The Legal Rights Center

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The Legal Rights Center

The Legal Rights Center attorneys and Community Advocates counsel, educate, and encourage clients to

The Legal Rights Center has provided free and community-based representation services in criminal and juvenile delinquency defense to low-income Hennepin County residents. Attorneys are teamed with Community Advocates, the latter providing culturally specific assistance to populations who face barrier for trusting the legal process or in making good use of resources available to address the problems that may be bringing them into the system.

05/20/2026

Another slam dunk for Our Defense! 🏀

We are so grateful for every player and fan who participated in this year’s tournament. Together, we can all be champions for legal empowerment ☀️

At the Legal Rights Center, Our Defense is community defense — We believe that everyone, regardless of income, should have equal access to high quality legal representation – including criminal defense, expungement, and clemency. If you or a loved one is seeking legal support, visit www.legalrightscenter.org/defense or call 612-337-0030.

05/06/2026

We’re hitting the streets this week with the No Kids in Prison magazine!

The magazine is a work of art and an organizing tool. It features original art, writing, and analysis from impacted young people whose lived experience and visionary leadership are powering the movement for youth justice.

Minnesota is one of five states with on-the-ground teams distributing the magazine. LRC is Minnesota’s distribution hub, led by our Youth Programming Lead Gabriel Arika, who was also a curatorial apprentice for the magazine in partnership with

Together, we’re building a movement to end youth incarceration. We invite you to join us in this fight.

Our distribution team is on the lookout for local businesses, community spaces and programs where we can offer this magazine for free, spread the word about this work, and have conversations about what it looks like to build a future with no kids in prison. Get in touch if you’re interested and want to join this movement.

04/24/2026

The right to protest is fundamental to movements for social change.

But what are your rights and their limitations at a protest? Join us at our upcoming Know Your Rights workshop to find out!

🗓️ Wednesday, May 13, 6-7:30pm
📍 Sabathani Community Center
🍕 Dinner provided

All are welcome at this free community learning space - bring a friend, a family member, or a fellow organizer! RSVP at the link in our bio 🔗

04/15/2026

Who’s excited for Our Defense?! 🏀

This 3v3 basketball tournament is a hallmark of spring at LRC - a fun, outdoor community event and an opportunity to grow support for our legal work: criminal defense, expungement, and clemency.

Tip off is at 12pm on Saturday May 9th 🔥 Register your team at www.legalrightscenter.org/ourdefense and find us on the courts at Peavey Park. Registration is free, and all are welcome to play!

04/07/2026

Housed at LRC, the First Defense Hotline is a shared project of the legal community. ⚖️

The hotline is fueled by volunteer attorneys and law students who mobilize to provide early-stage representation in moments of need. Our team hosts regular, CLE-eligible trainings that fully prepare participants from all legal backgrounds to join as volunteers. No prior experience in criminal defense is required.

Upcoming training dates:
🔴 Saturday, April 18
🔴 Thursday, May 24
🔴 Tuesday, June 30
🔴 Thursday, July 30

Are you an attorney or law student looking to get involved in a project like this? We’d love for you to join us! Sign up today at www.legalrightscenter.org/firstdefense 💻

03/25/2026

Summer is right around the corner, which means 2026 Know Your Rights Camp registration is open! ☀️

This summer’s Know Your Rights Camp will be held at North Commons Park during the last week of July (7/27-7/31) and will run from 9am-3pm each day. Know Your Rights Camp is an opportunity for BIPOC youth (ages 14-20) in the Twin Cities to grow knowledge and skills related to legal empowerment. This includes learning about your rights when interacting with the police, your rights in school, your rights at a protest, and more ⚖️

Registration is free, with meals covered and transportation provided as needed. We can’t wait, and we hope you’ll share this opportunity with your friends and with youth in your network!

For more information about Know Your Rights Camp and to access the registration form, visit www.legalrightscenter.org/camp 💻

03/20/2026

Let’s hit the court! 🏀

Our Defense, a 3v3 basketball tournament hosted by LRC, is back, and we’d love for you and your friends to tap in!

The tournament will take place on Saturday May 9th from 12pm-5pm at Peavey Park. It’s free to participate, and brackets are available for all ages and levels of experience.

Join us for this tournament rooted in one our organization’s foundational beliefs - that our defense is community defense. At LRC, this includes criminal defense, expungement, and clemency. We fight day in and day out to ensure that everyone, regardless of income, has equal access to high quality legal representation and an equal opportunity to exercise their legal rights.

Whether you’re a player or a fan, we hope to see you at the tournament! Visit www.legalrightscenter.org/ourdefense to register your team and learn more about the tournament.

03/18/2026

ADVOCACY ALERT: Progress on two important issues has been made at the legislature, and we need public support to sustain momentum before the first hearing deadline on 3/27.

ICE Out of the Courthouse (SF 3699)
- A version of the bill, authored by Senator Latz, was heard in the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on 2/20 and then laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill
- No companion bill has been introduced in the House at this time

Pretrial Data Transparency (HF 1775 / SF 1908)
- The bill was heard yesterday (3/17) in the House Public Safety Committee with vocal bipartisan support
- A hearing of the companion bill in the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee is needed before 3/27

Complete the short Advocacy Form linked in our bio and embedded on our website at www.legalrightscenter.org/advocacy to contact Senator Latz and express your support for these issues. The first hearing deadline is 3/27 - complete the form as soon as possible and share widely! 📢

03/16/2026

FIRST DEFENSE HOTLINE ACTIVATION 🤳📳

In January, LRC launched the First Defense Hotline - the first program of its kind in Minnesota, providing free, high-quality, early-stage representation to arrestees in Hennepin County.

Now, we invite you to support us through activation! Join us alongside fellow neighbors, frontline workers, organizers, legal professionals, and community members on Saturday April 24th at Arbeiter Brewing for the First Defense Hotline Activation. Drop in any time between 2pm and 4pm to learn more about the Hotline, connect with other supporters, and take action that expands our shared investment in this resource.

We hope to see you, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your colleagues, and anyone else who you think should know about the First Defense Hotline there! The event is free to attend, with food and refreshments available for purchase.

RSVP in advance at the link in our bio or by visiting www.legalrightscenter.org/activation 📲

03/05/2026

It’s no secret that the criminal legal system is imperfect.

But when the legal system gets it wrong, it doesn’t mean that mistakes can’t be remedied. This is where clemency comes in.

Check out this video, developed with our partners at , that covers the basics of clemency with special focus on pardons and commutations - two different types of post-conviction relief from the State.

In addition to this overview video, we also developed a four-part video series with practical information for padon and commutation applicants and their supporters (family members, friends, etc). These videos, published at www.legalrightscenter.org/postconviction, detail:
📝 Tips for Completing an Application for Pardon
📝 Tips for Completing an Application for Commutation
⚖️ Preparing for a Clemency Review Commission Hearing
ℹ️ Post Hearing Info

🎥:

Address

1611 Park Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN
55404

Telephone

+16123370030

Website

http://www.legalrightscenter.org/

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