PH I LANTHROPY RUL ES !
BUILDING THE PRISON-TO-LAW PIPELINE In response to this challenge, we are developing a Prison- to-Law Pipeline (PLP) and companion law firm that will put the keys to the law in the hands of those most impacted by it. The PLP program opens the door to ABA-approved paralegal degrees and ABA-accredited law degrees for currently incarcerated Minnesotans. The Pipeline’s first cohort, which entails six prospective paralegal students and two prospective law students, is slated to commence in June and August, respectively. To our knowledge, this program will facilitate the first-ever currently incarcerated Juris Doctorate students who will be plugging into existing courses from Shakopee and Stillwater correctional facilities. Mitchell Hamline School of Law is exploring the possibility of providing the Juris Doctorate education and partnering in the development of the program in general. This program is further made possible by our partnership with currently incarcerated legal scholars, Until We Are All Free, North Hennepin Community College, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Maureen Onyelobi is a prospective Juris Doctorate student and PLP committee member. In April, she took her LSAT exam from Shakopee prison, proctored by Dean Anthony Niedwiecki of Mitchell Hamline School of Law—a historic moment in itself. Maureen believes in the importance of representing those with lived experience in the legal field, as she shared, “We have a drive and a passion for learning the law that most have never seen before because we know what it is to be in here; we know what it’s like to be on this side of the law.” THE ALL SQUARE LAW FIRM Reimagining the legal system requires altering law school admissions and rethinking how law firms are structured. Considering the potential licensure and employment issues that come as a collateral consequence of incarceration, All Square is developing a nonprofit, public interest law firm that will employ PLP graduates and implement new pathways for incarcerated legal scholars to engage in the legal discipline. Slated to open in 2022, the Firm will approach law through the needs and expectations of the community we serve and create innovative ways for those with lived experience to engage in legal work, with or without a legal degree and professional licensure.
Given the importance of clinical opportunities for students, the Firm will partner with Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Reentry Clinic to work with PLP scholars, whether they are actively incarcerated or returned home. The Firm will operate as a nexus for impact litigation in partnership with the Clinic and private Minnesota law firms. We will aim litigation efforts at the systemic predatory practices and barriers that currently and formerly incarcerated Minnesotans face, specifically as it relates to bail, housing, and consumer protection.
TECHNOLOGY & COVID: DISSOLVING THE WALLS THAT DIVIDE US
When COVID took hold in 2020, we saw the world fundamentally change in a moment. The pandemic wreaked havoc on communities across the globe, including our prison community. The forced migration to online learning platforms coupled with the ABA’s subsequent relaxation of “in-person, synchronous learning” requirements created a universe where attending law school from prison is possible. These unexpected and foundational shifts are, quite literally, helping us dissolve the prison walls that divided our community for far too long. Granted, providing access to those “behind bars” is not easy. Due to security concerns, which are of the utmost importance, our incarcerated community does not have access to the internet, and access to existing computers comes with strict limitations both on time and use. With this, the mechanics of attending law school “from the inside” are nuanced, requiring heightened diligence.
Maureen Onyelobi
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