FAQs

The LegalCORPS FAQs aim to answer the most common queries and concerns our clients and supporters have about our pro bono business legal services. Whether you are a small business owner, a budding entrepreneur, an innovator or a non-profit organization, this section is designed to offer quick and comprehensive answers to help you understand how our process works.

These FAQs cover a wide range of topics, from documentation requirements, how to access our services and the attorney-client relationship. However, area-specific FAQs are also provided throughout the site. If you are looking to offer your legal expertise on a pro-bono basis, please visit our Volunteers page. If you want to access our free legal business services, you can explore the FAQ in the relevant area: Business & Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs of Color, Inventors and Nonprofits.

If you do not find the answer you are looking for, please reach out to us directly through our Contact Us page.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, LegalCORPS assists small businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout Minnesota. It is a statewide organization.

The answer will differ for every client, depending on factors that include the nature of the case, attorney availability, the presence of conflicts of interest, and the number of other cases awaiting placement.

LegalCORPS cannot guarantee that a case will be placed but will make a good faith effort to find representation for an eligible client.

Although placement often takes place within a week after LegalCORPS posts a pro bono opportunity with its volunteer attorneys, the placement process can take weeks.

If a matter is time-sensitive (for instance, it has a deadline) LegalCORPS will attempt to expedite the search process.

LegalCORPS does not have ready access to interpreters. However, LegalCORPS will try to arrange an interpreter’s services when circumstances call for them.

The LegalCORPS application process is thorough in order to ensure that the client receives the appropriate service, the attorney understands the nature of the case and the client’s economic situation, and to avoid conflicts of interest that may prevent representation by a particular attorney.

Knowing the full story enables LegalCORPS to make a fair assessment of eligibility and find the best match possible. (Also, some of LegalCORPS’s funders require it to follow low-income guidelines.)

If a client applies for a second time to LegalCORPS it may not be necessary for the client to send in all of the same materials as before because everything from the first application is kept on file. It is the client’s responsibility, however, to ensure that LegalCORPS has the most up-to-date information in its files.

You will be notified when we have placed your matter with an attorney and given the attorney’s name. If your attorney has not contacted you in a week’s time, please let LegalCORPS know You should contact your attorney and to be available to your attorney at all times. Effective legal representation relies upon the active involvement and participation of the client. Return your attorney’s calls, show up for appointments (or reschedule when you have a conflict), and provide all requested information in a timely manner. Communication and cooperation are key to a successful attorney-client relationship.

So long as your organization is eligible for LegalCORPS and you present appropriate legal issues you may continue to receive our services.

As part of the legal community, LegalCORPS respects the professional relationships attorneys enter with their clients. If you have worked with an attorney on the same or similar legal issue you are presenting to LegalCORPS, we will notify the attorney and ensure that there is no barrier to LegalCORPS providing representation. We will obtain your permission before contacting the attorney.

LegalCORPS understands that attorney-client relationships often build over time, and that an attorney and client might want to continue to work together. They certainly can do so through LegalCORPS, as long as the client meets eligibility criteria. Once a client is no longer eligible for LegalCORPS services, the attorney and client are free to continue their relationship without the involvement of LegalCORPS.