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MINNESOTA CLIENT ACCESS, BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS (MN-CABS STUDY) A study of Minnesota’s disproportionally underserved

MINNESOTA CLIENT ACCESS, BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS (MN-CABS STUDY) A study of Minnesota’s disproportionally underserved legal services clients and proposed responsive strategies . MN-CABS Study Goals.

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MINNESOTA CLIENT ACCESS, BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS (MN-CABS STUDY) A study of Minnesota’s disproportionally underserved

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  1. MINNESOTA CLIENT ACCESS, BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS (MN-CABS STUDY) A study of Minnesota’s disproportionally underserved legal services clients and proposed responsive strategies

  2. MN-CABS Study Goals • Identify disproportionately underserved groups of legal services-eligible clients around Minnesota, • Describe the barriers they face to obtaining legal services, and • Develop strategies for overcoming those barriers.

  3. A Brief History • Begun by MSBA’s LAD Committee in 2006 - Intent was to develop reliable, credible information to inform program development and resource allocation decisions. • RFP issued in 2008 - Three proposals submitted. The accepted proposal was the most comprehensive and cost-effective. • Funding secured in 2010 - Funding sources (to date): • Minnesota State Bar Association • Minnesota Legal Services Coalition • Otto Bremer Foundation • Minnesota State Bar Foundation • Legal Services Advisory Committee

  4. Project Design Overview • Select four regions for intensive study. The selection criteria will include: • client demographics • service patterns • program experience • Conduct an intensive community listening process in the selected regions. • Analyze community listening results to identify: • isolated or disproportionately underserved low-income populations • barriers experienced by members of identified communities to accessing legal services, addressing problems that keep them impoverished • Develop strategies to address barriers.

  5. Selection of Regions • Factors to consider in making the selection: • Mix of urban and rural • Distinctive population clusters (ethnicity, language, age, etc.) • High poverty rates • Low levels of legal services provided (proportionate to poverty population) • Significant economic, demographic shifts • Medically underserved • Low educational levels • . . .etc.

  6. Community Listening • Structured, open-ended interviews of eligible clients • Interviews conducted by legal aid and pro bono staff, who will be trained by the Center for Survey Research • Interviews with legal aid and pro bono staff, others who have regular contact with low-income individuals, and community members • On-line survey of judges and other stakeholders

  7. Analysis • Identify client groups in the study regions that are disproportionately underserved • Ascertain their levels of knowledge and interaction with legal services and pro bono programs • Identify significant problems facing the identified client groups • Determine reasons for lack of access and service

  8. Strategies to Overcome Barriers • Broadly collaborative • Build on experiences of programs in Minnesota and nationally, including identification of best practices. • Consider: • Innovative ways to enhance access/use of technology • Building additional capacity, skills within programs (including cultural and linguistic competency) • Adjusting substantive direction of advocacy • New problem-solving strategies – multi-disciplinary efforts, new collaborations, community-building • Using traditional legal tools (e.g., litigation, policy advocacy, grassroots advocacy, transactional support) to address emerging issues

  9. The Research Team • Hannah Lieberman (Project Manager) • 16 years of legal aid experience • Designed and implemented innovative client needs assessment in Maryland • John Tull • 40 years of legal services experience • Former LSC staff member • Extensive experience developing standards and best practices for client service • Rosanna Armson • Director, Univ. of Minnesota Center for Survey Research • Extensive experience with quantitative and qualitative information gathering

  10. MN-CABS Advisory Committee • The advisory committee will oversee the study, offer feedback to the research team, and approve project deliverables • The committee includes representatives from stakeholders in Minnesota’s ATJ community • Members: • Peter Knapp (William Mitchell College of Law, Chair, Legal Services Planning Committee) • Jean Lastine (Central Minnesota Legal Services) • Sue Pontinen (Volunteer Lawyers Network) • Nick Slade (Barry & Slade, Legal Services Advisory Committee) • Staff support provided by Steve Hirsh (MSBA) and Bridget Gernander (MN Supreme Court)

  11. Project Timeline • April 2010 – Project starts with demographic data gathering and research • June 2010 – Focus groups with legal services providers around the state; selection of regions for focus of study • August 2010 – Train interviewers in selected regions • Fall 2010 – Conduct client and third party interviews • December 2010 – Preliminary analysis of interviews • January 2011 – Focus groups with stakeholders; identify best practices to overcome identified barriers • March 2011 – Final report

  12. For more information • Regular updates on the study’s progress: http://www.mncourts.gov/?page=3995 • Steve Hirsh: shirsh@mnbar.org (612) 278-6322 • Bridget Gernander: Bridget.Gernander@courts.state.mn.us (651) 284-4379

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