Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Local Bar & Community News

  • Tue, May 16, 2017 9:00 AM | Anonymous

    via the RCBA news and announcements page

    Judge Nicole Starr to Receive the Excellence in Diversity Award

    The Ramsey County Bar Association (RCBA) Diversity Committee has chosen Ramsey County District Court Judge Nicole Starr as the recipient of the 2017 Excellence in Diversity Award.

    Judge Starr has been actively involved in local, national and international human rights and diversity and inclusion issues for many years. Locally, she has organized tours of law offices for students of color. She served as vice chair of the St Paul Human Rights Commission from 2005 to 2010 and has been a legal consultant for the Indian Child Welfare Center.

    Judge Starr served as president of Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association in 2009 and on the Minnesota State Bar Association Assembly from 2005 to 2008. She was a volunteer with the Lambda Legal Defense Fund from 2001 to 2011. She also was a member of the Twin Cities-based PFund Racial Equity Initiative Leadership Program.

    In addition to her service to our local community, Judge Starr has made an impact on national and international human rights. In 2013, she was a legislative fellow at the Partners of the Americas in Haiti. In this program, funded through the United States Department of State, she participated in a professional legal exchange focused on creating a comparative understanding of the civil and criminal legal system in Haiti. She also participated in a group study exchange in southern India in 2010 through Rotary International, where she examined the Indian legal system and presented to professionals throughout South Western India. In the early 2000s, she served as a judicial law clerk in the Constitutional Court of South Africa and worked for the Institute for Democracy in South Africa, monitoring South African Parliamentary Committees.

    The award will be presented at the Diversity Committee’s annual elimination of bias CLE, “Mental Health Issues and the Practice of Law.” Presenters will discuss how negative attitudes towards people with mental health issues impact and affect how clients with mental health issues are served in the legal system.

    The CLE and award presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 16 from 9:00 to 11:00 am at the Ramsey County Courthouse. More information and registration available here.

  • Fri, May 05, 2017 12:00 PM | Anonymous

    Daniel Lew is being recognized by the MSBA Public Law Section for his caliber of work, his achievements, and his demonstrated commitment to public service by awarding him the 2017 William E. McGee Public Defender Award.

    Daniel is the chief public defender for the 6th Judicial District in Minnesota. He is the first Asian American to serve as a chief public defender in Minnesota, and only the fourth nationwide.

    Please join the Public Law Section (PLS) at its Annual Meeting & luncheon, where the 2017 PLS Awards will be presented and the annual council elections will be held.

    Event details here.

  • Thu, March 30, 2017 3:00 PM | Anonymous

    Things that Go Bump on the Internet
    Thursday, Mar. 30, 2017 | 4 p.m. EDT

     Register Here

    Social media plays a significant role in today’s society and has changed how we market law practices and access information. Effective and ethical lawyering means navigating the dangers that lurk for lawyers on social media, and also the multitude of electronic tools that may seem appealing and helpful in our zeal to obtain the best results for our clients. A misstep comes with a disciplinary price tag. Attendees will learn do’s and don’ts, helpful tips and guidance regarding the ethics of self-promotion on the internet, LinkedIn endorsements, investigating and manipulating online data and evidence, astroturfing, Web bugs, and Internet scams involving settlement funds.

    Moderator | Judy M. Lam (Litigation Partner, Kumagai Law Group, Jeanne P. Gray Diversity Scholarship recipient and Diversity Committee, ABA Center for Professional Responsibility)

    Speakers | Wendy Wen Yun Chang (Partner, Hinshaw & Culbertson; member, ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility) and Ellyn Rosen (Deputy Director of ABA Center for Professional Responsibility)

    This webinar is the result of collaborative efforts of the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility and NAPABA. Applicable ethics rules will be discussed and cited by rule number during the presentation. Code words will be used to monitor attendance during the live webinar. NAPABA headquarters will provide attendance certificates to members for attending the webinar. It is up to individual members to determine whether the webinar qualifies for credit (and what kind) in their state.

