1000 Supporters

If you're concerned about funding for public attorneys in Minnesota, you aren't alone. The Minnesota State Bar Association has formed a group called 1000 Supporters to ensure that the courts, legal aid, and public defenders get enough funding.

One of the key parts of the website is the "Action Items" section. It contains information on the public defenders and legal aid in Minnesota as well as things like talking point son the issue. If you want to do more than just watch and hope, this is a way to get involved and protect the right to counsel.

(One thing to note is that you have to be approved prior to being able to see most pages on the website.)

Critical Legal Studies Reading Group: Public Defenders

Our next discussion for the Critical Legal Studies group will focus on the growing problem facing public defenders. On a national level, they are having to cut back.

First, we have a New York Times article addressing the problem: Citing Workload, Public Lawyers Reject New Cases.

On a more local level, MPR has also addressed the issue: Public defenders moonlight to pay off school debt.

To get a deeper look, we'll also be reading Equal Before the Law: Toward a Restoration of Gideon's Promise (43 Harv. C.R.-C.L. L. Rev. 581). The author spent his summers at the Hennepin County Attorney's office and with the U.S. Attorney in Minneapolis.

If you're also interested in (or troubled by) this, come by on Tuesday at 12:15, Room 35.

Update, 11/17: we have decided to move this reading to next semester. Watch for it then, along with some related topics at that time. No reading group Tuesday.

Social Hour @ Aloft

Join us for this month's social hour at bar of the hip new hotel Aloft, 900 Washington Avenue South (just down the street from the law school). With other public interest students and professors, you can enjoy some appetizers (on us!) and some time to relax. Come for the talk, stay for the tater tots with dipping sauces. In attendance will be Dean Keyes, new CPDC director Alan Haynes, and Professors Befort and Carpenter.

Be there at 6:00 sharp on Thursday for the hot tots, good discussion and some public interest fun.