Breaking the Ice: Housing expungement win helps earn award

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Peter LaCourse’s work as housing supervising attorney at Justice North, a nonprofit civil law firm serving northern Minnesota, has bolstered district courts’ power to expunge tenant eviction records.

In recognition of such results, LaCourse recently received the Bernard P. Becker Emerging Leader Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association.

“It was a great honor,” LaCourse said. “But I view the award as a reflection of the work that our housing team at Justice North does, not just what I do here.”

In 2023, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a tenant LaCourse represented in a dispute with the Housing & Redevelopment Authority of Duluth.

The decision “established that courts have an inherent authority to expunge eviction records,” LaCourse said. “Expungements are incredibly important. Having an eviction on your record makes it really difficult to find new housing.”

LaCourse likes the court time and fast pace of housing cases. “Plus, I can see the impact that it has on the clients,” he said.

Name: Peter LaCourse

Title: Housing supervising attorney, Justice North

Education: B.A., political science, University of Minnesota; J.D., Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Q: Best way to start a conversation with you?

A: Just be friendly. But if you want to have a longer conversation, mention basically any competitive sport and I can probably talk to you for hours. Pro sports, college sports, anything.

Q: Why law school?

A: I took a couple of law-related classes in college and loved them. As a political science major, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. Law school made sense and turned out to be a great decision.

Q: What are you reading?

A: “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier. It’s a novel from the 1930s. I try to go one novel from before I was born, one novel after I was born and then one nonfiction book. I kind of stick to that pattern.

Q: Pet peeve?

A: Maybe lawyers who take themselves too seriously. We have serious jobs, but you need to be able to laugh at yourself a little bit.

Q: Best part of your work?

A: The clients. I’ve met a lot of great people and gotten to help great people. Taking someone who’s at a real low point and trying to get them through that, that’s the best part.

Q: Most challenging?

A: The most challenging is one of my favorite parts. Housing cases are very fast-paced. Our trials for evictions are typically held within a week or two after the first appearance, so there’s always going to be some level of, sort of flying by the seat of your pants. It’s not for everyone, but I enjoy that challenge.

Q: Favorite activity away from work?

A: Traveling with my wife. We’ve done a few European trips. We recently went to Italy. We’ve been to France and Switzerland.

Q: Where would you take someone visiting your hometown?

A: I grew up in Cloquet, Minnesota, pretty close to Duluth. I’d probably take someone visiting to Gordy’s High-Hat for a burger and some onion rings.

Q: Legal figure you admire?

A: My wife, Emilee Meyer. She’s also an attorney at Justice North. She primarily does family law and domestic abuse cases on the Iron Range. Her cases are difficult, but she does a great job, and she’s just amazing.

Q: Misconception about your work?

A: A lot of people think that housing law can be pretty simple. I think it’s more complicated than people give it credit for, especially when you’re dealing with subsidized housing or a very large repair case, which we see fairly often.

Q: Favorite book, movie or TV show about lawyers?

A: “The Verdict” starring Paul Newman. It’s a great movie. Even though Paul Newman’s character, his legal practice, is thankfully not very similar to mine, I appreciate that he’s an underdog going up against the large institution. It’s also a great example of, no matter how bad your caseload looks at a given moment, there’s always that big case that could be coming around the corner. It’s a classic.