YML builds experience for underserved communities with Minnesota Legal Aid Coalition
By YML
As part of YML’s ongoing commitment to social justice within our communities, we are extremely excited to announce our launch of the new Minnesota Legal Aid digital experience, and the reimagined Interactive Legal Guide.
YML's redesign has produced a customized self-help information platform built to provide Minnesotans with free legal referrals and customized answers to their legal questions. With the launch of the guide, YML aims to increase the number of people served by this resource by 20,000 over the next year — helping protect the legal rights of Minnesotans.
Black Lives Matter.
YML began its work on the guide over a year ago as part of the company’s commitment to devoting resources to assist design and technology platforms to help address social justice causes. Because of systemic racial disparities in education, employment, family safety, health care, housing, public benefits, and other poverty law practice areas linked to people’s basic civil rights and life opportunities, the number of people of color and indigenous people served by legal aid is disproportionate to their population in Minnesota. This need for legal representation and assistance has been further exacerbated by the economic impacts of COVID 19.
The new LawHelpMN.org’s guide makes it easier for all Minnesotans to get information — whether through easy-to-understand fact sheets and online forms; legal assistance or representation; and legal self-help centers — so people can know their rights and have access to critical information faster.
Since the beginning of March 2021, the website has seen an increase of more than 175% in individual users.
“Over the last year, YML has provided Minnesota Legal Aid with invaluable support. YML continued to support this mission during a challenging 2020 that included a global pandemic and the murder of George Floyd,” said J. Singleton, Program Manager at Legal Services State Support. “YML has used its resources and expertise to reimagine how LawHelpMN.org can quickly and seamlessly connect Minnesotans with information and referrals to empower them to protect their legal rights. As we note the somber anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, there remains much work to do. Building a system where people’s rights are protected is just one element in the ongoing struggle toward racial justice.”
“As technology leaders, we have a responsibility to help create technology solutions that empower diversity and social justice within our communities,” said YML CEO, Ashish Toshniwal. “Minnesota Legal Aid is a nonprofit that is doing incredible work within Minnesota, and YML is happy to support their cause with our design and development expertise. At YML, we believe that Black Lives Matter, and I’m proud that we’ve built a global company with a 60% multicultural workforce, speaking 26 languages, nearly equal with men and women, and located in 22 countries across six continents.”
By working with YML, Minnesota Legal Aid aims to streamline the site's user experience to ensure easy access for the community as well as increase interactive usership by over 20% in 2021. Therefore, providing over 21,000 Minnesotans with customized free legal resources through their Interactive Legal Guide.
Minnesota Legal Aid is the statewide resource for civil legal aid information and referrals.