Learning while giving back
Mitchell Hamline students have the distinct advantage of being able to work with a unique statewide nonprofit that matches law students with pro bono opportunities. The Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) is committed to promoting social justice and improving legal services for those who have been under-represented by the legal profession. Through MJF, students—starting in their first year—have the opportunity to work with lawyers in a variety of legal-advice settings or to complete research projects for lawyers who have taken clients and cases on a pro-bono basis.
In addition, the MJF coordinates a Summer Clerkship Program, providing paid clerkships at public interest law offices in Minnesota.
More about MJF
MJF matches interested law students with volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities metro area and in Greater Minnesota. Volunteer opportunities are available with varying time commitments in a wide variety of legal subject areas, and there are in-person, remote, and hybrid opportunities to get involved.
Also, for students enrolled in Mitchell Hamline’s blended learning program, MJF can connect you with remote volunteer opportunities in Minnesota or assist you in finding a legal service provider in your state to contact about volunteering locally in your area.
What does MJF offer to students?
- Experience
Volunteering through MJF introduces students to the real practice of law and gives them valuable experience and knowledge that helps them to become better lawyers. As students search for employment during law school, actual legal experience sets them apart from other applicants. Additionally, volunteering allows students to explore different areas of law and find what they are passionate about in order to better understand and navigate their post-graduation career path. - A Network of Professional Contacts
Volunteering introduces students to practitioners in their fields of interest who can provide references, advice, and career guidance. - Personal Fulfillment
Many low-income Minnesotans face legal problems without access to legal assistance. Students’ volunteer efforts may prevent a client from being wrongfully evicted, or help an asylum applicant secure protection against return to torture. Many attorneys cite pro bono cases as their most fulfilling work, and many students find their volunteer work to be a highlight of their law school experience.
Get involved
Explore volunteer opportunities to see what is currently available on the website by first creating an MJF account. MJF also runs a Street Law program in which law students teach middle and high school students during the spring semester. You can also create your own volunteer placement by setting-up a meeting with Mitchell Hamline’s MJF Staff Attorney, Adrienne Baker, at [email protected]. For your own volunteer placement to count as MJF hours, the opportunity must be (1) law-related, (2) serving the public interest, and (3) not for pay or course credit. Any government agency is considered “public interest.”