    Please e-mail Kristin Haugen, chair of the CLE & Programming Sub-committee of the SSF Network at kc@kchaugenlaw.com with any questions. 

    Register Here


    National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.napaba.org

      


  • Tue, March 07, 2017 10:00 AM | Anonymous

    Event - Practicing Law Across Generations 

    The Minnesota Chapter of the FBA and The Vintage, along with the Civil Litigation and New Lawyers Sections of the Hennepin County Bar Association, invite you to a program addressing "Practicing Law Across Generations."

    Our experiences shape how we practice law, and how we interact with the court and other attorneys. The senior partner who has seen everything (and maybe went to law school with the presiding judge) will approach a case differently than a junior attorney who is an expert with e-discovery issues but who has never conducted a cross-examination. Interactions between attorneys of different generations and backgrounds sometimes lead to tension as each attorney struggles to understand the other.  But practicing law alongside or across the table from an attorney with different experiences can also be an opportunity to improve our practice and examine the assumptions we make about others.

    Please join us for a candid, thoughtful, and engaging panel discussion with both attorneys and judges from different backgrounds and generations.  Our panel will talk openly about the frustrations, opportunities, and understanding that comes with engaging in the practice of law across generations, and will also offer advice for how to evaluate our own assumptions and overcome them while working productively with attorneys of all backgrounds.

    The moderated panel will include a mix of judges and attorneys from different backgrounds and years of practice, and will include United States District Court Judge Ann D. Montgomery, Hennepin County District Court Judge Marta Chou, Tom Nelson of Stinson Leonard Street, Brittany Skemp of Nichols Kaster, Barry Landy of Ciresi Conlin, and Rebecca Moos of Bassford Remele.

     

    Details:

    Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 4:30 p.m., with reception following the program


    Stinson Leonard Street

    150 South Fifth Street

    Minneapolis, MN 55402

     

    One hour elimination of bias credit applied for.


    All are invited and encouraged to attend.

  • Thu, March 02, 2017 8:00 AM | Anonymous

    The Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association invites its members and friends to join it in celebrating the Twelfth Annual MHBA Gala! This year, Sonia Nazario, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of Enrique’s Journey, joins us as our keynote speaker for the MHBA Gala!

    In addition, the MHBA is pleased to award the 2017 Manuel Guerrero Courage in Leadership Award to the Honorable Ann D. Montgomery, Sr. U.S. District Judge, District of Minnesota.

    Finally, the MHBA Gala will feature live music from salsa band Tropical Zone Orchestra!

     

    12th Annual Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association Gala
    Thursday, March 2, 2017
    6:00pm - 10:00pm
    Loews Minneapolis Hotel
    601 First Avenue North
    Minneapolis, MN 55403

    EVENT REGISTRATION: http://www.minnhba.org/event-2434061

  • Fri, February 24, 2017 8:00 AM | Anonymous

    Spring 2017 Symposium

    Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice Presents:

    Policing in Minnesota: Policy, Practice and the Law

    Friday, February 24, 2017
    Conservatory and Great Hall
    Mitchell Hamline School of Law
    875 Summit Ave. St. Paul, MN 55105

    Register Here


    8:30a.m. Check-in, light breakfast served

    9:00a.m. Session 1: Civilian Oversight of Police: The Minneapolis Model

    Description: Office of Police Conduct Review Staff will present the Minneapolis model for civilian oversight system of law enforcement. Civilian oversight functions through a hybrid of administrative, criminal and employment law. The session will be interactive, with a mock “review panel” where attendees will participate in the decision-making process for a police misconduct case.

    Presenters: Office of Police Conduct Review Director Imani Jafaar (JD) and colleagues

    11:00a.m. Session 2: Police Accountability Through the Law (Panel)

    Description: This panel will focus on what legal avenues are available to promote and ensure police accountability. It will specifically look at how officers can be held either criminally or civilly liable for their actions and what changes could be made to further promote accountability.

