Delivering Life-Changing Legal Assistance to Tribal Communities Across Minnesota

Kelsey Gunvalson, a 2L at the University of Wisconsin Law School and 2022 Student Fellow in our Rural Summer Legal Corps, shares her summer of service experience, and discusses how an Equal Justice Works Student Fellowship helped her to build legal skills outside the classroom. Kelsey is hosted by Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota Corporation.

This summer, I went back to my roots to serve the community I grew up in. Throughout my childhood, I saw how rural populations face a barrier in receiving proper legal representation.  This affects not only individual lives but generates a systemic impact on the whole community. My Student Fellowship allowed me help address the justice gap through the Justice Bus; a mobile law office that enables lawyers to hold free legal clinics in rural and  isolated communities. Because of the Justice Bus, I was able to help underserved people by connecting them with appropriate legal resources to yield actionable results. It was especially meaningful to see the relief on someone’s face after their voice was heard and knowing they have options.

My time as a Student Fellow has taught me so much, and mainly that a successful civil legal aid attorney listens to the client without inserting their personal bias. It is an imperative for attorneys to give credence to their client’s story and to understand their perspective before educating them about legal options. In understanding a client’s perspective, it is important to be sensitive to the different cultural values among the community. In the area I served, 22% of the total population are indigenous, which demonstrated an importance in providing education and outreach on tribal lands.

The highlight of my Rural Summer Legal Corps experience was taking the Justice Bus to pow wows which celebrate local tribal communities. Participating in legal clinics on local reservations strengthened my appreciation for tribal culture while bridging a connection with tribal legal services. By working with both legal aid and tribal attorneys, I was able to learn about the nuances of tribal law and jurisdictional complexities between different legal systems.

I would recommend the Rural Summer Legal Corps to law students who are looking for a way to make a material impact on people’s lives and to feel good about the work they do.

If you are interested in embarking on a summer of service like Kelsey, apply to the Rural Summer Legal Corps by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 14, 2023. For more information about program eligibility and requirements, please visit here.