SMRLS’ Justice Bus Rolls Through Southeast Minnesota This Fall

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) will bring free mobile legal services to locations in southeast Minnesota this fall. The Justice Bus, in operation since 2021 and emblazoned with SMRLS’ website and phone number, travels around the program’s service area to bring legal services to people who might not be able to make it into an office. Recently, SMRLS’ Justice bus rolled into Faribault and Northfield, and locations are chosen based on demographic and census data from the program’s region, as well as those places that don’t have a brick-and-mortar legal aid office or are connected to other community organizations such as food shelves.

SMRLS’ Jenna Saverynski, outreach coordinator, and Jocylyn Poehler, family law attorney, spoke with MPR last week about what the Justice Bus provides to residents. Poehler explained that although they cannot provide full representation to everyone who visits the mobile office, they target individuals, families, seniors, and other eligible client groups with low incomes. Community members come to the bus with legal issues related to housing and habitability, debt and unfair collection practices, safety issues and more. If SMRLS’ is unable to assist, they make referrals to other partner organizations that may be able to help. Poehler also mentioned the frequency of financial barriers their visitors face and the cascading impact of that limitation. Saverynski mentioned the popularity of the bus and that there’s often a line to speak with staff, highlighting the amount of need they see.

Next, the Justice Bus will travel to Winona, Caledonia and Owatonna. For a calendar of Justice Bus stops, visit SMRLS’ website, where community organizations can also request a Justice Bus for their area. Read MPR’s interview transcript in Justice Bus provides free mobile legal services across greater Minnesota.