Effective July 1, 2013, new rule changes allow retired Minnesota attorneys to provide pro bono legal services in certain circumstances. Under the authority of rules of the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education and of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration, retired attorneys can provide pro bono legal services through approved providers, including VLN, without having to pay the annual registration fee necessary for an active license to practice law.
Process:
Retired attorneys1 who wish to provide pro bono representation need to submit a completed “affidavit of emeritus status” to the CLE Board. The affidavit must include:
A list of approved CLE credits attended in the last 90 days, including:
- At least 3 hours in the area of law the attorney plans to do pro bono work in;
- At least 1 hour in ethics; and
- At least 1 hour in elimination of bias.
- Affirmation that, if service is to be provided in multiple areas of law, such as a clinic setting, the lawyer will obtain the necessary training to do so competently.
Additional Information:
- Emeritus status last for three years, then expires;
- Attorneys granted emeritus status will be posted publically on the CLE Board’s website;
- Renewal can take place prior to expiration using the same affidavit.
To read the Supreme Court’s Order, the amendments to the Rules and the Affidavit of Emeritus Status, visit the Supreme Court website.
Look for further announcements from VLN regarding CLE resources soon!
1 Attorney has filed a retirement affidavit with the Lawyer Registration Office.
