10th Judicial District
The Tenth Judicial District serves the counties of Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright.
Family Law Advice by Phone
The
Volunteer Lawyers Network offers a free 20-minute legal advice telephone consult on family law matters for individuals whose income is at or below 300% of the
Federal Poverty Guidelines. To
schedule an appointment, please call the VLN Intake Line
(612) 752-6677 at 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
Anoka County
The
Anoka County Law Library and
Central Minnesota Legal Services provide the following legal advice clinics:
Family Law Clinic (
flyer)
: Two Thursdays each month, people can meet with an attorney on divorce, custody, child support, Orders for Protection, and other family law matters. Please call
(763) 324-5560 for an appointment. The law library is on the 1st floor of the
Anoka County Courthouse.
Central Minnesota Legal Services offers a
free Criminal Expungement Clinic once a month at the
Anoka County Law Library.
No pre-registration is necessary. Call
(763) 324-5560 for more information.
Chisago County
Central Minnesota Legal Services offers a free legal advice clinic for low-income families and individuals. Please note that certain topics will only be covered on specific weeks based on attorney availability. At this time, the clinics are held remotely. Pre-registration is required. Please call the clinic coordinator at 320-257-4853 for scheduling and availability.
Isanti County
Central Minnesota Legal Services offers a free legal advice clinic for low-income families and individuals. Please note that certain topics will only be covered on specific weeks based on attorney availability. At this time, the clinics are held remotely. Pre-registration is required. Please call the clinic coordinator at 320-257-4853 for scheduling and availability.
Sherburne County
Central Minnesota Legal Services offers a free legal advice clinic for low-income families and individuals. Please note that certain topics will only be covered on specific weeks based on attorney availability. At this time, the clinics are held remotely. Pre-registration is required. Please call the clinic coordinator at 320-257-4853 for scheduling and availability.
Washington County
Washington County Criminal Defense Panel Program
People charged with a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony in Washington County may get some brief legal help from a private attorney in this program free of charge. Call (651) 748-9373
for details.
Washington County Legal Advice Clinic
Washington County Law Library provides three different legal clinics to the public: Family, Civil and Criminal. Each attendee will have a free 30 minute consultation with a volunteer attorney from the Washington County Bar Association.
To be eligible for this clinic, you
must live in or have a court case in Washington County. Please
call (651) 430-6330 for an appointment. You may also email
lawlibrary@co.washington.mn.us questions about the advice clinic or law library services.
Family Law: Marriage dissolution, child support, domestic abuse, paternity issues, child custody, visitation, spousal maintenance, name change. This clinic is held every first and third Tuesday of the month from 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Please check the public library calendar for more details or call 651-430-6330 for more information.
Appointment required. Fill out the
clinic intake form.
Civil Law: Default judgment, housing/eviction, eviction expungement, creditor/debtor, judgment collection, consumer issues, conciliation court, automobile title transfer. This clinic is held every second and fourth Monday of the month from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. Please check the public library calendar for more details or call 651-430-6330 for more information.
Appointment required. Fill out the
clinic intake form.
Criminal Law: Traffic tickets, criminal process, criminal expungement, DANCO orders. This clinic is held every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. No intake form needed to meet with the attorney. Please check the public library calendar for more details or call 651-430-6330 for more information.
Wright County
Central Minnesota Legal Services offers a
free legal advice clinic for low-income families and individuals. Please note that certain topics will only be covered on specific weeks based on attorney availability. At this time, the clinics are held remotely. Pre-registration is required. Please call the clinic coordinator at 320-257-4853 for scheduling and availability.
1st Judicial District
The First Judicial District serves the counties of Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott, and Sibley.
Select Counties in the 1st District
Family Law Advice by Phone
Low-income people who have a court case in Carver, Dakota or Scott County can get a free 20-minute legal advice consult on family law matters from the
Volunteer Lawyers Network. To
schedule an appointment, please call the VLN Intake Line at
(612) 752-6677 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
Dakota County
The Dakota County Free Legal Clinics Program is offered in partnership through the
Dakota County Law Library, Dakota County District Court Administration, and
Legal Assistance of Dakota County. Free legal advice clinics are available on family law and consumer law topics such as bankruptcy, debt collection, garnishment, mortgages, foreclosures, landlord-tenant, and Conciliation Court. Volunteer attorneys provide 30-minute consults at the clinics, which are offered at various times and locations. To use the clinics, you
must live in Dakota County and
schedule an appointment by calling
(952) 431-3200. Learn more.
Dakota County Law Library also partners with Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) for a criminal expungement clinic the fourth Tuesday of each month starting at 1:30 pm. No appointment is necessary for the expungement clinic. Please contact the Dakota County Law Library at 651-438-8080 for more information.
Goodhue County
Legal Assistance of Dakota County, Ltd (LADC) and Goodhue County District Court Administration offer a free legal advice clinic for low-income individuals on family law topics. The clinic is held on the first Wednesday of every month from 12:00p.m. until 2:00p.m., by appointment only at the Goodhue County Justice Center. You must have a case in Goodhue County in order to get legal advice. Please call LADC directly at
(952) 431-3200 to schedule an appointment.
