A free half-day CLE, followed by public reception with educational exhibit and a juried art show of works created by artists with developmental disabilities.  Application will be made for 3 hours of CLE credit, including ethics and elimination of bias.

CLE Registration:  1 – 1:15 pm
 
CLE Session 1:  Legal Foundations
1:15 – 1:45 pm
This panel will provide an overview of the history of the struggle to secure civil rights for people with disabilities, with particular attention to the role of the federal courts and the State of Minnesota in this struggle.
Panelists:  Professor Elizabeth Schiltz, University of St. Thomas School of Law, and Bahram Samie, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota
Moderated by (Ret.) Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
 
CLE Session 2:  Seeking Justice Together – What We Have Learned
2:00 – 3:30 pm
This panel will explore the ethics, best practices, and challenges relating to class settlements and communications:  Welsch and Jensen.
Panelists:  Daniel Gustafson, Gustafson Gluek PLLC; Michael Fargione, McEllistrem, Fargione, Rorvig & Moe, P.A.; Shamus P. O’Meara, O’Meara, Leer, Wagner & Kohl, P.A.; and Anne Barry, University of Minnesota School of Public Health
Moderated by Honorable Donovan W. Frank, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
 
CLE Session 3 – The Unfinished Journey of the Legal Profession
3:45-4:45 pm
This panel will address needs and accommodations for lawyers with disabilities from law school and the bar exam and throughout public and private practice. 
Panelists:  Emily Eschweiler, Minnesota Board of Law Examiners; Paul Floyd, Minnesota State Bar Association, Wallen-Friedman & Floyd;  Sierra Grandy, University of Minnesota Law School (2024 J.D. Candidate); Allison Quinn, Mitchell Hamline School of Law. 
Moderated by Lauren Clements, Littler

Reception from 5:00 PM-7:00 PM, remarks at 5:30 PM

Including "I am": A Juried Art Show of Works Created by Artists with Developmental Disabilities
ASL interpreters provided
Free, open to the public, family-friendly
Light appetizers and beverages provided
 
This program is presented in conjunction with the District of Minnesota’s Public Outreach Committee, and is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Minnesota Disability Bar Association, and MSS.

Please contact Rebeccah Parks with any questions or additional requests for accommodations.  612-644-5124, rebeccah_parks@mnd.uscourts.gov

Please join us for an informal, in person social event.  Whether this is your first or fifth MDisBA event, we look forward to meeting you and connecting.

Register for the event here. Please email Ann Motl at ann.motl@gtlaw.com with any questions or accommodation needs.

Sponsored by the Federal Bar Association, this annual gathering is a beloved opportunity to connect with members of affinity bar groups from around Minnesota. Please email Megan Odom at MLO@ciresiconlin.com with any questions or accommodation needs.

Please join the ACS Minneapolis-St. Paul Lawyer Chapter, the ACS St. Thomas Student Chapter, and the Minnesota Disability Bar Association for a discussion with Stephen Bright. Bright is the director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, and he will discuss his work in the areas of capital punishment, counsel for poor people accused of crimes, racial discrimination in the criminal legal system and his new book (with co-author James Kwak), The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts (2023).

Approved for 1.0 Elimination of Bias CLE credit. Books available for signing at event.

If you need any accommodations for this event, please contact: Saraswati Singh, saraswati26@gmail.com, or Marian Farah, fara8947@stthomas.edu. 

Hosted By: University of St. Thomas School of Law; Minneapolis-St. Paul Lawyer Chapter

Hear from legal professionals who received disability diagnoses during law school or practice and how they managed this journey during busy professional times.  Panelists will discuss numerous topics including receiving accommodations and support, advice for others receiving diagnoses during busy phases in life, and how they use their disability to their benefit in practice.  Individuals without disabilities are also encouraged to attend to learn how to better support their colleagues and gain an understanding of disability.

Panelists:

• Darnell Cage, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath

• Jennifer Coates, Dorsey & Whitney

• Kaitlyn Dennis, Gustafson Gluek

• Eleanor Frisch, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll

• Chase Webber, Judicial Law Clerk

• Moderator: Brianna Chamberlin Patterson, Cooley

Attendance options:

• Remote - free (Zoom link to be sent by email)

• In person with box lunch - free for MDisBA members.  If you have not yet become a member, you can join at the link here.

• In person with box lunch (not MDisBA member) - $25.  You will receive a separate link requesting payment.

• In person (no box lunch, bring your own lunch) - free

Please email Ann Motl at ann.motl@gtlaw.com with any accommodation needs or dietary restrictions.

While you are enjoying a delicious brunch, Gender Justice Legal Director Jess Braverman will facilitate a CLE conversation with Melissa Murray, co-host of the popular Supreme Court podcast “Strict Scrutiny” from Crooked Media.Melissa Murray, a legal analyst for MSNBC and professor of law at New York University, is one of the nation’s leading experts on women’s rights, reproductive rights and justice, and the United States Supreme Court. Jess and Melissa will explore the intersection of gender, race, and the law and the ways in which gendered roles and expectations have long permeated—and continue to permeate—all aspects of our society today.

CLE credit is available.

*This event is not sponsored by the Minnesota Disability Bar Association

During this meeting, which will be held via Zoom, we will hear from board candidates and vote to elect this Bar Year’s leadership board.  All positions are open including Pres., VP, Treasurer, Sec., and At-Large member.  To add your name to the ballot, please do so at the link here.  Please indicate which positions you are interested in, and include in approximately one paragraph indicating why you would like to be on the board and your qualifications.  In accordance with our bylaws, most members (including student members) are voting members, but only attorney members are eligible to run for office.  Anyone is eligible to be a committee chair, as described below.

