Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) has been a pioneer of civil legal aid in Minnesota and throughout the country. Throughout the 33 counties we serve in Southern Minnesota, as a nonprofit law firm, we pride ourselves on helping individuals and families maintain freedom from hunger, homelessness, sickness, and abuse. Our services are FREE, meaning those who are most at risk no longer have a financial barrier to receive legal assistance.

No matter what cause you are passionate about, early childhood education, domestic violence, immigration, fair housing, or economic and racial equity, SMRLS tackles these issues and more. Your support means that our lawyers can continue the life-changing work for communities that need it the most. Your donation helps change the trajectory of people's lives. A mother can get protection for herself and her children. A child can get the resources they need to excel in school, a family will no longer have to worry about where they will sleep at night, and a person on disability will no longer have to fight for the benefits they need. With you and SMRLS, the impact is far-reaching and limitless. 

Of the over 12,000 cases we see annually the issues and clients are diverse in need, age, gender, and race. Just this year,

- 5774 households advocated for themselves for safe and secure housing, with almost half being rental disputes

- over 5,000 clients reported that they had some sort of disability  

- 2941 families fought for stable environments, 417 of those households being domestic abuse situations 

- 443 employees were protected against unfair labor practices, 22 of whom are agricultural workers, many do not speak English and would not be able to get fair wages and protections otherwise

- 206 people were able to get their records expunged, giving them the ability to improve their quality of life free of the stigma of a criminal record

- 163 school-age children and their families acquired better resources to help them be successful in school

These clients know that when they have a pressing legal battle, SMRLS is their partner in that fight. With your help, SMRLS can continue to serve the community, fight to protect rights, and ensure the respect and dignity for our clients BECAUSE JUSTICE MATTERS.

Learn more at www.smrls.org

Visit us on Facebook and Twitter at @smrlsmn