Pro bono spotlight: Mingli Wu 

Mingli Wu serves as assistant general counsel at Wells Fargo, where he focuses on capital markets and securities transactions. He volunteers with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) and the Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN), providing pro bono immigration and housing legal services.   

Wu discovered his passion for pro bono work as a law student with the Minnesota Justice Foundation. That commitment has continued throughout his career. At ILCM, Wu represents clients in naturalization cases and helps parolees apply for temporary protected status (TPS) and work authorization. With VLN, Wu supports low-income tenants seeking eviction expungements by gathering evidence, filing motions, and negotiating with landlords’ counsel. 

Wu notes that pro bono work doesn’t require monumental time commitments. Organizations like ILCM and VLN offer structured, bite-sized opportunities that fit even the busiest schedules. “I prioritize efficiency by selecting projects aligned with my experience and leveraging organizational training and templates,” he says. “Wells Fargo’s strong culture of supporting pro bono work also helps make service an integrated part of my professional life.” 

Wu is motivated to provide pro bono services by his experience as a first-generation immigrant. “A naturalization certificate is not just paperwork,” he says. “It represents a path to a brighter future. An expunged eviction record is not just a hidden file—it offers a fresh start toward stable housing. This work reaffirms my belief in the true purpose of law: not merely a set of rules, but a tool for empowering the most vulnerable among us.” 

The views expressed by Mingli Wu are his personal views and do not reflect the views of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., its parent company, affiliates, and subsidiaries.  

Visit ProJusticeMN.org to start your own pro bono volunteer journey.