Scott County
Scott County Law Library Legal Advice Clinic & Workshops
Free family law advice consults with volunteer attorneys available
by appointment only on the second Monday of each month from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Call
(952) 496-8713 to schedule an appointment. Please visit the
Scott County Law Library website for more details on the clinic and other legal workshops.
2nd Judicial District
The Second Judicial District serves Ramsey County.
Family Court Self-Help Center
Ramsey County
Criminal Defense Services, Inc.
Low-income defendants in Ramsey County who are not eligible for a
Public Defender can see if they qualify for legal help by talking with an attorney from CDSI at their arraignment (first hearing) at the
Ramsey County District Court.
Family Law Advice by Phone
Low-income people who have a court case in
Ramsey County District Court can get a free 20-minute legal advice consult on family law matters from the
Volunteer Lawyers Network. To
schedule an appointment, please call the VLN Intake Line at
(612) 752-6677 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
Criminal Defense Law Clinic
Free legal advice consultations on criminal law issues are available on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This clinic is open to residents of any Minnesota county and is held at the
Ramsey County Law Library.
During the peacetime emergency, all clinic consultations will be through phone appointments only. Please call the library at 651-266-8391 after 10:00 a.m. the morning of the clinic to schedule an appointment.
Criminal Expungement Clinic
A free clinic that describes the criminal expungement process and provides help completing the forms for anyone filing an expungement for a criminal case in Ramsey County. The clinic is on the second and fourth Thursday of each month (except holidays) at 1:00 p.m. in the
Ramsey County Law Library on the 18th floor of the
Ramsey County courthouse.
Domestic Abuse & Harassment Office (Ramsey County)
Victims can access resources and get help with the process of getting a court
Order for Protection.
Family Court Self-Help Service Center
A legal clinic is available Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 3:00 p.m. for parties proceeding without attorneys. To schedule an appointment with a volunteer attorney at this legal clinic, call 651-266-5125.
Housing & Conciliation Court Self-Help Center (brochure)
Free legal advice consults with volunteer attorneys are available on a
first-come, first-served basis on Tuesdays from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sign-up starts at 12:30 p.m. with a drawing held to assign individuals a spot on the list. The advice clinic is located in the
Ramsey County Law Library on the 18th floor of the Ramsey County courthouse.
During the peacetime emergency, all clinic consultations will be through phone appointments only. Please call the library at 651-266-8391 after 10:00 a.m. the morning of the clinic to schedule an appointment.
3rd Judicial District
The Third Judicial District serves the counties of Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, and Winona.
Dodge County
Legal Assistance of Olmsted County offers a free legal advice clinic on family law topics for Dodge County residents. This clinic is available to individuals of all income levels. Clinics are offered once a month and have limited availability, so pre-registration is encouraged. Drop-ins are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. To register for the clinic or for more information, contact Karen at karen@laocmn.org or call (507) 287-2036.
Fillmore County
Legal Assistance of Olmsted County offers a free legal advice clinic on family law topics for Fillmore County residents. This clinic is available to individuals of all income levels. Clinics are offered once a month and have limited availability, so pre-registration is encouraged. Drop-ins are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. To register for the clinic or for more information, contact Karen at karen@laocmn.org or call (507) 287-2036.
Olmsted County
The
Olmsted County Law Library - Free Legal Clinics Program is offered for people representing themselves in court in Olmsted County. People can meet with a volunteer attorney for a brief consult up to 30 minutes. Topic areas may include family Law, financial cases (debtor/creditor, pre-bankruptcy), and criminal expungement. You must
schedule an appointment to meet with the volunteer attorney by calling the Law Library at
(507) 218-3778 or by email at
staff@olmstedlawlibrary.com.
Legal Assistance of Olmsted County (LAOC) provides a free legal advice clinic on landlord-tenant issues for low-income individuals. The clinic is held every Friday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at LAOC's offices, located at 1700 N. Broadway, Suite 124, Rochester, MN. You can attend the clinic as a walk-in or you can pre-register.
LAOC also offers periodic bankruptcy clinics. In order to attend a bankruptcy clinic, you must first complete an
application to determine your eligibility.
4th Judicial District
The Fourth Judicial District serves Hennepin County.
Hennepin County
See
Hennepin Legal Advice Clinics for a listing of various legal advice clinics offered at Hennepin County courthouse locations.
See the
Volunteer Lawyers Network for a listing of legal advice clinics offered at various locations in the community.
Domestic Abuse Service Center (Hennepin County)
Victims can access resources and get help with the process of getting a court
Order for Protection.
Family Law Advice by Phone
Low-income people who have a court case in Hennepin County can get a free 20-minute legal advice consult on family law matters from the
Volunteer Lawyers Network. To
schedule an appointment, please call the VLN Intake Line at
(612) 752-6677 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
5th Judicial District
The Fifth Judicial District serves the counties of Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, and Watonwan.
