm Billable Hours last year | 4.7% |
| Average Hours per Attorney last year | 86.5 |
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Pro Bono Participation |
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| Percent of associates participating last year | 100% |
| Percent of partners participating last year | 85% |
| Percent of other lawyers participating last year | 87% |
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Average hours |
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| Average hours per associate last year | 82.03 |
| Average hours per partner last year | 43.99 |
| Average hours per other lawyer last year | 237.21 |
| What percentage of attorneys performed more than 20 hours? | 73.1 |
| What was the number of actual pro bono hours contributed by the organization in the prior calendar year? | 19,143 |
| Does the organization maintain a written pro bono policy that sets forth the organization's commitment to pro bono? | Yes |
| How does the organization define what constitutes pro bono legal work? |
We define pro bono work as legal services donated to persons of limited means; to individuals or groups seeking to protect civil rights, civil liberties, or public rights; or to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, and educational organizations in matters that are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means. We also adhere to the pro bono definitions of the MN, CA, MA, and NY State rules of Professional Conduct, the American Bar Association, and the Pro Bono Institute. |
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Organization pro bono hours goals |
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| Does the organization set annual goals regarding the minimum number of pro bono hours to be contributed by the organization? | Yes |
| If yes, what is that annual goal? | 3% of billable hours |
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Attorney pro bono goals |
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| Does the organization set individual attorney goals regarding the minimum number of pro bono hours to be contributed? | Yes |
| If yes, what is that annual goal? | 50 hours |
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Advancement/compensation |
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| Is an attorney's commitment to pro bono activity considered a favorable factor in advancement and compensation decisions? | Yes |
| If yes, to what extent? | Pro bono work is considered in our formal evaluations along with all other work performed by Associates. Evaluations are taken into account in determining advancement. As a part of the formal evaluation process, an associate also completes a self-evaluation that inquires as to whether the associate met their pro bono goals, and if not, why not. The Firm’s associate bonus policy encourages pro bono work by counting 100 hours of pro bono service automatically (and additional hours with approval) toward associate bonus eligibility. |
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Pro bono support services |
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| Are full-time support services (word processing, online research Lexis/Westlaw, out of pocket costs) available for pro bono representation? | Yes |
| If so, are there any limitations? |
No. |
| Are associates provided written evaluations of their work on pro bono matters? | Yes |
| Does the organization employ one or more of the following structures to manage its pro bono program and to provide training and guidance to participating attorneys? (Check all that apply): |
Full-time attorney in a dedicated pro bono coordination/oversight role An attorney who coordinates pro bono projects as an ancillary duty to other work Pro Bono Committee |
| How is pro bono work assigned/distributed? |
The Pro Bono Chair, Pro Bono Counsel, and internal pro bono liaisons to community legal service providers coordinate with all attorneys. Many attorneys seek and find their own pro bono cases – often from the various resources and partnerships the firm has developed. |
| If an attorney is permitted to bring a pro bono case for possible consideration by the firm, who makes decisions about whether the firm will handle the matter? (check all that apply) | Other: We have few restrictions on the Pro Bono matters we will accept. If necessary, the Pro Bono Chair, Ethics Partner and Managing Partner decide. |
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Enabling pro bono or public interest work |
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| Does the organization provide any of the following to enable its attorneys to participate in pro bono activities or work in a public interest setting? (Check all that apply): | Fellowships |
| If so please describe |
The firm sponsors three legal fellows at two legal services organizations. These fellows are firm members whose work is solely dedicating to serving those with limited means. |
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Summer associate pro bono opportunities |
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| Are pro bono opportunities available for summer associates? | Yes |
| Additional comments (Please use this space to provide any additional information about your organization's pro bono program including any special recognition or awards the organization has received for its pro bono work.) |
Since 2008 around 5% of our total attorney time has been contributed to pro bono work. We have a Pro Bono Counsel, who oversees and manages the pro bono program and maintains a pro bono practice. We also have a Pro Bono Committee, which oversees pro bono matters at the firm and ensures that resources and training are available to attorneys. To help attorneys identify pro bono opportunities that will fit their interests, the Pro Bono Committee has established pro bono partnerships with more than 60 nonprofit legal service providers offering a wide range of practice areas and communities served. Our pro bono policy sets forth the expectation that each attorney in our firm provide 50 hours of pro bono work each year. Some of our recent Pro Bono recognitions include:
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| What are some of the areas in which your organization has performed pro bono work in the past year? |
Some of the areas in which our firm has performed pro bono work include family law, asylum, naturalization, environmental law, treaty rights enforcement for American Indian tribes, police brutality, LGBTQ+ rights, gun safety, immigration, domestic violence, human trafficking, child advocacy, criminal appeals, criminal defense, consumer rights, protective orders, expungements, housing issues, representing guardians ad litem, and veterans and military law. |
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Fellowship sponsorship |
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| Does your organization sponsor split public interest summer and/or post-graduate fellowships? | Yes |
| Public Interest Fellowship Comments |
The firm sponsors a summer public interest fellowship for a law school student through the Minnesota Justice Foundation. |