LSC-funded civil legal aid in Minnesota
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a non-profit established by Congress in 1974 (Legal Services Corporation Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2996) to fund civil legal aid for low-income Americans. LSC funds 4 grantee organizations serving Minnesota, providing free civil legal services to people who cannot afford a lawyer.
Minnesota LSC service statistics
- LSC-eligible population in Minnesota: approximately 698,239 people (12.7% of state population at or below 125% Federal Poverty Level) — 2018 American Community Survey
- Cases closed, 2018 LSC Grantee Activity Reports: 16,585 (state aggregate across all Minnesota LSC grantees)
- Cases handled per 10,000 LSC-eligible residents (2018): 237.5
LSC grantee organizations in Minnesota
| Organization | LSC profile | Eligible population (2018) | Cases closed (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anishinabe Legal Services, Inc. (Native American Basic Field grantee; LSC’s service-area map feed carries no 2018 figures for it) | profile | — | — |
| Central Minnesota Legal Services, Inc. | profile | 283,643 | 1,935 |
| Justice North (formerly Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota, renamed 2023; since the Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota merger it also covers northwest Minnesota — verified at justicenorth.org and lsc.gov, September 2026) | profile | 79,485 | 2,643 |
| Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc. | profile | 267,755 | 8,137 |
Former LSC grantees in Minnesota (no longer on LSC’s grantee roster, verified September 2026; kept here because the state totals above still include their 2018 activity): Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota Corporation — merged into Justice North (justicenorth.org: “LSNM and Justice North are now one legal aid organization”; LSC’s grantee roster now lists Justice North for that area — neither source states the merger date; verified September 2026). 2018 figures for its former service area: 67,356 LSC-eligible residents, 3,870 cases closed.
LSC eligibility requirements
LSC programs serve households with income at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) — for tax year 2025, that’s:
- 1 person: $19,562
- 2 persons: $26,463
- 3 persons: $33,275
- 4 persons: $39,438
- Each additional person: +$6,950
Some matters allow up to 200% FPL for low-cost or sliding-fee services. Asset limits also apply (vary by program).
Civil matters LSC programs typically handle
- Housing: eviction defense, public housing access, fair housing complaints, foreclosure prevention
- Family law: divorce, child custody, child support, domestic violence protective orders, name change
- Public benefits: SNAP, TANF, Medicaid eligibility appeals, SSDI denials
- Consumer: debt collection defense, predatory lending, payday loan disputes, identity theft
- Employment: wage theft, unemployment-benefits appeals, wrongful termination
- Healthcare: Medicare appeals, healthcare access
- Elder law: advance directives, elder abuse intervention
- Education: special education advocacy, school discipline
LSC programs typically do NOT handle: criminal defense (that’s public defender), immigration COURT representation (see /procedures/bia-recognized-help-by-state/minnesota/), class-action lawsuits, prisoner litigation (limited), abortion-related (restricted by 45 CFR 1610).
Related procedural information
- BIA-recognized immigration legal help in Minnesota — free immigration representation
- Find an immigration attorney — AILA directory + private bar
- Legal aid by state (broader directory) — non-LSC civil legal aid
- Find a notary public (NOT a notario) — avoid notario fraud
- Know Your Rights — constitutional protections
Last verified: 2026-09-05. Source: Legal Services Corporation grantee database (lsc.gov/grants/our-grantees). General procedural information — not legal advice. LSC eligibility rules and grantee organizations change; verify before applying.
Recent fee, deadline, and contact context (2025-2026)
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) received approximately $560 million in federal appropriations for FY 2025. LSC-funded programs closed approximately 700,000 civil cases nationally in 2024 affecting roughly 2 million household members. The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) threshold updates each January — verify current LSC income eligibility at lsc.gov/about-lsc.
LSC funding restrictions under 45 CFR 1626 limit LSC-funded organizations from representing certain non-citizens in most civil matters. The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and subsequent appropriation riders established these restrictions. Many LSC grantees operate parallel non-LSC funded programs that serve a broader population.
For LSC technical assistance and grantee questions: LSC Office of Compliance and Enforcement, 3333 K Street NW, Washington DC 20007, 1-202-295-1500 Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern Time. For LSC’s compliance hotline (report grantee non-compliance): 1-800-678-8868. The LSC IG (Office of Inspector General) at oig.lsc.gov investigates fraud.
LawHelp.org (consortium of state legal-aid websites) at lawhelp.org provides do-it-yourself legal information in 30+ languages including English and Spanish, organized by state and topic. Self-help court forms and procedural guidance for unrepresented litigants. Verify your specific state’s legal-aid web portal at lawhelp.org/find-help-near-you.