2025 Fall/Spring Pro Bono Law Clerk

Summary

Stinson runs the longest running firm-led health law clinic in the country (the "Deinard Legal Clinic"), located at the Community-University Health Care Center ("CUHCC") in the Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis. Through the Deinard Legal Clinic, Stinson timekeepers provide pro bono representation on a range of matters including family law matters, housing issues, immigration, supplemental security income (SSI) administrative appeals, consumer/identity theft issues, and criminal expungements.

The Pro Bono Law Clerk works both in a professional office environment (est. 20%) and in a fast-paced, non-profit, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis (est. 80%.) The clerk should have a commitment to working with low-income people and medical-legal partnerships. The position is part-time (maximum 20 hours a week and minimum 15 hours a week) and pays $22.00 an hour. No benefits are provided. The position starts in September 2025 and runs through May 2026.

Required Education & Experience

• The student should be entering their second or third year of law school.

Preferred Education & Experience

• Experience working with the indigent and/or individuals from underserved communities,
• Experience in family law, immigration, or housing law areas and prior law school clinical experience.
• Fluency in Spanish, Somali, or Hmong helpful.
• Has completed or is currently enrolled in a professional responsibility course.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Pro Bono Work (80%)
  
  
  
  • The law clerk will work under the supervision of Stinson's Pro Bono Attorney, Tim Sanders Szabo, a licensed attorney, on the initial client intake and screenings, and will interface with CUHCC staff on client matters and case support
  • Perform intakes with clients/patients referred to the Deinard Legal Clinic on a weekly basis. The law clerk will be expected to be on-site at the Deinard Legal Clinic at least three days per week for at least four hours each day. The law clerk's on-site schedule will be established in coordination with Pro Bono Attorney and the law clerk will be expected to maintain that schedule.
  • Draft intake/screening memos, present intakes and screenings to Stinson's Deinard Legal Clinic Screening Committee every two weeks, draft correspondence to clients, attorneys, and CUHCC staff
  • Meet with Pro Bono Attorney on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to review and discuss intakes/screenings
  • Provide brief service and advice on matters and assist with referrals to other legal agencies under Pro Bono Attorney's supervision
  • Work with a variety of Stinson attorneys in the Minneapolis office in support of those attorneys' pro bono matters
  
  
  
  

• General and Administrative (20%)
  
  
  
  • Perform other duties as assigned
  • Please note the percentage of work the law clerk will dedicate to general and administrative support of the firm's pro bono department will likely be greater in the spring.
  
  
  
  

Competencies:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Self-motivated with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Highly professional with a strong client service orientation, commitment to meeting deadlines, and ability to multitask in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Strong professional, independent thinking skills with strength in problem solving and the ability to offer constructive opinions and creative solutions
• A team player who motivates and educates other team members
• Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of the position

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Travel

Travel to and from CUHCC (2001 Bloomington Avenue South, MPLS) and Stinson's MPL office (50 South 6^th Street, MPLS) multiple times per week. Parking at CUHCC is open to the public. Parking at Stinson's MPL office will be included.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. While performing the responsibilities of the position, these work environment characteristics are representative of the environment the person in this position will encounter. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will work in a professional, fast paced office environment that may require additional hours to complete work.

These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. If an employee is unable to perform the essential functions of the position, Stinson LLP will evaluate whether a reasonable accommodation can be made to enable the employee to perform the described essential functions of the position. Generally, due to the nature of this office position, while performing the responsibilities of the position, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers, to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Vision abilities required by the job include close vision.

EEO Statement

Stinson LLP is an equal employment opportunity (EEO) employer. We encourage qualified minority, female, veteran, disabled, and other diverse candidates to apply to be considered for open positions. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package. We conduct criminal background checks on all individuals offered employment. Information gathered through applicant voluntary self-identification will be used for statistical reporting and to measure the effectiveness of our EEO outreach efforts. All information is requested on a voluntary basis and will be kept confidential. We will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.