2 minute read
Helping Communities Heal: Levi Smith and Kiel McElveen
Responding to Civil Unrest
Levi Smith
Kiel McElveen
To assist the many small businesses and nonprofits that were damaged or destroyed by the riots, Levi Smith and Kiel McElveen helped organize a pro bono rapid response legal program that included a walk-in clinic located in the heart of one community especially hard-hit; set up an online intake email and a free call-in line, both in multiple languages.
Through this work, Fredrikson lawyers, paralegals and support staff have helped dozens of small business owners with legal matters relating to leases, contracts and insurance issues. Fredrikson lawyers also worked directly with many of the nonprofits that historically worked in the areas impacted by riots. Many of the nonprofits had raised funds from the pubic to support the small businesses’ ability to continue operating or to rebuild. Fredrikson lawyers have assisted by reviewing grant applications to ensure compliance with bylaws and applicable rules.
John Houston assisted Trevon Ellis, owner of The Fade Factory, after his barber shop was destroyed in the riots.
Many lawyers and paralegals staffed the walk-in clinic and provided telephone advice or further representation, including: Margy Ahmann, Olivia Cares, Aleida Conners, Clint Cutler, Leah Flygare, Thomas Henke, John Houston, Kiel McElveen, Jennifer Bouta Mojica, Amanda Mills, Dan Mott, former Fredrikson attorney Eddie Ocampo, Jenny Pusch, Levi Smith, Andrea Snook, Rick Snyder, Ben Tozer, Sarah Tucher, Amanda Welters, and paralegals Marilyn Donahue, Lisa Lindenfelser and Jeanne Tracy.
As the protests continued, many peaceful demonstrators and journalists were sprayed with chemical irritants or arrested for exercising their constitutional rights to assemble as guaranteed by the First Amendment:
Lawyers in Minneapolis worked with the local ACLU chapter to file a lawsuit alleging overuse of force by the police in responding to the protestors.
Once the immediate needs of the community were met, Fredrikson understood that the needs of the community were bigger than any one organization could address alone. The firm turned its attention to rebuilding the communities impacted by teaming with organizations to collaborate in the recruitment of volunteers; to recruit project managers to record and track in-kind donations from corporations and the public; and by drafting Memorandums of Understanding between the nearly two dozen organizations working together, collaboratively, to rebuild the communities impacted by the riots.
