Legal Assistance to the Disadvantaged Committee

Legal Scholarship for Equal Justice

The Vision

Formed in 2002, the Legal Scholarship for Equal Justice (LSEJ) encourages scholarly work by Minnesota law professors and students that helps disadvantaged people and contributes to equal justice for all. Its members include:

  • deans and faculty from the four law schools,
  • a supreme court justice,
  • the state public defender,
  • the director of the Minnesota Legal Services Coalition,
  • the director of Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance,
  • representatives of the state bar association,
  • directors of other legal services organizations,
  • the Minnesota Justice Foundation.

LSEJ is working to encourage a wide variety of legal scholarship that has practical results for disadvantaged individuals - including law review articles and notes, independent research projects, term papers, amicus briefs, and draft legislation.

The Work

  • LSEJ has created a list of research topics of vital importance to disadvantaged people for use at the four law schools.
  • In fall 2002, Professor Eric Janus taught the class at William Mitchell. In spring 2004, Professor Carol Chomsky offered it at the University of Minnesota, and in spring 2005, Professor Marie Failinger taught the class at Hamline. This year, Professor Scott Taylor at University of St. Thomas School of Law will be teaching the course in spring 2006.
  • The LSEJ research list will be made available to all faculty and students at the four schools. LSEJ will encourage faculty and students to consult the list when selecting topics for law review articles, notes, term papers, independent studies, and any other legal research and writing they are undertaking.
  • LSEJ will help disseminate equal justice scholarship to legal services, pro bono lawyers and the broader community.
  • LSEJ will host an annual symposium to foster the exchange ideas about equal justice topics, to recognize existing equal justice scholarship, and to promote future collaboration.

The Call

To submit a research topic or to learn more about LSEJ, please contact Heather Vlieger of the Minnesota Justice Foundation at heather@mnjustice.org, or (651) 290-8658.

- Last Updated 9/16/04 -