Legal Rights Center

What it reported doing in 2025

See schedule o.through our community defense program we provide free criminal defense to children and adults utilizing a model of providing holistic, client-centered and community-driven representation to clients who otherwise could not afford an attorney. We prioritize clients and cases involving injustices, focused on challenging harmful systemic processes or practices, or in which the client may benefit from supportive community resources. We also utilize a team representation model, with each client working with both an attorney and a community advocate. In 2025, lrc provided criminal defense representation on 337 juvenile and adult cases. 35% of cases with representation by lrc attorneys were acquitted, dismissed, diverted or discharged. An additional 6% of cases with lrc representation resulted in a stay of adjudication, for a total of 41% of lrc cases with no convictions in 2025. We have expanded our post-conviction support, supporting clients through the applications for pardons and commutations, and supporting 96 people through the expungement process. Additionally, our client support team serves as a resource for individuals for whom we are not able to provide full representation. In 2025, our community advocate and program assistant served as a resource for thousands of individuals, referring to other pro bono legal services, government agencies for legal problem solving, and to community programs.our restorative justice program includes three core areas of work: school-based restorative services facilitation (i.e. Family group conferences, circles to repair harm, restorative dialogue, etc.), capacity building professional development engagements with educators and school communities, and expanding access to restorative at decision points leading to and within the juvenile justice system, including schools, police, prosecutors and courts. In 2025, our restorative justice program facilitated 58 targeted restorative interventions, each with individually determined benchmarks for success. Of the direct referral cases supported by our team which closed in 2025, 95.8% met benchmarks for success. Additionally, in 2025, our team worked across 51 schools to engage in these interventions and provide over 334 hours of restorative practices consultation, training, and co-facilitation, and 81 circle spaces. A total of 440 staff were involved, with 279 students participating in co-facilitated restorative circles or other interventions facilitated in consultation with school staff.our community strategy team integrates the work of the organization related to community education and advocacy. Comprised of organizers and educators, this team's work includes policy advocacy at the city, state and county level, community legal education, and outreach/engagement so that community members are aware of lrc's services. In 2025, lrc held in 19 community legal education presentations, reaching 465 community members. We also engaged approximately 700 community members at events across the twin cities, distributing lrc information and resources. In 2025 we employed 8 youth as community legal educators who helped create videos and content for our knowyourrightsmn.org website, with information on a number of community education topics. We also hosted a week-long know your rights camp with 20 youth participants. Planned and executed by our youth community legal educators, participants were immersed in an interactive week of legal empowerment workshops and activities. Over the course of the year we employed 5 youth as campaign fellows who participated in our end youth prison mn campaign and our mn coalition for youth justice.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 95.4%; rating input score 95
• Program expense ratio: 77.1%; rating input score 77
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -23.7%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.3; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.36; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.5%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 10.3% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings