Upper Midwest Law Center

THE UMLC PROVIDES PUBLIC INTEREST LEGAL REPRESENTATION, WITHOUT CHARGE, FOR INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHICH HAVE SUFFERED HARM TO THEIR PERSONS OR RIGHTS DUE TO ABUSIVE, OVERREACHING OR OPPRESSIVE ACTION BY GOVERNMENTAL, LABOR UNION AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS/AGENCIES. THE CENTER SEEKS TO OBTAIN REDRESS FOR SUCH WRONGS BY PURSUING LEGAL ACTION UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL, STATUTORY AND COMMON LAW LEGAL THEORIES AND TO THEREBY ESTABLISH LEGAL PRINCIPLES WHICH EXPAND INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AGAINST SUCH ABUSE, OVERREACHING AND OPPRESSION.

UPPER MIDWEST LAW CENTER CONTINUED TO GROW AND IMPACT FREEDOM FOR CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES IN 2021, TAKING ON SEVERAL NEW CASES AND ACHIEVING SIGNIFICANT LEGAL VICTORIES. UMLC ALSO INCREASED ITS FOOTPRINT AND BASE OF SUPPORTERS SUBSTANTIALLY FROM 2020, AND HIRED A NEW PART TIME ATTORNEY IN NOVEMBER, MOVED TO LARGER OFFICES, AND UPGRADED TECHNOLOGY. ITS CASELOAD IN 2021 GREW TO OVER THIRTY, SOME ONGOING, SOME ADDRESSING CRITICAL NEW ISSUES. IN JULY, UMLC WON A LANDMARK VICTORY OVER POLICE DEFUNDING WHEN A MINNESOTA DISTRICT COURT RULED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR OF MINNEAPOLIS HAD A DUTY TO FUND AND EMPLOY THE NUMBER OF POLICE REQUIRED BY THE CITY CHARTER. UMLC ALSO ACHIEVED A FAVORABLE SETTLEMENT AGAINST MINNESOTA'S GOVERNOR, REQUIRING THAT HE COULD NO LONGER USE HIS ALLEGED PANDEMIC POWERS TO RESTRICT CHURCHES MORE THAN BIG BUSINESSES, AND WON A CASE AT THE MINNESOTA COURT OF APPEALS REQUIRING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO RELEASE DOCUMENTS ON ITS OUT-OF-STATE FUNDED, PLANTED, POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ATTORNEYS. IN ADDITION TO OTHER ONGOING CASES INCLUDING FIGHTING A MASK MANDATE AGAINST MINNESOTA'S GOVERNOR AND THE UNLAWFUL DUES SKIMMING BY PUBLIC UNIONS, ULMC FILED SUIT AGAINST SEVERAL EMPLOYERS WHO TOOK ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTION BASED ON EMPLOYEES' REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE IN CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND OTHER FORCED INDOCTRINATION IN THE WORKPLACE, AND ALSO FILED SUIT AGAINST THREE EMPLOYERS BASED ON THEIR RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST VACCINE EXEMPTION APPLICANTS. UMLC ALSO GATHERED INFORMATION AND PREPARED CASES AGAINST SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MINNESOTA BASED ON VIEWPOINT DISCRIMINATION AND FOR SCHOOL BOARD VIOLATIONS OF OPEN MEETING AND PUBLIC DATA LAWS. UMLC ATTORNEYS CONTINUED TO PRESENT AT CONFERENCES, MEETINGS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN THE AREA, AND THEIR WORK HAS GENERATED AN INCREASED PRESENCE IN THE MEDIA AND MADE A DIFFERENCE IN FIGHTING FOR LIBERTY THROUGH LITIGATION.