Legal Services

MAP also provides brief consultation to HIV service providers and family members on HIV-specific legal topics.

For information, call MAP AIDSLine:
612-373-AIDS metro
800-248-AIDS statewide
612-373-2465 metro TTY
888-820-2437 statewide TTY
mapaidsline@mnaidsproject.org

About MAP Legal Services

MAP Legal Services provides legal assistance, both free and for a fee, to individuals who have HIV disease. We provide free direct representation or consultation (by either staff or volunteer attorney) to clients who have income below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines when the legal issue stems directly from an individual’s HIV status. If the legal issue is not HIV-related, MAP Legal Services will provide referrals to other legal service or advocacy resources, not direct representation. We also provide referrals to volunteer or low-fee attorneys and other legal services providers, when appropriate. MAP Legal Services provides estate and disability planning services for a fee for clients who are HIV-positive but who have income above 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Finally, we provide support information to HIV service providers and the general public, answering questions as well as providing trainings and educational materials.

MAP Legal Services staff includes Lynn Mickelson, Esq. (Manager) and several law student volunteers. Mickelson has managed the legal program since 1995 and Ortland joined the staff in September 2004 as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. Warren’s time is split between client services and public policy.

How Can MAP Legal Services Help?

MAP staff and volunteers provide legal assistance for the following:

1. Public Benefits: Assistance in Social Security (SSI and RSDI) cases, specifically denial of benefits, appeals and hearings, as well as some medical insurance and short or long-term disability questions. MAP staff or volunteer attorneys represent clients during the hearing stage of a benefits appeal (not initial application or request for reconsideration).
2. Estate Planning and Probate: Assistance with drafting wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and other estate tools, as well support for court proceedings testing the validity of a will.
3. Employment: Assistance in cases involving discrimination on the job, job security, protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and general employment issues. A monthly clinic provides free consultations. In some situations, MAP Legal Services works with Wise @ Work, MAP’s workplace education program, to coordinate any legal response with employer education.
4. Confidentiality: Assistance with cases involving privacy, testing, and medical records.
5. Immigration: Assistance with HIV waiver, asylum, and other HIV-related immigration issues. Monthly legal clinics offer free consultations.
6. Debtor/Creditor: Assistance with resolving problems involving creditors and debt collectors.
7. Discrimination: Situations involving unfair treatment relating to HIV status by a government agency or employer, including corrections facilities when medical treatment is inferior or denied. Our intake staff can accept calls from correctional facilities.
8. Permanency Planning: Assist families with planning for the care of children in the event of the incapacity or incompetence of the parents.

Are There Legal Issues For Which MAP Legal Services Does Not Provide Direct Representation?

MAP Legal Services provides referrals to relevant legal or community resources, in the following areas:

1. Conciliation court
2. Consumer law
3. Housing (landlord/tenant, public housing)
4. Personal injury (accidents, medical malpractice)
5. Real estate
6. Tax
7. Traffic violations
8. Name change
9. Bankruptcy
10. Annulment
11. Child protection
12. Expungement of criminal records
13. Criminal (specific referrals available for HIV-related or public sex cases)
14. Family law

MAP Legal Services reserves the right to change its priority list as necessary due to changes in resource availability and client caseload. MAP will make every effort to give providers notice of program changes.

Fee-Based Legal Services

MAP’s Legal Services Department offers fee-for-service representation to people living with HIV and earning more than three hundred percent (300%) of the federal poverty guidelines (e.g. $29,000 annual for a single person). Fee for service work currently focuses on basic estate and disability planning. In addition, MAP attorneys will represent individuals seeking social security disability benefits. “This service expansion is a winner in several ways,” says Lynn Mickelson, program manager. “First, we will be able to provide services to an important segment of the community who have not qualified for services because of the income restrictions required by the Ryan White Care Act. Because we can offer a reduced fee, we are making estate and disability planning more accessible to those who may find market rate attorneys’ fees prohibitive. Second, we will continue to refer clients to our outstanding base of private attorneys when we do not have capacity to represent someone. I think it is one of the best-kept secrets that we have an excellent legal referral system comprised of many of the “super lawyers” in the Twin Cities. These attorneys have experience working with HIV related issues and have demonstrated support of the HIV community.

To learn more about these services, contact MAP's front desk at 612-341-2060. A brochure describing the program is available by clicking on the link below. Also available is a listing of the fees for the services offered by MAP Legal Services.

• Fee-based Services Brochure
• Fee Schedule

Legal Clinics

Each month, MAP Legal Services offers specialized legal clinics for clients facing employment or immigration issues. These clinics provide an opportunity for clients to meet individually with an employment or immigration law attorney for an initial consultation. The attorneys will review the individual’s case and give an assessment for next steps and suggest strategies to resolve the issue.

Employment Law Clinics are offered once a month, with individual half-hour appointments scheduled starting at 5:30 p.m.

Immigration Law Clinics are offered three times a month, both at the MAP offices at 1400 Park Avenue, and at Hennepin County Medical Center at 701 Park Avenue. Appointments are for approximately 40 minutes, starting at 3 p .m.

To schedule an appointment for one of the clinics, please contact MAP's front desk at (612) 341-2060, or by email at legal@mnaidsproject.org.

Legal Services Newsletter

MAP Legal Services publishes a monthly enewsletter containing articles on changes to MAP Legal Services, public policy updates, volunteer information and abstracts of cases addressing HIV issues. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive the newsletter, please contact MAP's front desk at 612-341-2060, or by email at legal@mnaidsproject.org.

The current issue of the newsletter is available at the link below. Previous issues are available in the archive, also available by clicking on the appropriate link below.

• Current issue of MAP Legal Services Newsletter
• MAP Legal Services Newsletter archive

Resources

The Providers’ Guide to HIV Confidentiality and Disclosure is a brochure that lists the current statutes and rules controlling the release of HIV information in Minnesota. The guide is not intended to provide legal advice in situations regarding HIV confidentiality or disclosure. Questions on liability should be addressed by an attorney.

• Providers’ Guide to HIV Confidentiality and Disclosure

A health care directive is an important tool to communicate your wishes regarding your health care. By clicking on the links below, you can download a copy of instructions for completing a health care directive as well as the associated forms. The instructions and forms were created by the University of Minnesota Extension Service.

• Health Care Directive Instructions
• Health Care Directive Form
• Health Care Directive Instructions Part 2
• Health Care Directive Form Part 2

Links

For tax issues, try the link below to AccountAbility Minnesota, a nonprofit agency providing tax and accounting assistance to those with limited resources.

• AccountAbility Minnesota

For conciliation court, family law and some criminal matters, the Self-Help Center at the Hennepin County Government Center can connect you with resources to help you.

• Self-Help Center – Hennepin County Government Center

The Volunteer Lawyers Network offers assistance in many areas of law including family law, landlord tenant, consumer, and bankruptcy. Click on the link below to get the number for new client intake.

• Volunteer Lawyers Network

LawHelpMN is a legal web site providing a wide range of information and resources for low income Minnesotans with legal questions.

• LawHelpMN

The Minnesota Legal Services Coalition consists of seven regional legal services programs assisting low-income Minnesotans with a broad range of civil legal matters.

• Judicare of Anoka County
• Anishinabe Legal Services
• Cass Lake – (218) 335-2223
• Naytahwaush – (218) 935-5345
• Red Lake – (218) 679-2281
• Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota (LASNEM)
• Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota, Inc. (LSNM)
• Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc. (SMRLS)
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance (MMLA)
• Central Minnesota Legal Services (CMLS)

Last Updated: Monday, January 7, 2008
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