    Panelists: BCA Superintendent Drew Evans (JD), Civil Rights Attorney Zorislav Leyderman, Civil Rights Attorney J. Ashwin Madia, Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman (JD), FBI Representative

    Moderator: Mitchell Hamline Law Professor Jim Hilbert

     12:30p.m. Lunch Served and Keynote Address from Michael Quinn, Author of Walking with the Devil: The Police Code of Silence

    Description: Michael Quinn is a former Minneapolis Police officer and author of a book examining police ethics and accountability. He now works as a police ethics trainer, and recently worked to implement his Peer Intervention for Law Enforcement Program in the New Orleans Police Department.

     1:30p.m. Session 3: Police and Community Trust (Panel)

    Description: This panel will address the current movement to build trust between police departments and communities and how successful, or unsuccessful those efforts are, what barriers exist, ideas for future success and how lawyers can assist in the process.

    Panelists: Police Conduct Oversight Commissioner Jenny Singleton (JD), Private Attorney Joshua Williams (JD), Neighborhoods Organizing for Change Executive Director Anthony Newby, NAACP Minneapolis President Jason Sole

    Moderator: Police Conduct Oversight Commission Chair/Ramsey County Public Defender Andrea Brown (JD)

     3:00p.m. Networking Reception, beverages and appetizers served

     4:00p.m. Close of Event

     The program is especially relevant for attorneys, law students, and community stakeholders in policing, police accountability and building community trust.  Members of the public are encouraged to attend. Application has been made for 1.5 hours of CLE credit for each of Sessions 1, 2 and 3 for a total of 4.5 for the entire symposium.


    Cost

    The fee for the entire symposium is $75, or $30 per Session. Public Interest attorneys can attend for a reduced cost of $50 for the entire day or $20 per session.

    Current law students and non-lawyer community members can attend for free but registration is required.

    Breakfast and lunch are included, as well as refreshments at the reception following the day’s program.

    space is limited. please register as soon as possible. Online registration will close on Monday February 20, 2017. After that date, please contact the Symposium Editor for information on availability.


    Contact

    Contact the Symposium Editor with any questions or concerns at kaela.mcconnon@mitchellhamline.edu

  • Sun, February 19, 2017 8:00 AM | Anonymous
    On behalf of Gail Chang Bohr:

    Mu Performing Arts "Flower Drum Song" - the musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein updated by David Henry Hwang, playwright - is playing now in St. Paul through Feb. 19, 2017, at the Park Square Theatre. Mu Performing Arts, aka Theater Mu, is the Asian American Theatre started in the Twin Cities by Rick Shiomi who directed MNAPABA's Korematsu enactment in 2015. I went to opening night - and I can say without reservation, this play is well worth seeing.  It not only has great songs and music and great acting by an Asian American cast, it also deals with issues of identity, assimilation, and immigration - all topics relevant for our times!   Also, MNAPABA members, Daniel Le, Michael Dai, and Ivan Fong sit on Mu's board of directors.

                                   

    Celebrate Mu's 25th Anniversary

     

    Flower Drum Song

     

    Flower Drum Song

     

    "To create something new, we must first love what is old," claims Mei-Li in Tony Award-winner David Henry Hwang's new adaptation of this Rodgers and Hammerstein jewel. The sentiment is obviously shared by the author himself, who has created something dazzlingly new while honoring the original material. 

     

    Mei-Li flees Mao's communist China after the murder of her father and finds herself in San Francisco's Chinatown. This naïve young refugee is befriended by Wang, who is struggling to keep the Chinese opera tradition alive despite his son's determination to turn the old opera house into a swingin' Western-style nightclub.

     

    A unique blending of American razz-ma-tazz and stylized Chinese opera traditions creates a beautifully theatrical tapestry. The wonderful score, by turns lushly romantic and showbiz-brassy, retains all of its luster in this lovely new version of an American classic. Mei-Li's gradual assimilation is informed by her realization that the old and new can coexist when there is respect for both.