During the meeting on September 29, we will have the candidates introduce themselves and then use ranked choice voting. For those candidates unable to attend, we will read the statement of interest.
 
In addition to the leadership board, we have many other ways to be involved, such as serving as a committee chair or committee member.  Our committees for this year will be:
•    Fundraising
•    Communications and social media
•    Mentorship

In accordance with our bylaws, the executive board will choose committee chairpersons after elections.  If you would like to be a committee chairperson, please email mndisba@gmail.com a statement of interest, including which committee you would like to chair and why you would be a good fit as chairperson.
 
Please register to receive Zoom credentials. If you have any questions about the process, please email mndisba@gmail.com. Please also email mndisba@gmail.com to notify us of any accommodation needs.

July is Disability Pride Month and coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the ADA.  In honor of this, we are hosting a social event on Thursday, July 20 from 5:00 PM-7:00 PM at Malcolm Yards (501 30th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414).  Please RSVP to mndisba@gmail.com or at the link here with any request for accommodations.  Hope to see you there!

Please join the ACS Minneapolis-St. Paul Lawyer Chapter for a free CLE to hear from Minnesota’s Attorney General, Keith Ellison, regarding his recollection of George Floyd’s Murder, the trial, and the aftermath. This event is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Disability Bar Association, the People’s Parity Project, and the Southwest Alliance for Equity.

Please join us in person! Drinks and refreshments will generously be provided by Fredrickson & Byron P.A. Virtual attendance is also available. CLE credit available.

Keith Ellison is the Attorney General for the State of Minnesota. Previously, Attorney General Ellison served in Congress representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District from 2007 to 2019. Prior to his service in Congress, Attorney General Ellison served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2002 to 2006. Attorney General Ellison graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Copies of Attorney General Ellison's book, Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence, will not be available at the event and should be purchased in advance of the event through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Magers & Quinn, Next Chapter Booksellers, or other local booksellers.

The FBA Diversity & Inclusion Committee invites you to our 9th annual AFFINITY BAR MEET AND GREET connecting FBA leadership, the federal judiciary and our Affinity Bar leaders and members.

RSVP to keiko.sugisaka@maslon.com

*Parking is available via street, valet or at the Hennepin Healthcare Clinic across the street after 5pm.

Minnesota CLE is hosting a live Access, Advocacy, And Affinity – Tools For Developing Disability Inclusive Practices seminar on May 23, 2023. The afternoon will have informative and important presentations including

• Start with Considering the Client’s Needs – Reflections on Becoming More Disability-Inclusive;

• Advocating for Clients with Disabilities – Best Practices for Access and Accommodation;

• Committing to Disability Inclusion in the Legal Profession (featuring a discussion about the Minnesota Disability Bar Association)

*This event is not sponsored by the Minnesota Disability Bar Association and is being cross-promoted here due to its relevance to the disability community.

Join us to learn more about MDisBA and how you can get involved.  Whether this is your first or fifth meeting, we would love to have you!  All are welcome.

Event Timing: Friday, April 14 12 PM-1 PM

For accommodation needs, please contact ann.motl@gtlaw.com

Please join us for a networking event sponsored by the Minnesota Disability Bar Association and the University of Minnesota Law School’s Well-Being Initiative!  All are welcome.

For accommodation needs, please contact ann.motl@gtlaw.com.

Refreshments will be provided.

Please join us for a networking event sponsored by the Minnesota Disability Bar Association and the University of Minnesota Law School’s Well-Being Initiative!  All are welcome.
For accommodation needs, please contact ann.motl@gtlaw.com.
Refreshments will be provided.

At the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association annual conference on Saturday, February 11, 2023, hosted at the University of Minneosta Law School, Lockridge Grindal Nauen associate Derek Waller will present a CLE entitled “Mental Health Parity and LGBTQ Health.” The presentation will discuss the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, its requirements for health insurance coverage of mental health and substance use treatment, and recent trends in enforcement of the Act, with a focus on how the law affects LGBTQ communities. Access to mental health and substance use treatment is especially critical for LGBTQ individuals, who are disproportionately likely to experience a mental health condition.

*This event is not sponsored by the Minnesota Disability Bar Association and is being cross-promoted here due to its relevance to the disability community.

Event Description from the MSBA Website: Being a grief-informed attorney can take time and energy but understanding grief and developing various tools and approaches to providing supportive representation to grieving clients can not only strengthen an attorney's practice but benefit the client immensely as well.  As an estate planning attorney and end-of-life doula, Ms. Schromen works with grieving individuals regularly and has sought out training and experience to better provide holistic advocacy to her clients - including  incorporating a therapy dog into her practice. This CLE will discuss ways to identify and better understand grief and how it may impact your client, as well as various tools and approaches to supporting a grieving client through not only their legal matter, but a challenging period of their life as well.

Presenter:
Rachel T. Schromen, Founder and Managing Attorney | Schromen Law, LLC 

Deadline to register: February 6, 2023

*This event is not sponsored by the Minnesota Disability Bar Association and is being cross-promoted here due to its relevance to the disability community.

At least 10% of the US population has a non-apparent disability. During this panel, co-sponsored by the Minnesota Disability Bar Association, members of the Minnesota legal community will highlight the unseen ways disability impacts them either individually, in their families, or in their advocacy, and provide thoughts on how to support colleagues in the disability community.

Panelists:

• Lola Velazquez-Aguilu, Chief Legal Counsel, Neuromodulation at Medtronic

• Brianna Chamberlin, Associate at Fish & Richardson

• Lehoan (Hahn) Pham, Associate at Littler

• Sierra Grandy, University of Minnesota Law Student

Moderator: Eleanor Frisch, Associate at Cohen Milstein