LegalCorps honors Marty Rosenbaum

LegalCorps Board President Diane Paterson of the University of St. Thomas and Marty Rosenbaum

In 2009, I wrote a column about Marty Rosenbaum, a veteran Minneapolis lawyer, who gave back to the community by advising struggling nonprofits and shoestring entrepreneurs who couldn't afford a lawyer.

The Minnesota chapter of LegalCorps was perfect for Rosenbaum, a business lawyer not a litigator, who has little experience with eviction, family disputes or immigration.

Jim Baillie of Fredrikson & Byron a dean of the Twin Cities bankruptcy bar, along with several other commercial lawyers, launched the Minnesota chapter of LegalCORPS in 2004. It's a pro bono conduit for commercial lawyers who want to specialize in "preventative maintenance" with small-business clients or nonprofits who aren't yet big enough to afford counsel.

Last month, LegalCorps recognized Rosenbaum' years of service at its annual volunteer event.

"I got involved as a LegalCorps when I was looking for opportunities to get Maslon's transactional attorneys more involved in pro bono," Rosenbaum said. "LegalCorps…allows business lawyers to use our special skills and expertise. As I have served LegalCorps clients and interacted with our partner agencies, I have seen the value of providing access to business law advice that can strengthen our underserved communities in Minnesota."

In addition to a decade of board service, Rosenbaum has regularly staffed "brief advice" clinics since 2006, and represented numerous low-income entrepreneurs and small nonprofits, including a St. Paul woman with a knack for caring for the elderly who set up a small business that helps seniors live independently at afraction of nursing home costs.

Rosenbaum also serves as co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee of the Business Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, and is past chair of the Maslon Pro Bono Committee.