     

    Flower Drum Song

     

    "Flower Drum Song has the elements of classic Rodgers and Hammerstein mixed with the beautiful flavors of Asian sounds and culture."

    "It's highly entertaining. The music, as everyone knows, is great. When you mix the vaudeville influences with nightclub and Peking Opera, plus a complicated love story, you get a lot of heart and soul. Plus, it's being done with great talent. We have 17 members of the cast, all Asian-American. And they're having fun."

     

    -- Randy Reyes, director of Flower Drum Song, and Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts

     

     

    Flower Drum Song

  • Tue, February 07, 2017 11:06 AM | Anonymous

    The Minnesota Chapter of the FBA Diversity Committee and the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association are pleased to present an engaging discussion on contemporary issues facing transgender people. The diverse panel will share their personal experiences, examine the history and evolving legal landscape of transgender legal rights in employment, health care and education, and recommend practical solutions for creating a more equitable workplace.

    Don't miss this unique opportunity to hear from some of the individuals who are at the forefront of effecting positive change for transgender rights!

    Panelists Include (in alphabetical order):

    • Lee Anderson, Director, Issues Management & State Government Relations, General Mills
    • Nova Bradford, former transgender litigant
    • Jill Gaulding, Co-Founder and Senior Counsel, Gender Justice
    • Roxanne Anderson, Outfront Minnesota
    • Ezra Young, Staff Attorney, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund

    The Panel will be moderated by Jeanette Bazis, Greene Espel PLLP.

    *Pending CLE Approval for 2.0 Elimination of Bias Credits*

    Get more information | Register Now!

    When

    Wednesday February 8, 2017 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM CST 
    Add to Calendar 
    Time: 3pm-5pm Panel Discussion, 5pm-6pm Social Hour

    Where
    Dorsey & Whitney 
    50 South 6th Street
    Suite 1500
    Minneapolis, MN 55402  
     
    Driving Directions 

    Contact
    Jeanette Bazis 
    Minnesota Chapter Federal Bar Association 
    jbazis@greeneespel.com 


  • Sun, January 08, 2017 2:45 PM | Anonymous

    The Minneapolis-St. Paul Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society, ACLU, Hispanic Bar Association, Lavender Bar Association and Ramsey County Bar Association present

     

    Eliminating the Gavel Gap: Increasing Judicial Diversity in Minnesota

     

    For the first time, researchers  have gathered data on the demographics of state court judges in all 50 states. They found troubling differences between the race and gender composition of the courts and the communities they serve. We call this disparity The Gavel Gap.

    Join The Minneapolis-St. Paul Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society, ACLU, Hispanic Bar Association, Lavender Bar Association and Ramsey County Bar Association as we discuss the Gavel Gap report, why judicial diversity matters, things to consider before becoming a judge, and how to apply to be a judge.

     

    Featuring: 

    User-added image
    Judge Peter Reyes
    Minnesota Court of Appeals

    User-added image
    Judge Nicole Starr
    Ramsey County District Court

    User-added image
    Judge Tanya Bransford
    Hennepin County District Court

     

    Lidya Makonnen,

    Appointments Coordinator, Office of Governor Mark Dayton
     


    Cumah Blake,

    Counsel, Office of Governor Mark Dayton
     

    Moderated by: 

     


    Saraswati Singh

    Office of the Minnesota Attorney General

     

    Introduce a friend or colleague to ACS by inviting them to join you at this event!

     

     

    The happy hour begins at 5 pm, the panel discussion starts at 5:30, and the closing reception begins at 6:30 pm. 

    Drinks, appetizers, and parking validation will be provided. 
     
    1.0 Elimination of Bias CLE credit pending

     

    Wednesday, January 18, 2017

    5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CDT

    Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P

    100 Washington Avenue South

    Mill City Room - 4th Floor

    Minneapolis, MN 55401

     

    RSVP here | Add to calendar

Mailing Address:
MNAPABA c/o Minnesota State Bar Association
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 380, Minneapolis, MN 55402
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