JESSIE NICHOLSON AND SMRLS
St. Thomas Law Alumni at SMRLS Empower Their Clients
Jonathan Engel ’15 J.D., staff attorney in the Family Law Practice Group “I wanted to work at SMRLS because of its mission of helping good people who are marginalized in the justice system by their income,
Colin Laffey ’15 J.D., staff attorney in the Agriculture Work Project “It has always been my vocational mission to serve those who have not been afforded access to the tools and systems that bring
language, race or other unfair reasons. I have been at SMRLS for almost two years, exclusively in the Family Law Practice group. The majority of my work is representing custodial parents in custody cases where children are at risk from the other parent. This includes situations of domestic abuse, child abuse or child neglect. I find it rewarding representing those who otherwise would have difficulty telling their story because of the abuse they faced, difficulty navigating the legal system, aggressive opposing counsel, language barriers or other reasons.”
justice, protect rights and preserve health and independence. The Agricultural Worker Project (AWP) is an innovative unit that serves some of the most geographically and circumstantially isolated people in our state. “Justice is often dependent on three things: knowledge, access and action. Without knowledge and access, action rarely happens. The AWP serves clients who often are unaware of all the rights afforded to them under state and federal law. Our clients, by the nature of their employment, are also geographically isolated from legal service providers. The AWP travels to agricultural communities throughout Minnesota and North Dakota to inform workers of their legal rights. For workers who qualify for our representation, we recover unpaid wages, enforce health and safety standards, and empower clients to identify employment issues in the future.”
Laura Orr ’10 J.D., senior attorney in the Elder Law Unit “SMRLS’ mission and its prioritization of serving older adults who are in social and economic need uniquely aligned with my values. Kathy Eveslage, a fellow elder
law attorney who works at SMRLS, also had mentored me through the School of Law’s Mentor Externship Program when I was a 3L law student. “Author Ashton Applewhite … writes that age bias is ‘the last socially sanctioned prejudice.’ I am the megaphone through which my clients say, ‘It’s not right!’ I work to make sure that the system is fair, transparent, and responsive to the needs of older people and, when our resources permit, people of any age receiving long-term care.”
Spring 2020 Page 27
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