The Federal Bar Association (FBA) Minnesota Chapter will be holding its 46th Annual Federal Practice Seminar virtually on November 18.

The Federal Practice Seminar will feature topics of interest to every federal practitioner. The FBA has assembled a slate of outstanding presenters, including judges and experts in a variety of fields, who will speak on vital issues facing civil and criminal practice today, including:

·    Qualified Immunity

·    Federal Clemency in the Biden Era

·    Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions

·    Voting Rights

·    Neuroscience and the Law

·    In the Dark Podcast and Investigative Journalism

·    Civil Access to Justice and the Pro Se Project

·    Supreme Court Update

In addition, the keynote speaker this year is Professor Christopher Lehman, a professor of ethnic studies at St. Cloud State University. Professor Lehman’s keynote address is titled “How Free is Free” and will discuss Southern slave owners’ contributions to Minnesota’s growth through the end of the Civil War and Minnesota’s complicit role in the history of slavery. Professor Lehman is the author of Slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1787-1865 andSlavery’s Reach: Southern Slaveholders in the North Star State, which won the 2020 Minnesota Book Award for Minnesota Nonfiction.

CLE credits have been applied for.

While we will miss the ability to mingle with our fellow FBA colleagues during breakfast, on breaks, and at the traditional happy hour, the virtual breaks will be filled with fun and informative trivia about the bench and our Chapter.

Registration:

Please register here. Detailed information about how to log in to the virtual seminar will follow in a confirmation email. ***Please note that this is a brand new website, such that some organizations’ firewalls might block access. If that happens, please contact your IT department to unblock the site. And if you need any assistance, please reach out to the contacts listed below.

An early bird discount will apply if you register by November 1, 2021.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Aaron Knoll at aknoll@greeneespel.com or Barry Landy at bml@ciresiconlin.com.

The Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) Tax Law Section, along with the Minnesota Tax Court, will be hosting a conference on Access to Tax Justice, featuring Attorney General Keith Ellison as the keynote speaker. The purpose of the conference is to help identify and address institutional barriers to the administration of justice in Minnesota's state tax system.

The Minnesota system of tax justice relies on two primary promises embodied in the missions of the Minnesota Department of Revenue and the Minnesota Tax Court: that everyone will report, pay, and receive the right amount of tax, no more and no less; and that the court will provide timely and equitable disposition of appeals from tax orders.

But while all Minnesotans are affected by the tax system, many Minnesotans are not familiar with their rights and responsibilities regarding that system—whether when filling out their tax forms, challenging tax orders or property tax assessments, or understanding the collections process. This conference recognizes the existence of ongoing institutional barriers to tax justice and seeks to dismantle those barriers by addressing the tax issues faced by low-income taxpayers, non-native English speakers, and other underserved communities.

The conference will bring together representatives of a variety of tax institutions and community-based groups to present solutions, receive feedback, share resources, and launch a continuing conversation. The conference is especially aimed at law students, tax professionals, accountants, and anyone looking to volunteer in a space where representation can make a big difference.

Attorneys as well as community stakeholders and members of the public are welcome. CLE credit has been applied for. For more information or to register, please click here.

The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (FACL BC), a NAPABA affiliate organization, invites all members of the legal community to the premiere launch of its mini documentary, "But I Look Like A Lawyer." The documentary will share stories of the discrimination, stereotyping, and bias experienced by members of the Pan-Asian legal community. It aims to increase intercultural awareness and competency, and to surface the complexity of the history, socio-economic, and colonial aspects of these real lived experiences. FACL BC will host a virtual fireside chat following the documentary showcase. For more information or to register, please click here.

The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division is holding an important and timely convening about how we can all work together to address the scourge of hate-motivated violence and discrimination. This virtual conference will include discussions about the rise of hate activity, online hate, the recently released 2020 hate crime statistics, and the role of criminal, civil, and community responses to acts of hate. Speakers include Merrick Garland (Attorney General) and Kristen Clarke (Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights). Additional speakers will be announced closer to date. This conference is open to the public. For more information or to register, please click here.

Minneapolis is holding its first citywide elections since the murder of George Floyd. One of the most closely watched and hotly debated items on the ballot is Question 2, which would eliminate the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a new Department of Public Safety. Join Twin Cities Diversity in Practice for an engaging discussion with legal experts analyzing this important question.  Our panelists have each studied public safety and racial equity. Together they will provide an objective overview of the ballot question, the different positions arising around it, and potential outcomes should it pass or not. Whether you live in Minneapolis and still have questions before you vote, or are simply interested in learning more on the subject, please join us. This program is open to the public. Please invite your friends and colleagues!

Join the Minnesota Coalition of Bar Associations of Color (MN-CBAC) for the second annual Twin Cities Legal D&I Data Project Reveal to share and discuss the results of MN-CBAC's study of the representation of women and racial/ethnic group members in large law firms and corporate law departments in Minnesota. After the data reveal, LaToya Burrell (Executive Director, The Anderson Foundation & Zinpro Corporation's DEI Champion) will provide a keynote address and lead a distinguished panel in a discussion addressing DEI initiatives and best practices for improving both recruitment and retention of diverse individuals. The panelists are: Dotun Obadina (Partner, Jones Day), Don Liu (Executive VP and Chief Legal and Risk Officer, Target), and Maggie Dalton (Partner, Stoel Rives). For more information or to register, please click here.

Join for a conversation about reimagining public safety as Asian Americans. There will be discussions around Asian Americans' relationships with policing, the issues we face around keeping each other safe, and take an opportunity to reimagine what safe communities look like. There will also learn more about the opportunity in Minneapolis to vote for a new department for public safety. There will be art, food, and real conversations with community members building real systems of safety in our communities. For COVID-19 precautions, this is an outdoor event. For more information or to register, please click here.

This event is organized by the Asian Minnesotan Alliance for Justice, a coalition of Asian Minnesotan organizations fighting for solidarity and justice in Minnesota.

The Japan America Society of Minnesota and Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson P.C. (HSML) will be hosting a corporate roundtable to discuss the changing role of U.S. intellectual property for Japanese entities. Topics include insights on the challenges in establishing and growing business relationships in Japan in the service sector from a Midwest base, and the gap of business culture between the U.S. and Japan. For more information or to register, please click here.

The Minority Women Lawyers' Association (MWLA) and Minnesota Women Lawyers (MWL) are co-sponsoring an outdoor patio happy hour at Brit's rooftop for an opportunity to connect with minority women lawyers in an informal setting before the cold weather hits. Light appetizers and beverages will be provided (on a first-come basis). Additional refreshments will be available "on your own." For more information or to register, please click here.

As reports of hate crimes and hate-fueled incidents against Asian Americans continue to rise, NAPABA and the AAPI legal community are being called upon to respond to victims and complainants. This program will teach critical skills such as how to recognize trauma, how to build trust with victims, and how to speak with hate crime victims, hate incident victims, and witnesses in a compassionate, sensitive, and culturally appropriate manner. This webinar will be led by experts in their fields: Katharine Manning, who advised the U.S. Justice Department on its most challenging victim issues; and Professor Sherry Wang, who teaches graduate courses in multicultural counseling, developmental counseling, etc. For more information or to register, please click here.