William Mitchell law student Susan Byellin, under the supervision of Minneapolis Legal Aid attorney Anne Quincy, has created a packet of information and forms to address a Catch-22 problem: Individuals applying for a state identification card must provide a copy of their birth certificate; in order to obtain a copy of a birth certificate, the person must provide a photo ID. Anne has been using an exception in the law of most states that allows attorneys to request a birth certificate on their client’s behalf. When this Catch-22 problem started appearing with increased frequency at Project Homeless Connect events, Anne recruited a MJF volunteer to develop a set of forms to be used at these events. Susan volunteered and in addition to creating  the forms developed a list of websites and other information for obtaining birth certificates from each of the 50 states.
 

"As soon as I learned of this issue, I knew I wanted to help out. This is such a huge problem for clients who find themselves in this situation. Without a birth certificate, they cannot obtain an ID or social security card. And, one of these forms of identification is often necessary to apply for jobs, to enter schools, and to apply for public benefits, among other things. Most importantly, clients in this situation are completely unable to obtain their birth certificate without the help of an attorney. That's why it is so important that there are attorneys who are willing to step up and help these clients," said Byellin.

The need for this service was so great at the December  event that the legal providers section now includes a group of lawyers and law students who  work exclusively on this problem.
 

"I recently got to see the materials in use at a Project Homeless Connect event, where I was able to assist clients with this problem, along with Legal Aid Attorney Anne Quincy. It was so rewarding to see how relieved and thankful these people were to be able to get their birth certificates. One man told me that he had been trying various avenues for five years only to be continually unsuccessful in obtaining one for himself. I am glad that these materials have assisted in addressing this problem, and I hope other attorneys will be able to use them to assist as many clients with this issue as possible, " Byellin reported of the March 29th event.

These materials are now available in the "Obtaining Birth Certificate for State I.D. Application" folder of the Civil Law library.