This week, NAPABA proudly shines the spotlight on the Pro Bono Award and the Women's Leadership Award. The Pro Bono Award recognizes an attorney or a team of attorneys for outstanding achievements in pro bono service. The Women’s Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has achieved professional excellence in her field or who has demonstrated leadership and advancement of women or women’s issues. 

At the 2015 NAPABA Convention in New Orleans, NAPABA selected McManis Faulkner attorneys James McManis, Elizabeth Pipkin, Christine Peek, Ruby Kazi, and Jennifer Murakami as the recipients of the Pro Bono Award and Michelle K. Lee as the recipient of the Women's Leadership Award. 

NAPABA is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of the lawyers and judges who comprise its membership. We encourage you to submit a nomination for the 2016 Pro Bono Award and the 2016 Women's Leadership Award!

Please visit www.napaba.org/awards for complete information on all of our awards.

Congratulations to MNAPABA Board Member, Emily Faber-Densely, for being recognized as one of the 2016 Minnesota’s top Up & Coming Attorneys.

Emily Faber-Densley is an attorney with 3M Company's Office of General Counsel. Prior to joining 3M, Emily was an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell (London). Emily received her Juris Doctorate from Columbia University, her Master’s degree from the University of Oxford (St. Antony’s College), and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester.

Honorees for this year’s event were selected by an outside panel consisting of past alumni. Up & Coming Attorneys were judged for their professional accomplishments, leadership and service to their community and profession, and achievements in their first 10 years of being admitted to the bar.

The awards will be presented on September 8, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis. Up & Coming Attorneys is in its 16th year of recognition.

For more information please read the formal announcement at: http://minnlawyer.com/2016/06/20/2016-up-coming-attorneys-unsung-legal-heroes/   

MNAPABA is proud to announce its strategic plan for 2016-2019. The plan outlines five goals MNAPABA hopes to achieve in the next three years.

Special thanks to The Hon. Judge Peter Reyes for leading the planning sessions, and MNAPABA Board Members: Greg Schwartz, Alene Sussman, Alex Dyste, and Benjamin Kwan for their hard work.

The Dakota County Law Library is looking for an attorney to present a 1-hour CLE in August 2016 on anything related to diversity and inclusion.  

Each month the Dakota County Law Library hosts two 1-hour free CLEs: one in Apple Valley (the second Tuesday of the month between 8-9 a.m.) and the other in Hastings (the third Thursday of the month between 12-1 p.m.) It seeks for possible presenters in the area of diversity for ethics/elimination of bias credits. The dates would be August 9th or the 18th. Please follow up with Shannon Stoneking (Shannon.Stoneking@CO.DAKOTA.MN.US) directly if anyone is interested.

The Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA) is seeking individuals with a legal, small business or finance experience to sit on our Board of Directors.  AEDA is a grassroots economic development non-profit organization with a special focus on micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses in Minnesota's low-income Asian communities. AEDA’s activities have focused around advocating and providing direct technical and business assistance to Asian business owners impacted by the Green Line Light Rail Development on University Avenue in St. Paul. AEDA is also the host of the successful Night Market that was launched two years ago bringing over 20,000 people to the Western Station stop.

Currently AEDA has a four-person board, consisting of Asian business owners, Asian community members, and mainstream community members.  The Board of Directors is responsible for the governance of the organization as well as ensuring fiscal diligence.  The organization does have a strategic plan in place. The Board meets every month for 2 hours at AEDA’s office on University and Western Ave in St. Paul. The contact is board chair Terri Thao and she can be reached via email  at tthao@nexuscp.org or via phone at 651-379-0505. For more information on AEDA, check out http://www.aeda-mn.org/

ST. PAUL, MN – The Commission on Judicial Selection announced today that a judgeship vacancy is occurring in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District Court. This vacancy will occur upon the retirement of the Honorable Joseph A. Evans, and will be chambered at Detroit Lakes in Becker County.

