Effective July 1, 2013, retired Minnesota attorneys are able to provide pro bono representation as "emeritus lawyers." Retired Minnesota lawyers file a retirement affidavit with the Lawyer Registration Office and no longer need to pay the annual registration fees. Those who become emeritus lawyers will be able to engage in certain pro bono representation despite their retirement status. To fulfill the emeritus CLE requirement, attorneys seeking emeritus status are eligible for free or reduced-price CLEs through Legal Services State Support. State Support offers live in-person and webinar CLEs, as well as pre-recorded "On Demand" CLEs that attorneys can watch at any time.
Most organizations approved to refer pro bono cases to emeritus practice attorneys provide malpractice coverage. This coverage is primary, since retired lawyers are not expected to have their own malpractice coverage. If you have specific questions about malpractice coverage, please contact the referring organization for full details.
If you have questions about Emeritus Status, contact Katy Drahos, Access to Justice Director for the MSBA, at kdrahos@mnbars.org or 612-278-6330.
Volunteer Opportunity with Active Senior Attorney Project
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid(MMLA) has an exciting volunteer opportunity for retired attorneys.
Join our “Active Senior Attorney Project!” We are looking for two volunteers to commit to about 3 hours a week of volunteer time.
Retired attorneys have been helping the Senior Law Project of MMLA do client intake interviews for over a decade. Volunteers are not giving advice but instead are gathering case information and issue spotting to help collect that information. We will train you in to our system and work with your schedule.
The Senior Law Project exclusively serves seniors age 60+ who reside in Hennepin or Anoka county. Active Senior Attorney Project volunteers commit to one morning (or afternoon) a week to complete client interviews by phone and enter information online. It can be a fun variety of clients and a great way to participate in the legal services community.
For more information please call the Active Senior Attorney Project Coordinator, Lila Talvitie-Zamora, at 612-746-3634.
Emeritus Status: basic information, rules, & forms
To attain emeritus status, retired attorneys need to complete substantive training and submit a completed "affidavit of emeritus status" to the CLE Board. The affidavit must include verification of the completion of:
- three hours of standard CLE credit in the area of law the attorney plans to do pro bono work in,
- at least one hour of ethics CLE, and
- at least one hour of elimination of bias CLE.
The courses must have been approved by the CLE Board and completed within 90 days of the application for emeritus status.
Importantly, pro bono work carried out by the emeritus attorneys must have been referred to them by "approved legal services providers", as defined in the CLE Rules. That definition was broadened by the Supreme Court's Order, and now includes:
The renewable emeritus status lasts three years from approval, and the names of emeritus attorneys will be posted publicly on the CLE Board's website.
Essential Documents:
If you have questions about Emeritus Status, contact Steve Marchese, Pro Bono Development Director for the MSBA, at smarchese@mnbar.org or (612) 278-6308.
How to Volunteer
Emeritus Status and Pro Bono attorneys can find cases in several ways:
Essential Resources for Emeritus and Pro Bono Attorneys
