Central Minnesota Legal Services

“The 990 is reviewed by management of the organization and provided to all board members.”

“The organization relies on board members, most of whom are attorneys, to disclose conflicts in accordance with the minnesota rules of professional responsibility. Cmls has a conflict of interest policy that board members and cmls staff are requested to sign annually.”

“A compensation committee meets periodically and proposes a pay scale for all jobs/titles. The most recent adjustments were approved to be made in 2018. Considerations in developing the pay scale included reviewing the pay scale for the state public defenders for attorneys. The board of directors are presented with the proposed pay scale and either approve it or decline it. The salary schedule is reviewed and approved by the entire board. Legal services trade organizations and related organizations, such as the national legal aid and defender association, the management information exchange and equal justice works periodically conduct salary surveys and that information is used during compensation reviews. Cmls also contacts other legal services programs in the midwest to obtain information.”

“All compensation is based on a pay scale, years of service, and board approved benefits. See description for line 15a above regarding process for determining pay scale. All staff is reviewed by their immediate supervisor.”

“The organization makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy and audited financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“The mission of central minnesota legal services is to advocate for access to the civil justice system for low income people by providing high quality legal services and to improve the lives of people living in poverty by empowering self-advocacy skills through legal education.”

“Cmls is a poverty law firm and provides comprehensive legal services to low income people with a wide range of civil legal problems throughout its 21- county service area in central minnesota. The service area stretches from the western border with south dakota to the eastern border with wisconsin. The highest priority areas of legal need are family law and housing issues. Cmls emphasizes representing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in orders for protection, dissolutions of marriage and other family law cases. Housing cases typically involve prevention of homelessness and providing access to low cost, safe and sanitary housing. Cmls provides legal services through staff attorneys who provide advice, brief services and full representation for a broad range of legal problems experienced by low income people. In addition, cmls has a vibrant volunteer attorney program that serves 19 of the 21 counties in the cmls service area. In hennepin county, cmls partners with the fourth judicial district to provide services to victims of domestic violence where child related relief is sought. Cmls staff attorneys are present for family court's domestic abuse calendar three days a week. Victims are offered advice and representation. Victims who also have additional family law issues following a domestic abuse case are frequently accepted as clients and receive representation from cmls. Cmls staff attorneys provide assistance to self-represented litigants through self help clinics established by cmls in anoka and stearns counties. The volunteer attorney program offers legal advice clinics in partnership with the law libraries of wright county and the great river regional library in saint cloud. Pro bono attorneys also provide advice at a monthly cmls clinic in isanti county. Cmls pro bono attorneys provide mediation services in the saint cloud and willmar areas through a volunteer family mediation program. This is the primary mediation service in the cmls service and is for low-income people with family disputes. Cmls staff attorneys and pro bono attorneys serve veterans throughout its service area. Regular clinics are held in st. Cloud to meet the legal needs of rural veterans. In hennepin and anoka counties, cmls partners with the minnesota assistance council for veterans and staff attorneys provide full representation and advice to veterans on legal issues such as child support, parenting time and landlord/tenant cases. Cmls provides free legal help to noncustodial parents. Most clients are fathers referred from our partner, the father project, a responsible fatherhood program of goodwill/easter seals. The father project provides comprehensive services for fathers, including employment parent education, training and legal services through a cmls staff attorney located at the project. Cmls staff and volunteers regularly present community legal education seminars to help low-income people and service providers understand legal issues and prevent some legal problems from occurring.”