Self-Help Workshops
The Fifth Judicial District serves the counties of Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, and Watonwan.
Services provided by the attorney at the self-help workshops include reviewing documents; advising on the content of the documents; on legal issues and procedures; on the next steps; answering questions and providing explanation as needed.
Dates:
First and Third Wednesday of each month (subject to change)
Time:
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Each appointment time is 45 minutes in length. Only three appointment times available per session.
Locations:
Workshops are done by Zoom Video Conferencing and available to all in the Fifth Judicial District.
Fee:
There is a $40 fee (includes credit card charges) per person attending the workshop.
Contact:
Ruth Harms at Ruth.Harms@courts.state.mn.us or (507) 594-3044
Fifth Judicial District Administration Office
6th Judicial District
The Sixth Judicial District serves the counties of Carlton, Cook, Lake, and St. Louis (Duluth, Hibbing, and Virginia).
7th Judicial District
The Seventh Judicial District serves the counties of Becker, Benton, Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, and Wadena.
Becker County
In partnership with the
Becker County Law Library,
Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM) hosts a
Self-Help Clinic on Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Help is available on a
first come, first served basis. There are no asset or income eligibility requirements, and no appointments are necessary. The law library is in the basement of the
Becker County courthouse in Detroit Lakes. For the most up-to-date information on this clinic, call LSNM at
(800) 450-8585 or visit their
website.
Clay County
In partnership with the Clay County Law Library, Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM) hosts a Self-Help Clinic on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. AND every Thursday from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Help is available on a first come, first served basis. There are no asset or income eligibility requirements, and no appointments are necessary. The law library is in the basement of the Clay County courthouse in Moorhead. For the most up-to-date information on this clinic, call LSNM at (800) 450-8585 or visit their website.
Mille Lacs County
The Mille Lacs County Law Library, located in the Mille Lacs County Courthouse, provides a Self-Help Program that offers general legal advice and help with completing court forms. The attorney is available on Mondays from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Otter Tail County
In partnership with the Otter Tail County Law Library, Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota (LSNM) hosts a Self-Help clinic on Wednesdays from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Help is available on a first come, first served basis. There are no asset or income eligibility requirements, and no appointments are necessary. The law library is on the third floor of the Otter Tail County courthouse in Fergus Falls. For the most up-to-date information on this clinic, call LSNM at (800) 450-8585 or visit their website.
Stearns County
Central Minnesota Legal Services offers a free legal advice clinic the first four Thursdays of each month for low-income families and individuals.
Please note that certain topics will only be covered on specific weeks based on attorney availability.
At this time, the clinics are held remotely. Pre-registration is required. Please call the clinic coordinator at (320) 403-1051 for scheduling and availability.
Todd County Legal Advice Clinic
Central Minnesota Legal Services offers a free legal advice clinic on civil legal issues for eligible clients on the 4th Monday of the month. The clinic is held from 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. at the Staples Public Library and 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Long Prairie Library. Pre-registration is required. For questions, or to register, please contact CMLS at
(320) 257-4855 or
1-800-622-7773.
8th Judicial District
The Eighth Judicial District serves the counties of Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine.
Kandiyohi County
Central Minnesota Legal Services offers a free legal advice clinic on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month for low-income families and individuals. Please note that certain topics will only be covered on specific weeks based on attorney availability. At this time, the clinics are held remotely. Pre-registration is required. Please call the clinic coordinator at (320) 403-1051 for scheduling and availability.
9th Judicial District
The Ninth Judicial District serves the counties of Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau.
Beltrami County
A Self-Help Clinic is available on the third Wednesday of each month from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. to provide free help in completing court forms at the Beltrami County Judicial Center, 600 Minnesota Ave NW #108, Bemidji, MN 56601. This clinic is hosted by Legal Services of Northwestern Minnesota, which can be reached by calling 1-800-450-8585.
Polk County
A Self-Help Clinic is available on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Polk County Justice Center, Courthouse Law Library, 2nd Floor, 816 Marin Avenue, Crookston, Minnesota. Please note: this clinic is NOT operated by Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota.
If you are working on filing an appeal to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, you may be able to get help over the phone at the Appeals Self-Help Clinic through the Minnesota State Law Library. Download the flyer to learn more about the hours and process of the clinic. If you are appealing a denial of unemployment benefits to the Court of Appeals, the State Law Library also hosts an Unemployment Appeal Legal Advice Clinic that you can attend by telephone. Download the flyer to learn more about the hours and process of the clinic.
Free clinics are available on family law, criminal expungement, and eviction expungement issues through the Mitchell Hamline School of Law Self-Help Center. Appointments are preferred for family law and criminal expungement assistance, and appointments are required for eviction expungement assistance. Both in-person and remote appointments are offered. See the Mitchell Hamline Self-Help Clinic website and flyer for specific dates and times of the clinics. Appointments can be made online using the Appointment Scheduling Form or by emailing selfhelp.clinic@mitchellhamline.edu.