The Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association's 18th Annual Gala will take place on March 23 in person at the Hilton Minneapolis. The keynote speaker will be Sylvia Acevedo, a trailblazer who started as a rocket scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratories, and also worked as a tech executive at Apple, Dell, and IBM, as White House Commissioner, and as former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. For more information or to register, please click here.

LCL's Stepping Up Breakfast encourages the legal community to Step Up and meaningfully address well-being within the legal profession. This year's theme is "Stepping Forward Together." The keynote speaker will be Myrna MacCallum, host of The Trauma Informed Lawyer podcast, and will discuss the importance of understanding how trauma can affect us individually and as a profession, and how as a community we can step forward together. For more information or to register, please click here.

Join the Minnesota Disability Bar Association and the University of Minnesota Law School Well-Being Initiative for an informal networking mixer. Refreshments will be provided. For more information or to register, please click here.

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice is excited to bring its recent report, "Eliminating the Barriers Employers Face in Retaining Attorneys of Color" to life with the talents of Blackout Improv. The report speaks to the experiences of attorneys of color in the Twin Cities based on a series of anonymous interviews conducted last year. This event is eligible for CLE credit. For more information or to register, please click here. Please note that this event is open to only those at TCDIP member organizations. 

The Minnesota State Bar Association D&I Council, Minnesota Coalition of Bar Associations of Color, and the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association have put together a conference focused on criminal justice and eliminating racial disparities, featuring keynote speaker former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. There will also be panel presentations by national leaders on the following topics: (1) analyzing federal sentencing disparities, (2) incorporating lessons learned from state reform efforts, (3) leveraging community-based initiatives, and (4) exploring innovative programs from federal districts across the country. For more information or to register, please click here.

Building on the success of the original exhibit in 2018, former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and NFL Hall of Famer Alan Page and his daughter Georgi, the director of the Diane and Alan Page Collection, are again presenting their exhibit of Americana from slavery to today, with renewed calls of action.

Selections from the family's extraordinary collection of African American art and artifacts will be on display at the Cargill Gallery, accompanied by TESTIFY Tuesday workshops and mainstage programming designed to help bridge divides, deepen dialogue, and encourage action on justice. For more information, please click here.

On April 3, 2023, the federal judiciary will hold its second nationwide Roadways to the Bench event as part of the Strategic Plan for the Federal Judiciary to achieve its goal of a judiciary “comprised of a diverse complement of highly competent judges, employees, and CJA attorneys.”

Interested lawyers and law students are invited to observe a national live-streamed panel discussion followed by local roundtable discussions with bankruptcy, magistrate, district, and appellate judges about pathways to the federal bench.

Click here for additional information. There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is mandatory. Please email Minneapolis co-chair, Karl Johnson of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP at kjjohnson@taftlaw.com.

The Minnesota State Bar Association D&I Council, Minnesota Coalition of Bar Associations of Color, and the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association have put together a conference focused on criminal justice and eliminating racial disparities, featuring keynote speaker former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. There will also be panel presentations by national leaders on the following topics: (1) analyzing federal sentencing disparities, (2) incorporating lessons learned from state reform efforts, (3) leveraging community-based initiatives, and (4) exploring innovative programs from federal districts across the country. For more information or to register, please click here.

• Public Interest: $40 (Use Code: Justice23)
• Student: $40 (Use Code: Justice23)
• Judge & Clerk: $40 (Use Code: Justice23)
• Private Practice Attorney: $100

MDLA welcomes all diverse law students to apply for a MDLA scholarship to get free admission to the Mid-Winter Conference, January 27-29, 2023 in Nisswa, Minnesota! Admitted law students will be paired with an MDLA Diversity Committee member and receive free admission to all seminar events. Students will also receive free lodging Grand View Lodge. All meals will be provided through the seminar programming. 

The Mid-Winter Conference is a great way for diverse law students to network with other attorneys, attend relevant and thought provoking presentations on litigation strategy, and meet attorneys, judges, and vendors who work in the civil-defense practice. Past law student attendees have enjoyed the ample opportunities to network and create relationships with local defense practitioners.

The agenda and more information about the mid-Winter Conference can be found at https://www.mdla.org/event/2023-mid-winter-conference

The deadline for applications is Friday, January 13, 2023. Interested diverse law students are encouraged to do the following:

1. Join MDLA – Law student membership is $20 for the year.  Benefits include networking opportunities, and access to summer clerkship opportunities and MDLA’s annual Trial Techniques Seminar in Duluth. Consider joining a committee and make some connections.  Check out the committees and sign up athttps://www.mdla.org/.

Note: Please check with your school about being reimbursed for the professional organization membership fee.

2. Submit a copy of your resume and contact information to Anna Kim (akim@lmc.org) and Neven Selimovic (nselimovic@meagher.com).  Please submit by Friday, January 13, 2023.

Limited spots are available, so be sure to apply as soon as possible.

MDLA hopes you will consider joining on January 27-29 in Nisswa!

The Minnesota State Bar Association High School Mock Trial Program is seeking volunteer competition judges (attorneys and judges are welcome). The Program is an exciting law-related education initiative that introduces high school students to the legal system by simulating real life court proceedings. This year, 110 teams from across Minnesota will participate in five rounds of competition and a state tournament. For more information or to volunteer, please click here.