Members selected for new State Board of Civil Legal Aid

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Members selected for new State Board of Civil Legal Aid

Posted: Thursday, April 17, 2025

Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson signed an order on Friday, April 11, appointing members to the new State Board of Civil Legal Aid, which was created to ensure quality advocacy for persons unable to afford private counsel.
 
“The Minnesota Judicial Branch has long been committed to ensuring access to justice for all Minnesotans.  The creation of this new Board and the appointment of its members is an exciting step forward in achieving access to civil legal services for those who are currently underserved,” said Chief Justice Hudson.  “The members appointed by the Court have clearly demonstrated a commitment to maintaining high-quality civil legal services for people of low or moderate means, and they reflect the diverse populations served by civil legal aid.”

The Board will have 11 members: six appointed by the Supreme Court and five appointed by the governor. The Minnesota Supreme Court-appointed members of the new Board include:

• Emily Cooper
• Katy Drahos
• Jeremy Lane
• John Murphy
• Suumra Shariff
• Christopher Wendt

The governor’s appointed members are:

• Tarryl Clark
• John Gordon
• Holley Horrell
• Anna Pottratz Acosta
• Korey Wahwassuck

The Minnesota Legislature established the State Board of Civil Legal Aid during the 2024 Legislative Session and charged it with the following duties:

• Approving and recommending to the Legislature a budget for the Board and the civil legal services grants distributed subject to section 480.242;
• Establishing procedures for distribution of funding under section 480.242; and
• Establishing civil program standards, administrative policies, or procedures necessary to ensure quality advocacy for persons unable to afford private counsel. Minn. Stat. §480.2415, subd.2(b) (2024).

The Board of Civil Legal Aid will become effective July 1, 2025. It will be a new judicial board, replacing the role previously held by the Legal Services Advisory Committee. In 2023, civil legal aid grantees provided legal representation and advice to 47,708 households consisting of more than 114,593 people throughout all 87 Minnesota counties.