The Commission is searching for fair, experienced, and civic-minded individuals to serve on the bench and offer their talents and services to Minnesota’s judicial system. The following qualities will be considered for judicial office: integrity, maturity, health (if job related), judicial temperament, legal knowledge, ability, experience, and community service. The application process is now open for this vacancy.

An individual wishing to apply may request an application by writing to Lee E. Sheehy, Chair of the Commission on Judicial Selection, at 116 Veterans Service Building, 20 West 12^th Street, St. Paul, MN 55155, or by contacting Andrew Olson, Director of Appointments, via e-mail at andrew.c.olson@state.mn.us. A cover letter and resume should also be submitted with the application. Application materials are due by close of business on Monday, April 11, 2016. Interviews are scheduled to be held on Monday, May 2, 2016 in Alexandria.

For inquiries concerning the application process, please contact Andrew Olson at andrew.c.olson@state.mn.us  or at (651) 201-3413.

Minnesota Lawyer is seeking attorneys whose work clearly has made a difference to you, your practice or the profession. Only a few of the hundreds of attorneys who enter practice each year make their mark within 10 years of admittance to the bar (2007). This is your chance to recognize an attorney who stands out from the crowd.

Consider counsel who have distinguished themselves by their:

• Professional accomplishment • Leadership • Service to community/profession • Achievement as in-house counsel

Click here to submit a nomination!

Nominees must have been admitted to the bar in the past 10 years
Nominations close June 3rd

Event information: 

When: September 8, 2016
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. – Registration and social hour
12:00 – 1:15 p.m. – Luncheon and awards presentation
Where: Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Seating opens August 2nd, 2016

For event questions and comments, contact Amanda Dorn, Event Manager at 612-584-1534
For new and other information about this event, click here to subscribe to Minnesota Lawyer! 

In the past several years, Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM) has seen a marked increase in those seeking assistance, including an increase in refugees and new immigrants seeking protection from domestic violence.  The cases are often complex and harrowing. 

Over 1,000 individuals seek some form of support from AWUM each year.  AWUM operates a 24-bed shelter for women and children (this “House of Peace” is often at maximum capacity) and makes advocates accessible in the community.  AWUM also offers training to other service providers on issues unique to the Asian community.

AWUM is seeking applications from candidates who are interested in creating a safer environment for women and children in Minnesota by participating in the end to domestic violence.

Attached is additional information on AWUM and an application for the Board. Please feel free to contact Board member Judge Regina M. Chu at regina1478@gmail.com should you have any questions.

Scott County is seeking volunteer pro bono attorneys to serve as Conciliation Court Referees.  Conciliation Court, also known as "Small Claims Court," is a division of District Court and handles money claims of $15,000 or less. Panel Referees preside over general and collection calendars of 12 to 50 cases per half-day session.  Calendars are currently scheduled every Friday at 8:30 and 1:00 p.m. Individually appointed Referees may be asked to serve up to two calendars per month.  View the detailed duties.  The ideal candidate is a group of attorneys within one firm who could rotate the responsibilities on their own schedule and provide the necessary court coverage.  A two-year commitment to the appointment is preferred.  The ideal candidate will have extensive civil litigation experience. 
 
If you are in need of additional information, you may contact the following:
(952) 496-8207 or  vicky.carlson@courts.state.mn.us
 
To apply, please complete the application for a firm or an individual and send to the contact listed on the application by Wednesday, April 13, 2016.

The Call for Programs for the 2016 NAPABA Convention is now open. Please click here for complete information about submitting a general CLE panel or a proposal for the International Law Symposium and/or Solo & Small Firm Boot Camp. The deadline for submissions is April 15 at 5.pm. EDT. 

We encourage all submitters to work with NAPABA committees/networks to seek endorsements. We request your direct involvement in this critical Convention process. Your endorsement helps NAPABA and the CLE Committee ensure that our programming is high quality, relevant to cutting edge issues in practice, and represents a broad and diverse range of member interests.

We’ve updated the Committees and Networks page on the NAPABA website to give our members easier access.