RESOURCES
FOR
LEGAL CLINICS
This 30-question exercise on online legal resources is designed for those
who wish to test and/or improve their knowledge about the resources
we provide to help our volunteers quickly find the law and facts that
will support high quality legal services.
There are also explanations for each answer to the exercise after each
question- check them out for additional information!
You may also wish to view our training videos on this page:
http://www.volunteerlawyersnetwork.org/resources/CA
BEGIN
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 1:
 What website is designed to help low income
Minnesotans?
A: ProJusticeMN.org
B: MNCourts.gov
C: LawHelpMN.org
D: Google.com
Resources for Legal Clinics
Incorrect.
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

Correct!
LawHelpMN.org managed by the Minnesota Legal
Services Coalition, has a wealth of legal
information and referrals.
Clinic assistants should familiarize themselves with
this site and educate volunteer attorneys about it
whenever possible.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 2:
 What is a fact sheet and when would you use it?
A: A brief explanation of the law around a certain issue to assist
attorneys in becoming familiar with the law quickly.
B: The form a client completes when he or she wishes to see an
attorney at the legal advice clinics.
C: A document used in court that summarizes all of the stipulated
facts in a case.
D: A brief overview of VLN’s mission statement and how its legal
advice clinics are run.
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
Correct!
The fact sheet is a form, updated by Legal Aid on
an annual basis, for clinic attorneys to use that
summarizes the law quickly and in language most
clients can understand. They are extremely useful to
clinic attorneys.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 3:

What VLN webpage lists most of the resources a
clinics attorney would find helpful?
A: www.volunteerlawyersnetwork.org/volunteer
B: www.voluneteerlawyersnetwork.org/volunteer/clinic
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Correct.
This page on the VLN website lists most of the
resources from legal aid fact sheets to the VLC wiki
to the link to look up a court record.
Clinic assistants should familiarize themselves with
this site and educate volunteer attorneys around it
whenever possible.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 4:
 What is the VLN wiki?
A: Created by a group of librarians and Westlaw, it provides 300
minutes a month of access to Westlaw databases for pro bono
attorneys with an approved user name and password
B: Created by a group of librarians, it includes an option by which an
attorney may submit a question and librarians will submit an answer. It
provides online access to most VLN resources, some of which are
password protected .
C: Created by a group of librarians, it includes a chat feature by which
librarians and volunteer law students will conduct immediate research
for volunteer attorneys.
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

Correct!
VLC wiki includes form letters and court forms
developed especially for clinic attorneys.
Clinic assistants should familiarize themselves with
this site and educate volunteer attorneys whenever
possible.
The username to access the site is: VLNClinic and
the password is: 600nicollet.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 5:
 True or False: There is a link to the VLC wiki from
VLN’s website?
A: True.
B: False.
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Correct!

Most sites that a clinics attorney would frequently
use are listed on this VLN webpage.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 6:
 What legal aid fact sheet would you give a client
whose wages have been garnished to pay a debt?
A: Landlord Tenant.
B: Garnishment and your rights.
C: Consumer Fact Sheet.
D: Credit and Credit Reports.
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Incorrect.
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

Correct!
On LawHelpMN.org select Consumer and Debt then
Debt and Garnishment and choose Fact Sheet C-4.
This provides information about wage garnishment
to satisfy debts.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 7:
 What does the "get legal help" tab on the
LawHelpMN.org website do?
A: Connect the individual to the legal aid website.
B: List agencies who provide legal services by zip
code and type of area.
C: Connect the individual with a chat function at the
state self help center.
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Correct!

This tab is designed to help a person or his/her
advocate find a legal aid office or community
resource that may be able to help him/her with a
civil legal problem.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 8:
 Is LawHelpMN.org available in Spanish, Somali and
Tagalog?
A: Yes.
B: No.
C: English only.
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
Correct.
While the resources that are in English are almost
completely available in Spanish and Somali, there is
a wealth of information available in other
languages: Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Bosnian,
Cambodian, Chinese, French, Hindi, Hmong, Korean,
Laotian, Oromo, Punjabi, Russian, Serbo/Croatian,
Swahili, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 9:
 Once you are in a legal topic, what tab do you
follow to find court forms on LawHelpMN.org?
A: Consumer Debt Fact Sheet
B: Self Help Forms Tab
C: Library Link
D : Court Info Tab
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Incorrect.
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Correct.

This Self Help tab provides the forms needed for a
particular topic should a person wish to do-ityourself.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 10:
 True or False: The "Court Info" tab will give court
information for any court in the country.
A: True.
B: False.
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Incorrect.
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Correct.

The Court info tab will give court information for
any court in the state.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 11:
 True or False: ProJusticeMN is a poverty law
resource for pro bono and legal services
practitioners, law students and faculty.
A: True.
B: False.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Incorrect.
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
Correct!
ProJusticeMN was developed to help attorneys while
LawHelpMN was designed to help laypersons. Both
can be extremely helpful to attorneys.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 12:
 True or False: LawHelpMN and ProJusticeMN
require a username and password to access some
parts of the sites.
A: True
B: False
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Incorrect.
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

Correct!
ProJusticeMN does require a username and
password to access some parts of the site. Private
attorneys are approved to use the site, if they do
pro bono, in order to restrict the use of resources for
their intended purpose (to help those in poverty).
LawHelpMN does not require a password-it is open
to everyone.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question13:
 What is the Minnesota Courts Website?
A: www.mncourts.gov
B: www.minnesotacourts.org
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Correct.
www.mncourts.gov
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 14:
 Can you access court records and dockets from this
site?
A: Yes.
B: No.
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
Correct!
Most court records can be accessed online. Select
the "Find Court records" tab at the top of the main
page, then click on "access trial court records." You
will then be prompted to accept the terms of use
and then will be redirected to the page in which
you may enter search terms.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 15:
 Can you find conciliation court records on the site
listed in the previous question?
A: Yes.
B: No.
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Incorrect.
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Correct!

