About The Minnesota Client Security Board
The legal profession depends upon the trust of clients. When attorneys betray that trust and improperly handle client funds or property, it is important that the legal profession help clients who have been victimized by the dishonesty of their lawyer. The Client Security Fund was established by the Minnesota Supreme Court to aid those persons who suffer a loss (mostly theft) because of dishonest conduct on the part of a lawyer during the course of an attorney-client relationship in this state. The Client Security Board administers the Fund and receives, investigates, and handles claims with the assistance of staff provided by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility. The Client Security Board consists of five attorneys and two non-attorneys who are appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court. The Client Security Board determines if your application qualifies for reimbursement and whether all or part of the application will be paid.
The Fund may reimburse up to $150,000 for dishonest conduct committed by a Minnesota lawyer. It covers the loss of money or property resulting from lawyer dishonesty (i.e., theft), but not because the lawyer acted incompetently, committed malpractice, or failed to take certain actions. As a general rule, the Fund cannot resolve fee disputes between an attorney and a client. Typical losses include various forms of theft such as stealing personal injury settlement funds or other funds entrusted to the lawyer, failure to refund fees when the lawyer performed no services, and borrowing money from a client without the intention or the ability to repay it. The Fund does not reimburse expenses or incidental or consequential losses caused by the attorney, such as fees paid to another attorney or damages caused by the attorney’s malpractice, negligence, or incompetence. Reimbursement by the Fund is a matter of grace, not of right.
Please review the FAQs before submitting a claim to see if you may qualify.
