About the Nonprofit
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Volunteer Lawyers Network’s (VLN) mission is to protect the basic human needs of people in poverty through the power of legal volunteers. Founded in 1966 by a group of idealistic attorneys who saw a need in their community, VLN has grown to become one of the country's largest volunteer-based legal services nonprofits. Our volunteers have provided more than 200,000 services to people experiencing poverty and helped expand the availability of civil legal services to low-income people in need.
Through a model that leverages the talent and personal dedication of hundreds of volunteers, we connected 515 volunteers from 205 law firms and companies to deliver 5,533 services to low-income people located throughout Minnesota in 2021. VLN offers a broad array of legal services that maximize the impact of our volunteer and staff resources. Volunteers provide legal advice over the phone, answer questions submitted through the Minnesota Legal Advice Online portal, assist self-represented litigants at limited-scope workshops, and provide full representation services. While VLN volunteers offer advice and representation in a wide variety of civil legal cases, VLN services focus on cases involving the basic human needs of shelter, financial stability, safety, employment, and family.
