Poverty Law I:

Fall 2023 - Thursdays 1:25 p.m. to 4:25 p.m.

Mondale Hall Room 15

Professors Larry McDonough and Meghan Scully
Week	Date	First Half	Second Half
1	9/7	Introduction to Poverty Law

Overview of Class and Materials

Understanding Poverty

Professor Larry McDonough

Professor Meghan Scully

The Law of Government Benefits, Measuring Poverty, and Applying for Benefits

Professor Scully

2	9/14	The Law of Government Benefit, Measuring Poverty, and Applying for Benefits, cont., and Social Security Basics

Professor Scully

Required Listening:

Trends with Benefits, This American Life,

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/490/trends-with-benefits

Required Reading:

Supplemental Security 101: A Guide for Advocates, By:

Jenny Chung Mejia, Justice in Aging, March 2018

https://justiceinaging.org/our-work/economic-security/ssiaccess/

In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program, By Jennifer Kye and Kate Lang for Justice in Aging, April 2018

https://justiceinaging.org/our-work/economic-security/ssiaccess/

SSI Exercise and Hypotheticals

Food Programs, SNAP

Professor Scully

7 C.F.R. §§ 271.1 - 274.8

Required Reading:

A Quick Guide to SNAP Eligibility and Benefits, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, March 3, 2023

https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-quick-guide-to-
snap-eligibility-and-benefits

Required Listening:

Busted America's Poverty Myths, On the Media, Episodes 1 & 2

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/projects/busted-ameri
cas-poverty-myths

SNAP Exercise and Hypotheticals

3	9/21	Cash Programs: MFIP

Professor Scully

Minn. Stat. Ch. 256J

Minn. Stat. Ch. 256P

Required Readings:

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Legislative History, Congressional Research Services, Version 20, March 08, 2023

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R44668

Required Listening

Busted America's Poverty Myths, On the Media:, Episodes 3 & 4

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/projects/busted-ameri
cas-poverty-myths

Cash Programs: MFIP, continued

Professor Scully

Minn. Stat. Ch. 256J

Minn. Stat. Ch. 256P

MFIP Household Hypotheticals
4	9/28	Cash Programs: MFIP, continued

Professor Scully

Minn. Stat. Ch. 256J

Minn. Stat. Ch. 256P

5-Year Exercise and Hypotheticals

Cash Programs for Adults without Children, GA and MSA

Professor Scully

Minn. Stat. Ch. 256D

GA and MSA Exercise and Hypotheticals

5	10/5	Medical Benefits

Professor Scully

Minn. Stat. Ch. 256B

Medical Benefits, Continued

Professor Scully

Medical Assistance Exercise and Hypotheticals.

6	10/12	TBA	TBA

Research Problem #1 Handed Out

7	10/19	Readability/Plain English Lecture

Professor Scully

Research Problem # 1 Due at 1:25 p.m. via email to Professor Scully

Readability/Plain English Exercises

Professor Scully

8	10/26	Housing Introduction

Professor McDonough

Tenants' Rights in Minnesota, Minnesota Legal Services Coalition

Housing: Eviction Overview

Professor McDonough

McDonough, Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota, Chapters I - V and Answer Form A1

Skim reading

9	11/2	Housing: 2023 Legislation

Get Ready for 2024 - Landlord and Tenant Law Is Changing!

Housing: Eviction Service Defenses

Professor McDonough

McDonough, Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota, Chapter VI, §§ A-C and Answer Form A1

Read service defenses of Answer Form A1

Skim Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota § VI.C table of contents and text for more information.

10	11/9	Housing: Eviction Precondition Defenses

Professor McDonough

McDonough, Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota Chapter VI, § D and Answer Form A1

Read precondition defenses of Answer Form A1

Skim Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota § VI.D table of contents and text for more information (except public and subsidized housing).

Housing: Eviction Rent Defenses

Professor McDonough

McDonough, Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota, Chapter VI, § E and Answer Form A1

Read rent defenses of Answer Form A1

Skim Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota § VI.E table of contents and text for more information (except public and subsidized housing).

11	11/16	Rescheduled
11/20

7:00 p.m.	Housing: Eviction Notice Defenses

Professor McDonough

McDonough, Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota, Chapter VI, § F and Answer Form A1

Read notice defenses of Answer Form A1

Skim Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota § VI.F table of contents and text for more information (except public and subsidized housing).

Housing: Eviction Breach Defenses

Professor McDonough

McDonough, Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota, Chapter VI, § G and Answer Form A1

Read breach defenses of Answer Form A1

Skim Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota § VI.G table of contents and text for more information (except public and subsidized housing)

12	11/23

Thanksgiving (No Class)

13	11/28	Research Problem #2 Emailed at 1:25 p.m. (no class)

13	11/30
Housing: Eviction Relief, Post Trial Issues and Settlement

Professor McDonough

McDonough, Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota, Chapter I §R., Chapters VII - IX

Read relief in Answer Form A1

Skim Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota Chapters VII - IX table of contents and text for more information.	Housing: Security Deposits

Professor McDonough

McDonough, Security Deposits in Minnesota

Housing: Other Landlord and Tenant Actions

Read the forms for emergency tenant remedies actions, rent escrow actions, and tenant remedies actions and skim Chapter XII §§ B.0-3 table of contents and text for more information.

Habitability Website

McDonough, Residential Eviction Defense and Tenant Claims in Minnesota, Chapter XII.B

14	12/5

Tues	Last Class

Professors McDonough and Scully

Complete surveys and provide class feedback

Research Problem # 2 Due at 1:25 p.m. via email to mcdon056@umn.edu