Urgent Legal Needs Forum: Supporting Minnesota’s Immigrant Communities
This week, the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA), along with colleagues from the Hennepin and Ramsey County Bar Associations, will host on online forum to address the heightened legal need in Minnesota’s immigrant communities. The online forum will be held on Friday, February 13, at 12:00 p.m. and will offer lawyers the opportunity to connect with leaders from the Legal Services Immigration HUB (Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, and Southern Regional Legal Services, The Advocates for Human Rights, and Volunteer Lawyers Network) and the James H. Binger Center for New Americans.
The forum will be a moderated discussion, led by Cynthia Anderson, pro bono immigration lead with Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, that aims to equip attorneys with strategies to provide meaningful, effective support to immigrant clients during this challenging time. As immigration leaders, forum panelists will provide an overview of urgent and emerging legal needs, as well as practical, how-to guidance for attorneys in diverse practice areas who want to effectively support these needs. Time will be devoted to Q & A.
The forum’s panelists are Sarah Brenes, executive director of the Binger Center for New Americans, University of Minnesota Law School; Danielle Hendrickson, managing attorney of the Immigration Law Project, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid; Lou Her, immigration unit supervisor with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services; Morgan Richie, immigration project attorney with Volunteer Lawyers Network; Hanne Sandison, director of immigration legal services for The Advocates for Human Rights; and Likitha Vijaykumar, pro bono manager attorney, with Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. Registration and additional details for the free-to-members program, can be found here.
For attorneys seeking resources to assist with immediate help for immigrants and those impacted by ICE, the MSBA and its partners at civil legal aid organizations have gathered a list of opportunities to support individuals with immigration-related claims. See Volunteer Now for ways to contribute your time and expertise to address the great and urgent legal need Minnesota faces.