Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson has appointed members to the newly formed State Board of Civil Legal Aid. The Board was created to provide quality legal advocacy for those unable to afford private counsel.
Chief Justice Hudson stated, "The Minnesota Judicial Branch has long been committed to ensuring access to justice for all Minnesotans. The creation of this new Board and the appointment of its members is an exciting step forward in achieving access to civil legal services for those who are currently underserved."
The new Board will include eleven members, with six appointed by the state's Supreme Court and five by the governor. The appointees by the Supreme Court include Emily Cooper, Katy Drahos, Jeremy Lane, John Murphy, Suumra Shariff, and Christopher Wendt. The governor's appointees are Tarryl Clark, John Gordon, Holley Horrell, Anna Pottratz Acosta, and Korey Wahwassuck.
Established by the Minnesota Legislature during the 2024 Legislative Session, the State Board of Civil Legal Aid has a defined set of duties. These include approving and recommending a budget to the Legislature for civil legal services grants, establishing procedures for the distribution of funding, and setting standards and policies to ensure quality advocacy.
The Board will become effective on July 1, 2025, and will replace the Legal Services Advisory Committee. In a previous year, civil legal aid programs provided assistance to 47,708 households across Minnesota, serving over 114,593 individuals in all 87 counties.