Details: As Minnesota’s public benefits systems face growing administrative demands, county agencies are increasingly missing critical timelines - leaving clients at risk of losing needed coverage. This session will explore how legal aid advocates can use administrative appeals more strategically when agencies fail to act.
The presenters will discuss issue-spotting, when and how to file appeals, and how consistent use of the appeal process can help build a factual record for broader policy and legislative advocacy. We’ll look at practical approaches for developing appeals when counties do not take timely action and share insights from across the statewide legal services community. The goal is to strengthen our response to county capacity challenges and protect clients from harmful administrative delays.
Presenters: Anne Quincy is the supervising attorney of the Public Benefits unit of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, Minneapolis, a legal services office serving low-income residents of Hennepin County. She has worked in civil legal services for more than 30 years, in Illinois and Minnesota, representing clients in SSI, MA, SNAP and other public benefit matters. She has appeared in multiple administrative appeals, as well as in state and federal district court in individual and class actions.
Ralonda Mason is a managing attorney at MMLA’s St. Cloud office where she oversees the program’s healthcare outreach and enrollment program and community clinic partnerships. Her primary area of practice for more than 35 years has been in the area of public benefit programs. She represents her clients in administrative appeals, in state court, in class action and other systemic litigation, and through legislative and administrative advocacy.
Andrew Knox is a staff attorney at the Legal Services Advocacy Project (LSAP), working mainly on healthcare policy at the capital. In the 2024 legislative session he helped pass the Minnesota Debt Fairness Act that was signed into law. Prior to his work at LSAP, he worked as a staff attorney in Consumer unit of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, Minneapolis, serving low-income clients with consumer and tax issues.
Location: Zoom
CLE: 1.5 hours of Standard CLE credit to be applied for