LEGAL RIGHTS CENTER

THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY DEFENSE PROGRAM WE PROVIDE FREE CRIMINAL DEFENSE TO CHILDREN AND ADULTS UTILIZING A MODEL OF PROVIDING HOLISTIC, CLIENT-CENTERED AND COMMUNITY-DRIVEN REPRESENTATION TO CLIENTS WHO OTHERWISE COULD NOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY. WE PRIORITIZE CLIENTS AND CASES INVOLVING INJUSTICES, FOCUSED ON CHALLENGING HARMFUL SYSTEMIC PROCESSES OR PRACTICES, OR IN WHICH THE CLIENT MAY BENEFIT FROM SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY RESOURCES. WE ALSO UTILIZE A TEAM REPRESENTATION MODEL, WITH EACH CLIENT WORKING WITH BOTH AN ATTORNEY AND A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE. OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCATES ARE FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN, NATIVE AMERICAN AND LATINX COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SUPPORTS AND RESOURCE REFERRALS. IN 2024, LRC PROVIDED CRIMINAL DEFENSE REPRESENTATION ON 443 JUVENILE AND ADULT CASES, ALTHOUGH OUR WEIGHTED DEFENSE CASELOAD (BASED ON SERIOUSNESS OF THE CASES HANDLED) WAS 786.99. 33% OF CASES WITH REPRESENTATION BY LRC ATTORNEYS WERE ACQUITTED, DISMISSED, DIVERTED OR DISCHARGED. AN ADDITIONAL 8% OF CASES WITH LRC REPRESENTATION RESULTED IN A STAY OF ADJUDICATION, FOR A TOTAL OF 41% OF LRC CASES WITH NO CONVICTIONS IN 2024. OUR LEGAL TEAM ALSO SUPPORTED 193 PEOPLE THROUGH THE EXPUNGEMENT PROCESS. ADDITIONALLY, OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCATES SERVE AS A RESOURCE FOR INDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE FULL REPRESENTATION. IN 2024, OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCATES SERVED AS A RESOURCE FOR THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS, REFERRING TO OTHER PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR LEGAL PROBLEM SOLVING, AND TO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.OUR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM INCLUDES THREE CORE AREAS OF WORK: SCHOOL-BASED RESTORATIVE SERVICES FACILITATION (I.E. FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCES, CIRCLES TO REPAIR HARM, RESTORATIVE DIALOGUE, ETC.), CAPACITY BUILDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ENGAGEMENTS WITH EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO RESTORATIVE AT DECISION POINTS LEADING TO AND WITHIN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, INCLUDING SCHOOLS, POLICE, PROSECUTORS AND COURTS. IN THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR, OUR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM FACILITATED 48 SCHOOL-BASED RESTORATIVE INTERVENTIONS, EACH WITH INDIVIDUALLY DETERMINED BENCHMARKS FOR SUCCESS. OF THE CASES SUPPORTED BY OUR TEAM, 92% MET BENCHMARKS FOR SUCCESS. THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR, OUR TEAM HAS FACILITATED A TOTAL OF 9 FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCES. ADDITIONALLY, DURING THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR, OUR TEAM WORKED ACROSS 28 SCHOOLS TO ENGAGE IN OVER 550 HOURS OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES CONSULTATION, TRAINING, AND CO-FACILITATION. A TOTAL OF 676 STAFF WERE INVOLVED, WITH 210 STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN CO-FACILITATED RESTORATIVE CIRCLES OR CIRCLES FACILITATED IN CONSULTATION WITH SCHOOL STAFF. OUR COMMUNITY STRATEGY TEAM INTEGRATES THE WORK OF THE ORGANIZATION RELATED TO COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY. COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, ORGANIZERS, AND EDUCATORS, THIS TEAM'S WORK INCLUDES POLICY ADVOCACY AT THE CITY, STATE AND COUNTY LEVEL, COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH/ENGAGEMENT SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE AWARE OF LRC'S SERVICES. IN 2024, LRC ENGAGED IN 30 COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS, REACHING 854 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE ALSO ENGAGED 1,080 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT EVENTS ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES, DISTRIBUTING LRC INFORMATION AND RESOURCES. IN 2024 WE EMPLOYED 8 YOUTH AS COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATORS WHO HELPED CREATE VIDEOS AND CONTENT FOR OUR KNOWYOURRIGHTSMN.ORG WEBSITE, WITH INFORMATION ON A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION TOPICS. WE ALSO HOSTED A WEEK-LONG KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CAMP WITH 20 YOUTH PARTICIPANTS. PLANNED AND EXECUTED BY OUR YOUTH COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATORS, PARTICIPANTS WERE IMMERSED IN AN INTERACTIVE WEEK OF LEGAL EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES. OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR WE EMPLOYED 5 YOUTH AS CAMPAIGN FELLOWS WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR END YOUTH PRISON MN CAMPAIGN AND OUR MN COALITION FOR YOUTH JUSTICE.