Who We Are

1,000 Supporters is a group of more than 1,000 attorneys working to secure adequate funding for Minnesota’s justice system, including funding for the courts, legal aid, and public defenders. It is an initiative of the Minnesota State Bar Association and involves legal professionals throughout the state, including public defenders, judges, private practice attorneys, prosecutors, in-house counsel, and legal aid attorneys in an effort to assure that Minnesota maintains an adequate level of funding for administering justice.


Please take a moment to register. Doing so will allow us to alert you as developments occur, and to let you know when we need your help. Please also provide your legislative district numbers, so that we can identify constituents of key legislators at important points in the process. If you don’t know what district you reside in, you can find out quickly and easily by clicking the “Join Us” button at the top of this page.

The Courts

STATE OF THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
Due to several biennia of underfunding the Judicial Branch faces significant fiscal challenges. We are aggressively employing strategies to contain costs:

  • Negotiated 0% merit and ATB increases for FY10-11
  • Instituted hiring freeze, voluntary separation program and leave without pay, layoffs, voluntary furloughs—now operating nearly 10% short staffed—delays in case processing are building.
  • Public counters in over half of the districts are closed up to 1/2 day per week. In the 8th District all employees have taken reduction in work hours (40 to 37.5) which is a 6.25% reduction in compensation.
  • Holding open all judicial vacancies for minimum of four months. Cut retired judge funding, mandated services budgets, and operating budgets.
  • Cancelled most judicial and staff educational conferences.
  • Applied for $ 3.9 federal stimulus funding for drug courts—We were unsuccessful in this effort. The future of many of the drug courts is in doubt.

Public Defense

State of Public Defense

Due to several biennia of underfunding the Board of Public Defense faces significant fiscal challenges.  The Board is employing strategies to contain costs:

  • Negotiated 0% merit and 0% ATB increases for FY 10-11.
  • Already struggling to close a $1.1 million funding gap for FY 2011.
  • 14% fewer FTE attorney positions than two years ago.
  • Instituted a hiring freeze on attorney positions, voluntary separation, salary savings leaves, and early retirements.
  • Holding open Chief Public Defender and Managing Attorney positions.
  • Cancelled annual public defender education conference for third straight year.
  • Applied for $3 million in federal funding.  Received $880,000 in federal funding. (more…)

Civil Legal Services

Civil Legal Services 

A Core Government Service –

Supporting Access to Justice & Economic Recovery; Reducing the Cost of Government Services

A Statewide Resource: An essential part of Minnesota’s justice system delivering service through seven regional programs and two dozen community and specialty practice programs.

Assuring Access to Justice: Providing open, affordable and understandable services to all, regardless of income

Direct Legal Assistance: Representing Minnesota families in 52,900 cases (more…)