Conciliation court cases are now listed on this same
page.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 16:
 Can you find an Answer form on the courts site?
A: Yes.
B: No.
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
Correct!
Yes, by selecting "court forms" from the menu on the
left side of the main page.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 17:
 What resources are available from the 4th District's
self-help link?
A: Family Law.
B: Criminal Expungement.
C: Landlord Tenant.
D: Conciliation Court.
E: All of the above.
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
Correct!
The courts webpage is another excellent resource
that clinic assistants should take time to familiarize
themselves with and, when possible, teach to the
volunteer lawyers.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 18:
 True or False: There is a wide selection of civil forms
on the 4th Judicial District court forms site as well as
the state-wide forms site.
A: True.
B: False.
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
Correct.
When looking for a court form, it's best to start with
the Fourth Judicial District page and then check out
the state page. An efficient way to do this is from
the VLN webpage noted above.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 19:
 True or False: There are links to specific courts within
the 4th Judicial District's website.
A: True.
B: False.
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Correct!

The left-hand side of this site includes family court,
conciliation court, probate court, criminal court and
more.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 20:
 VLN’s website offers which of the following
resources?
A: Clinic specific resources.
B: Orientation materials.
C: Webinars.
D: All of the above.
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Correct.

All of the materials on the VLN website are
accessible by anyone.
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Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 21:
 True or False: The University of Minnesota Law
Library website offers links to local and state
government websites.
A: True.
B: False.
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True; by accessing their website individuals who are
non-students or non-faculty can click on the tab at
the top of the page that says U of M-TC Community,
then click on Research Resources.
From that link, he/she can click onto Law-Related
Web Resources and find the links to local and state
government websites.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 22:
 Where can a person go to file a consumer
complaint?
A: www.mncourts.gov
B: www.ag.state.mn.us
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Incorrect.
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
Correct!
This is the Minnesota Attorney General's website. It
provides information on filing a complaint.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 23:
 Can you file a complaint online at the Minnesota
Attorney General's website?
A: Yes.
B: No.
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
Correct!
Yes; from the home page, by clicking on the tab
entitled Complaint Form, a person wishing to file
online can follow the instructions to download a
form and file online.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 24:
 True or False: Clients can find and lay claim to
unclaimed property on the Minnesota Department
of Commerce website.
A: True.
B: False.
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
Correct!
By visiting the Dept of Commerce's website and
clicking the Unclaimed Property tab and then the
link for List of Names, an individual can find
unclaimed property by searching under a person's
name here.
To claim property, click the link entitled Filing a
Claim Form.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 25:
 What is the website for the Minnesota Department
of Labor and Industry?
A: www.dli.mn.gov
B: www.mnlabor.gov
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Correct!
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
www.dli.mn.gov
Is the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
website.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 26:
 What is the current federal minimum wage?
A: $5.85/hr
B: $6.55/hr
C: $6.85/hr
D: $7.25/hr
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
Correct!
The federal minimum wage, as of July 24, 2009, is
$7.25.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 27:
 What is the purpose of the Contractor Recovery
Fund?
A: To compensate owners who had a contractor perform work
for which they feel they should not have to pay.
B: To compensate owners who have suffered an actual loss due
to the dishonesty of a licenses contractor.
C: To compensate contractors who have performed services for
which they have not been paid by owners.
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
Correct.
The Contractor Recovery Fund compensates owners
or lessees of residential property in Minnesota who
have suffered an actual and direct out-of-pocket
loss due to a licensed contractor's fraudulent,
deceptive or dishonest practices, conversion of funds
or failure of performance.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 28:
 Does the client need a judgment first before making
a claim to the contractor recovery fund?
A: Yes.
B: No.
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
Correct!
A client must exhaust all other possible legal
remedies before making a claim with the recovery
fund. The first step is for a client to obtain a
judgment.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 29:
 Where do you find information for a client who
needs to get a certificate of rent paid?
A: MN Department of Labor.
B: MN Department of Revenue.
C: MN 4th Judicial District.
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
Correct.
By visiting the Minnesota Department of Revenue's
website a client can find information on getting a
CRP by clicking on the Individual Income Tax link,
then Refunds, then Property Tax Refund ,then
Renters Refund finally, the hyperlink Certificate of
Rent Paid.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Question 30:
 Where can you find information on mechanic's liens?
A: MN Department of Labor.
B: MN Department of Revenue.
C: MN Attorney General’s Office.
Resources for Legal Clinics
Incorrect.
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
Correct!
The Minnesota AG's website includes a PDF entitled
"Citizen's Guide to Home Building and Remodeling"
which includes information about mechanic's liens.
Next.
Resources for Legal Clinics
The End.
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