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 2022, TAKING ON SEVERAL NEW CASES AND ACHIEVING SIGNIFICANT LEGAL VICTORIES. UMLC ALSO INCREASED ITS FOOTPRINT, ITS REVENUE AND ITS BASE OF SUPPORTERS SUBSTANTIALLY FROM 2021, AND HIRED A NEW FULL-TIME ATTORNEY. ITS CASELOAD IN 2022 GREW TO OVER THIRTY-FIVE, SOME ONGOING, SOME ADDRESSING CRITICAL NEW ISSUES. IN JUNE, UMLC CEMENTED ITS LANDMARK VICTORY OVER POLICE DEFUNDING WHEN THE MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT RULED THAT THE MAYOR OF MINNEAPOLIS HAD A DUTY TO FUND AND EMPLOY THE NUMBER OF POLICE REQUIRED BY THE CITY CHARTER. UMLC ALSO WON AN IMPORTANT VICTORY IN THE FEDERAL EIGHTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS FOR TAXPAYER STANDING IN OUR CASE AGAINST TAX-SUPPORTED LEAVE FOR POLITICS BY THE TEACHERS UNION, PURSUED A MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT APPEAL AGAINST THE "CALIFORNIA CAR" RULE ON MINNESOTA AUTO EMISSIONS, AND FILED ONE OF THE FEDERAL LAWSUITS WHICH LED TO THE REPEAL OF THE FEDERAL RACE-BASED FARM LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, WE PURSUED OTHER ONGOING CASES, INCLUDING SEVERAL ELECTION INTEGRITY CASES CHALLENGING UNLAWFUL PRACTICES RELATED TO VOTER ROLLS AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS. UMLC ALSO PURSUED LAWSUITS 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 SEVERAL LAWSUITS AGAINST 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, PUBLIC DATA LAWS AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT. UMLC ATTORNEYS CONTINUED TO PRESENT AT CONFERENCES, MEETINGS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN THE AREA, AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND THEIR WORK HAS GENERATED AN INCREASED PRESENCE IN THE MEDIA AND MADE A DIFFERENCE IN FIGHTING FOR LIBERTY THROUGH LITIGATION.