December 15, 2008

Mitchell professor, students, and alumni provide legal service at Project Homeless Connect

William Mitchell students, alumni, and faculty joined other legal professionals and law students to provide free legal assistance to approximately 225 people at Hennepin County’s Project Homeless Connect Dec. 8.

The biannual event, now in its third year in Hennepin County, connects people in need with free services and resources in one location. Approximately 2,000 homeless and low-income people came to the Minneapolis Convention Center to receive housing referrals and placement, employment services, medical care, legal services, haircuts, food, clothing, and much more.

William Mitchell Resident Adjunct Professor Diane Dube was co-coordinator of the 85-member legal providers team with Jodie Boderman from Faegre & Benson, which included 45 volunteer lawyers, 20 paralegals, three court staff, and 17 law students from Minnesota’s four law schools. Seven students were from Mitchell. Boderman was the pro-bono coordinator and Carolyn Sonnek from Faegre & benson was the assistant pro-bono coordinator. Andrew Birkeland, a Mitchell 2L, was the student coordinator.

Most of the law students volunteered through the Minnesota Justice Foundation program, which connects law students with volunteer opportunities in the community. Mitchell students have participated in every Project Homeless Connect event in the past three years. The event is just one of the ways students give back to the community. In fact, more than 50 percent of Mitchell students participate voluntarily in pro bono work through the Minnesota Justice Foundation every year.

“This experience reminded me that I have a responsibility as a member of society to help those in need around me in whatever way I can,” said Mitchell student Tim Tacheny, a legal intake volunteer. “It reinforced for me part of the reason I am going to law school, which is to serve other people.”

The legal team provided brief legal advice, service, and referrals on issues in family law, such as divorce, custody, and orders for protection; criminal law; housing law; and general civil law, covering consumer and employment concerns and contracts. Volunteers also conducted a survey to document the barriers individuals face because of a housing eviction record or a criminal record. The number of people seeking advice, referrals, and counseling has nearly tripled in three years.

Fred Finch ’73, a shareholder at Bassford Remele who practices in employment law, was one of seven Mitchell alumni volunteers. A regular participant in legal clinics for the Volunteer Lawyers Network, this was his second time volunteering at Project Homeless Connect.

“I feel a social responsibility, entirely aside from my professional obligation, to see that other people are treated fairly by society,” Finch said. “Sometimes that can be done by political action or membership in an organization. Sometimes I feel I need to personally step up to the plate. This is one of those times.”