Legal aid's biggest activist is moving on

He is known as the Happy Warrior of Legal Aid. Bruce Beneke is stepping down after 30 years as the head of the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services. It is the state's oldest and second-largest legal aid organization.

During his tenure, Beneke came up with creative ways to pay for legal assistance for the poor. He's won bipartisan support for his belief that legal representation for the poor is the right and smart thing to do.

Beneke says his organization has saved the state millions of dollars a year by helping poor mothers get child support money, and disabled people receive federal disability benefits. He spoke with MPR's Greta Cunningham.

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