NEIGHBORHOOD JUSTICE CENTER INC

LEGAL REPRESENTATION & ADVICE: "THE NEIGHBORHOOD JUSTICE CENTER'S PRIMARY PROGRAM IS OUR LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND ADVICE PROGRAM WHERE WE PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL DEFENSE SERVICES TO DISADVANTAGED AND UNDERSERVED PERSONS WHO FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES AND NEED EXTENDED LEGAL REPRESENTATION, BRIEF LEGAL SERVICE AND/OR ADVICE ONLY TO OBTAIN THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME IN THEIR CASE. AS AN ORGANIZATION CREATED BY AND FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, NJC SEEKS TO REPRESENT CLIENTS FROM THROUGHOUT OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY SEEKING TO ASSIST THOSE GROUPS WHO HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY DISENFRANCHISED AND TARGETED FOR UNFAIR TREATMENT. NJC STAFF LOOK BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE LEGAL PROBLEMS TO SERVE THE WHOLE PERSON, HELPING TO CONNECT SUCH SERVICES AS HOUSING ASSISTANCE, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY AND/ OR MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. MANY OF OUR CLIENTS ALSO FACE IMMIGRATION CONSEQUENCES AND WE PARTNER WITH EXPERTS IN IMMIGRATION LAW TO PROTECT AND INFORM OUR CLIENTS ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AND RISKS. NJC STRIVES TO PROVE STAFF THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE BY HIRING BILINGUAL, CULTURALLY AND RACIALLY DIVERSE ATTORNEYS, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AND LAW CLERKS. THIS PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES LEGAL DEFENSE SERVICE NJC PROVIDES THROUGH THE RAMSEY COUNTY TREATMENT COURTS, AND OUR LEGAL ADVICE SERVICES. IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR NJC STATISTICS DEMONSTRATE THAT OVER 76% OF NJC CLIENTS WERE PEOPLE OF COLOR, WITH OUR CLIENT-IDENTIFIED STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN BEING 33% AFRICAN AMERICAN/ BLACK, 24% CAUCASIAN, 7% HISPANIC, 12% AMERICAN INDIAN, 4% EAST ASIAN, AND 20% SELF-IDENTIFIED AS OTHER/ MIXED RACE. WE BELIEVE THESE NUMBERS DEMONSTRATE THAT NJC IS STILL REACHING THE MANY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN OUR STATE AND ENSURING THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY LEGAL REPRESENTATION NO MATTER THEIR ABILITY TO PAY. OUR LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND ADVICE PROGRAM DURING THE 2024-25 FISCAL YEAR SERVED APPROXIMATELY 1925 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THIS INCLUDES OVER 400 FORMAL CRIMINAL CASES WHERE TALENTED NJC ATTORNEYS PROVIDED FULL-SERVICE LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND LITIGATION FOR ANY LEGAL ISSUE ARISING IN CASES RANGING FROM LOW LEVEL MISDEMEANORS TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL FELONIES. AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS DEDICATED TO SERVING THOSE WITH THE GREATEST NEED, WE ALSO SERVED AN ADDITIONAL APPROXIMATELY 275 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH OUR DEFENSE ROLE IN THE RAMSEY COUNTY TREATMENT COURTS, WHERE WE REPRESENT EVERY PARTICIPANT IN THE TREATMENT COURTS FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR TIME IN THIS INTENSIVE, TREATMENT-FOCUSED PROGRAM. THIS IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT HAS KEPT HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM GOING TO JAIL/ PRISON, AND INSTEAD INVESTED IN THEIR TREATMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS, RESULTING IN SOBER, HEALTHY CLIENTS REGAINING THEIR ABILITY TO BE PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEMBERS. KNOWING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS FEW RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SIMPLY ASK LEGAL QUESTIONS, NJC PROVIDES OUR FREE LEGAL ADVICE SERVICE, WHICH HELPED OVER 1250 PEOPLE LAST YEAR. THIS SERVICE ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO CONTACT NJC ATTORNEYS DIRECTLY TO DISCUSS CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL QUESTIONS, FREE OF CHARGE, WITH THE GOAL OF GUIDING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO THE BEST OUTCOME AND TO AVOID FURTHER PROBLEMS. THIS INCLUDES OVER 350 ADVICE SESSIONS THAT LASTED OVER A HALF-HOUR AND MAY HAVE REQUIRED OUTSIDE CONTACTS OR OTHER ACTIONS BY THE ATTORNEY TO GATHER THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO COMPREHENSIVELY SERVE THIS COMMUNITY MEMBER. WE BELIEVE THESE ADVICE SERVICES PROMOTE JUST OUTCOMES BY GIVING PEOPLE IN NEED HONEST LEGAL ADVICE WITHOUT THE REQUIREMENT OF PAYMENT. "

COMMUNITY OUTREACH: "NJC'S COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO MEET THE EVER-CHANGING NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE GOAL OF GETTING INFORMATION TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST. WE FOCUS ON SERVING LOW INCOME PERSONS, JUVENILES, REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS FROM VARIOUS CULTURES, AND ALSO SEEKS TO EDUCATE THE BROADER COMMUNITY ABOUT THE REALITIES AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE LIKE OUR CLIENTS. THIS PROGRAM INTENDS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE LAW BY CLARIFYING WHAT CONSTITUTES ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR, HOW TO AVOID CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, AND HOW TO EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY INTERACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHILE STILL RETAINING AND ENFORCING YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. THIS PROGRAM CAN TAKE MANY FORMS FROM LARGE PRESENTATIONS, SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, DIGITAL MEETINGS, TABLING EVENTS, AS WELL AS ACCESS TO OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH RESOURCES ON OUR WEBSITE. TO ENSURE BROAD AWARENESS OF OUR SERVICES, WE PARTNER WITH NON-PROFITS, SCHOOLS, SHELTERS, PRO BONO PARTNERS AND OTHER SIMILAR PROGRAMS TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS GAIN ACCESS TO VITAL LEGAL SERVICES.IN THE LAST YEAR NJC REACHED APPROXIMATELY 250 PEOPLE THROUGH OUR IN-PERSON COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS. ADDITIONALLY, NJC PROVIDES MULTIPLE FORMS OF DIGITAL INFORMATION SO INDIVIDUALS CAN FIND AND CONTACT NJC ONLINE TO BOTH LEARN ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE LAW, BUT ALSO WHERE TO SEEK HELP SHOULD THEY NEED IT. IN THE LAST YEAR OUR DIGITAL OUTREACH CONNECTED WITH OVER 3,500 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH OUR WEBSITE, WHERE MOST VISITORS UTILIZED OUR BLOG POSTS, WHICH FOCUS ARE PRACTICAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MODERN LEGAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES. FURTHER, WE REACHED AN ADDITION APPROXIMATELY 2000 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, WHICH ALSO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON PERTINENT LEGAL ISSUES. NJC IS A SMALL ORGANIZATION, BUT WE STRIVE TO REACH THE COMMUNITY IN AS MANY WAYS AS POSSIBLE. "