Lindsey Hanson

Lindsey Hanson has devoted her legal career to public interest law. As Pro Bono Counsel, Lindsey works closely with the Pro Bono Chair and Committee to manage the firm’s nationally recognized pro bono program. An experienced poverty law litigator passionate about access to justice, Lindsey collaborates with legal services organizations to facilitate the firm’s pro bono services and serves as a resource to firm attorneys in pro bono matters. Lindsey also maintains a pro bono practice focused on representing low-income tenants in housing matters.

Prior to joining Robins Kaplan, Lindsey was a legal aid attorney and an in-house attorney at a government agency. She has represented and advised low-income tenants in numerous eviction actions, reasonable accommodation requests, fair housing complaints, public and subsidized housing disputes, emergency lockout and repair actions, security deposit claims, and disputes arising from tenancies in foreclosed properties. Lindsey has also represented low-income clients in immigration and child protection cases and is experienced in the areas of Indian law, cultural resource law, and disability discrimination law.

Education

University of St. Thomas School of Law, J.D. (2010)

Representative Matters

Secured expungement of eviction action, over the landlord’s opposition, for a low-income client who withheld her January rent to get the landlord to make repairs to a broken furnace and address a significant rat infestation at the property. 

Secured rental home and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher for a victim-survivor of domestic violence in the process of leaving her abusive husband after her husband terminated their lease and attempted to use the family's Section 8 Voucher at another rental home.

As lead counsel, represented plaintiffs in Langdon, et al. v. Ministry of Criminal Justice Supportive Housing Services, LLC, et al., complex multi-party litigation in which plaintiffs brought claims for financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, violations of landlord-tenant law, and a novel Fair Housing Act “reverse redlining” cause of action against eleven defendant-landlords. Following substantial discovery on plaintiffs claims and the cross-claims and counterclaims of defendants, plaintiffs obtained partial summary judgment and settled their claims against the remaining defendants securing a stipulated judgment, nearly six times their actual monetary losses, costs and attorneys’ fees, and ongoing training and monitoring requirements to ensure defendants’ compliance with landlord-tenant law and the Fair Housing Act. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

As lead counsel, represented Plaintiff in Carroll v. Linehan, et al. bringing claims for financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and unlawful bad faith ouster when plaintiff’s landlord illegally locked him out of his home and destroyed his belongings. The case settled confidentially. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

• Named a “North Star Lawyer” by the Minnesota State Bar Association for providing at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services (2022-2023)

Civic

• Volunteer Lawyers Network, Board of Directors (2021-2024)
• Civil Justice Subcommittee of the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s Committee on Equality and Justice, Member

Media Mentions

• "2022 Community Impact Awards," Twin Cities Business (May 3, 2022)

Publications

“Update of Selected Studies in Transportation Law, Volume 8, Section 3: Indian Transportation Law,” The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (July 2019)

“The New Faces of American Poverty: A Reference Guide to the Great Recession,” ABC-Clio (2014)