"In the Twin Cities, it’s tough for new law school grads to find jobs, and there are plenty of people who live just above the poverty line who can’t afford traditional legal services. So a new nonprofit in St. Paul plans to tackle both those problems. The Collaborative Community Law Initiative (CCLI) was formed to create a business incubator that helps law school graduates set up their own practices.

The first four lawyers are expected to set up shop in the final quarter of this year in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul. Once they get rolling, they’ll focus on landlord-tenant disputes, criminal expungements, uncontested divorces, small business assistance and child support modifications.

“In our vast middle class, there are a lot of people struggling,” explains John Degnan, a Briggs & Morgan trial lawyer who is raising money for CCLI. He appreciates the fact that the CCLI program links new lawyers with clients who couldn’t afford higher legal fees charged by big firms. “I call it ‘low bono,’ ” he says, because it serves those who are financially a notch above legal aid, or pro bono, clients..."

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