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Meeting Clients Where They Are: Professional and Compassionate Legal Advice Online

Details: In this training, volunteer attorneys will learn how to effectively respond to legal questions submitted through online legal advice platforms. The session will focus on real-world examples, demonstrating how to craft clear, thorough, and helpful answers—even when questions seem vague, incomplete, or unanswerable. 

Participants will explore strategies for: 

  • Identifying the legal issue and providing practical guidance within ethical boundaries 

  • Communicating with empathy and using trauma-informed approaches 

  • Balancing brevity with completeness in written responses 

  • Recognizing when and how to refer users to additional resources or legal services 

The webinar will also include a brief discussion on the emerging role of artificial intelligence in legal advice settings, including its potential benefits and limitations. 

Whether you're new to online legal volunteering or looking to refine your approach, this session will provide tools to enhance your impact in this unique service environment. 

Presenter:  Kelsey Mize is a Legal Services Project Manager at State Support, where she helps coordinate and support statewide initiatives to expand access to justice. She administers the Minnesota Legal Advice Online Website. 

Kelsey began her legal career as a Saeks Public Interest Fellow with Volunteer Lawyers Network, where she later served as the Civil Programs Resource Attorney. During her time there, she oversaw various civil legal brief advice clinics, gaining insight into the challenges and opportunities of delivering legal help in limited-scope settings. 

Following her work at VLN, Kelsey worked as a staff attorney at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, representing clients in a range of disability, housing, family, and immigration matters. Kelsey joined State Support in 2022 and continues to advocate for underserved communities through technology and education initiatives. 

Location: Zoom

CLE: 1 hour of CLE Credit to be applied for.

This training is free.

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VLN Core Training: Eviction 201

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July 30

State Support and VLN Present: Legal Tools for Families at Risk of Deportation