Support the Legal Rights Center

The Legal Rights Center (LRC) is a 50-year-old community-driven nonprofit law firm. Our mission is to work with our communities to seek justice and promote racial equity for those to whom it has been historically denied. We do this through criminal defense, restorative justice, advocacy, and community education.

LRC was founded in 1970 by two key institutions in the history of Minneapolis: the American Indian Movement and The Way. (The latter, no longer in operation, was a seminal social services nonprofit created by and for the African American community.) The LRC was collaboratively developed as community self-care for issues pertaining to justice involvement, family integrity, and protecting youth. This coalition was soon after broadened to include immigrant communities.

At LRC, we envision a world where:

• Every person has access to justice that is equitable and community-driven.
• We value and support community-led problem solving.
• All youth, and particularly Black, Indigenous and youth of Color, are valued as integral members of their communities, including their schools, and are not pushed into the School to Prison Pipeline.

The activities of the organization are run through two major programs:

The Community Defense Program (CDP) provides free criminal defense representation to low-income clients in Hennepin County. Attorneys are teamed with Community Advocates, the latter providing culturally-specific assistance to populations who may be challenged by systemic biases yet need problems solved and rights protected. The program includes community outreach and education about the law. Since the dissolution of the Council on Crime and Justice in 2016, the program has – with a former attorney from that organization now on our staff – also integrated advocacy pertaining to criminal records and related policies, and representation for expungements or to challenge licensing disqualifications.

The Youth: Education, Advocacy & Restorative Services (Y:EARS) program provides representation in juvenile court, neutrally facilitates Family Group Conferences at schools, provides trainings and education about the law, and advocates for best practices for youth.

In the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, LRC is seeing an unprecedented need for its services. In partnership with community organizations and activists, LRC has been at the forefront of providing legal support for protestors and those doing jail support, direct representation, and know your rights education. 

All client services are provided free of charge.