Employer registration is open for the 2021 Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference (MMRC). MMRC connects Twin Cities legal employers (firms, corporate legal departments, and public interest, nonprofit, and government entities) with rising 2L and  and 3L students of color from across the country for interviews for summer and post-graduate positions. Student registration opens May 10. For more information, please click here. Please email info@diversityinpractice.org with any questions.

Join the MN Urban Debate League (MNUDL) for a panel discussion on criminal justice reform moderated by MNUDL students. Panelists include Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison, Ramsey County Commissioner Chair Toni Carter, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi, Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Jeff Bryan, and MNUDL students. 1.0 elimination of bias CLE credit is pending. For more information or to register, please click here.

Please join the Ramsey County Bar Association (RCBA) and the Ramsey County Law Library for the 2021 Law Day program on criminal justice reform following the death of George Floyd. Professor Mark Osler, a former federal prosecutor and reform advocate who teaches at the University of St. Thomas, will talk about the swirling currents of racial disparities, over-incarceration, and the relationship between police and the communities they serve, and what might come next. 1.25 elimination of bias CLE credits has been applied for.

The American Bar Association, which sponsors the annual Law Day celebration, states that “The rule of law is the bedrock of American rights and liberties—in times of calm and unrest alike. The 2021 Law Day theme—Advancing the Rule of Law, Now—reminds all of us that we the people share the responsibility to promote the rule of law, defend liberty, and pursue justice.” For more information or to register for the program, please click here.

Join moderator Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr. to learn from a panel of former clerks about how clerking in the Minnesota Court of Appeals can boost your career. Panelists include: Jennifer Anderson (Third Judicial District Public Defender), Lance Bonner (Associate General Counsel, Pentair plc), Erica Holzer (Appellate Attorney, Maslon LLP), Bernadette Lopez (Associate Corporate Counsel, Amazon.com, Inc.), and Cha Xiong (Assistant Attorney General). MNAPABA, along with a number of other affinity bar organizations, is a co-sponsor of this event. Please email lindsey.arzt@courts.state.mn.us to register or access the event directly here.

Join Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL) to recognize 45 years of providing support to the legal profession in Minnesota. ABA President Patricia Lee Refo, MSBA President Dyan Ebert, the Honorable Donovan Frank, and others will discuss national and Minnesota initiatives, recognize LCL's service to the profession, and spotlight the critical connection between well-being and diversity, equity, and inclusion in our profession. For more information or to register, please click here.

In light of the recent surge in anti-Asian violence across the country, a group of Fortune 1000 General Counsel and over 40 law firms announced the creation of The Alliance for Asian American Justice ("The Alliance"), a national pro bono initiative committed to standing up for victims, and preventing future acts, of anti-Asian hate. The Alliance will coordinate and drive law firm pro bono resources on behalf of victims to assist and support them in obtaining legal remedies, including bringing lawsuits to seek compensatory and other civil remedies, or working with law enforcement to ensure perpetuators are held accountable, when appropriate.

NAPABA, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and other frontline legal and community organizations will perform the initial intake with victims and refer them to the Alliance. MNAPABA member Don H. Liu (Executive Vice President and Chief Legal & Risk Officer of Target) will serve on The Alliance's Board of Directors, as Founding Advisory Board Member. Congratulations, Don!

For more information about The Alliance, please click here.

NAPABA has engaged with the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice to help combat the rise in anti-Asian bigotry currently plaguing the country. To that end, NAPABA President A.B. Cruz III will present at this May 4 event hosted by the Attorney General Alliance and led by the Honorable William Tong (Attorney General of Connecticut) and the Honorable Karl Racine (Attorney General of the District of Columbia). Topics will include creating a skillset toolbox to empower participants to stand up to hate with the goal of empowering policymakers, advocacy, business, and legal communities in the identification and circumscription of AAPI hate. For more information, please click here. No registration is necessary; the virtual broadcast link is available here.

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP)'s Wanton Injustice Legal Detail (WILD) is seeking volunteers from TCDIP member organizations to assist the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) Investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department. The MDHR launched its investigation on June 1, 2020 following the death of George Floyd.

Volunteers are needed to: (1) conduct outreach about the project, and (2) interview individual participants about their experience with the Minneapolis Police Department. Interviews will be conducted from May 1 to May 31 (training is available for those conducting interviews). For more information or to serve as a volunteer for either initiative, please click here. 

TCDIP and WILD will be hosting a kickoff meeting about this project on April 20, at 9:00 am. Please contact events@diversityinpractice.org with any questions.

The Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA)'s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is facilitating an open listening/support session for legal professionals adversely affected by the ongoing Derek Chauvin trial and the recent Daunte Wright killing. This support session is intended to be a safe and open space where members can share, listen, support, and acknowledge those experiencing trauma, pain, fatigue, and emotional distress, especially members of color. This event is co-sponsored by Twin Cities Diversity in Practice and Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, and conducted in partnership with the Hennepin County Bar Association and the Ramsey County Bar Association.

The April 15 event is open to all, while the April 16 event is specifically for BIPOC professionals.

No registration is necessary; simply join this Zoom link.

CAPI USA (formerly known as The Centre for Asian and Pacific Islanders) is organizing with the Cross of Glory Lutheran Church to distribute food and supply for residents in Brooklyn Center. Items needed include: toilet paper, laundry detergent, diapers, wipes, baby formula, feminine hygiene products, bath soap, canned goods, rice, pasta, and beans. For more information, please click here.