Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid history

In 1914, Benson joined Cobb & Wheelwright, eventually renamed Faegre & Benson in his honor.

Maynard Pirsig becomes the Executive Director, serving until 1931. (Mr.

Justice Pirsig joined the University of Minnesota Law School faculty in 1933.

In 1942, he was temporarily appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court, writing more than a dozen opinions during his short tenure, several of which later became important legal precedents.

Judge Sedgwick attended the University of Minnesota and William Mitchell College of Law (1956, cum laude). She was a founding member of the Minnesota Women's Political Caucus, and of the National Association of Women Judges.

Legal Aid received its first federal grant in 1966, in the amount of $42,030.

A pioneer in law throughout her career, she became Minnesota's first female Assistant County Attorney in 1968.

In 1970, she was the first female attorney elected to serve as a Minnesota trial court judge.

He taught at the William Mitchell College of Law starting in 1973 through the rest of his life.

In 1974, Judge Sedgwick was appointed to Hennepin County District Court, the first woman to serve there.

SCALS and Minneapolis Legal Aid joined together in 1976.

Since 1977 the primary funder of CMLS has been the federal Legal Services Corporation.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1979, Cathy Haukedahl joined the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General and became the first female Solicitor General of Minnesota.

Since 1980, The Fund has raised more than $16.5 million for Legal Aid.

He became Executive Director of MMLA in 1981 with a vision for the organization to be client focused, staff supportive, and justice driven.

In 1982, John Benson was The Fund for the Legal Aid Society's first Law Day Testimonial Dinner Honoree.

In 1984 she was the first recipient of the Myra Bradwell Award for expressing the highest ideals of the legal profession and possessing the qualities of courage, perseverance, and leadership on issues of concern to women.

Kristin Siegesmund started as a staff attorney at Legal Aid in 1989.

In 1999, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s damage awards in excess of $30 million.

In 2008, William Mitchell College of Law named Janus as its 24th president and dean.

Upon his retirement as Executive Director in 2011, MMLA created the Jerry Lane Fellowship in his honor to support mentorship of new lawyers working in public service.

In 2012, family law was Legal Aid’s third largest area of client service.

2017Cathy Haukedahl retires after leading a successful effort during the 2017 legislative session to secure an increase in funding to support civil legal aid offices statewide.