Two expansive manuals for assisting low-income Minnesotans are now available on ProJusticeMN.org, thanks to the hard work and generosity of Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis (LASM) staff.

The LASM Naturalization Handbook was created to aid volunteer attorneys to help immigrants become U.S. citizens through naturalization. The manual was created by staff at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis (LASM) Immigration Law Project Volunteer Attorney Program. It is organized to walk attorneys through a case from beginning to end, with sections covering Getting Started, Working with Interpreters, Fee Waivers, the Naturalization Basics, Issue Spotting and Medical Waivers.

The LASM Tax Law Manual was created to assist attorneys helping low- to middle-income taxpayers with individual income tax issues, particularly Examination/Audit, Collections, and Relief from Joint and Several Liability (a.k.a. “Innocent Spouse Relief”). The manual was created by staff at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis (LASM) Tax Law Project Volunteer Attorney Program. It is organized by type of tax case, with each comprising a separate section of the manual.

Each manual includes extensive guidance written by experienced legal aid practitioners, links to important external resources, and links to forms used in the areas of law covered by the manuals. Soon, the project partners plan to add a U-Visa Manual, currently being created by LASM.

Naturalization
• To access the online Naturalization Manual, go to www.ProJusticeMN.org/Naturalization
• For more information about this Manual, click here to contact Dana Boraas, VAP Coordinator, and Peggy Russell, Supervising Attorney.

Tax Law
• To access the online Tax Law Manual, go to www.ProJusticeMN.org/TaxLaw
• For more information about this Manual, click here to contact Dana Boraas, VAP Coordinator, and Sarah Bronson, Supervising Attorney.

Volunteer!
If you are interested in taking on a pro bono case in either of these areas of law, LASM is looking for new volunteers. LASM's new Tax Law Volunteer Attorney Program (TVAP) and Immigration Law Volunteer Attorney Program (IVAP) provide great opportunities for attorneys to gain experience with direct client representation, meet pro bono targets and expand their knowledge into a new area of law with the administrative support and expertise of Legal Aid staff behind them. Best of all, in this time of tight budgets and economic hardship, volunteers help people living at or near the poverty line by providing much needed legal services that they would otherwise not receive.