- Trust Accounting: The Important Ins and Outs of Compliant Trust Account Recordkeeping
- CLE Credit: 1.5 ethics on-demand CLE credits have been approved, 11/18/2022 - 11/18/2024 (#476661). Registration
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Speakers: Susan Humiston, Krista Barrie, and Annette Winrick, Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility
Description: Safekeeping client money is a fundamental ethics obligation of lawyers. The ethics rules contain several requirements to ensure you correctly safekeep and account for those funds. This session covers the requirements of Rule 1.15, Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct, and the rule's Appendix 1, so that you can ensure that your procedures and recordkeeping are compliant. This session, taught by the Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, the Senior Assistant Director in charge of the Office's trust account overdraft program, and the Office's Auditor, also covers common errors that people make in managing their trust account. If you are a lawyer responsible for a trust account or staff member that keeps the books, be sure to make time for this presentation. You will be glad you did!
- Presentation Slides. Handouts: Other People's Money: Operating Lawyer Trust Accounts; Is Your Trust Account in Order?; Safekeeping Client Property; Your Ethical Duty of Supervision.
- Stress, Addiction and Mental Health: An Ethical Perspective
- CLE Credit: One ethics on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 11/15/2022 - 11/15/2024 (#476124). Registration
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Speakers: Chase Andersen and Joan Bibelhausen, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
Description: For lawyers, missing deadlines and failing to communicate or complete projects may be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to excessive stress and addiction, and mental health issues. Those same issues and others may be present in clients. When a client is impaired, the lawyer has both obligations and opportunities. There are obligations when the lawyer is impaired, but fortunately, there is also help available. This program looks at professional responsibility aspects of impairment from both the client and lawyer perspective.
- Presentation Slides. Handouts: Well-Being Ethics Rules, LCL Well-Being Materials 2022, How LCL Can Help 2022.
- Appeals from Start to Finish
- CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 10/5/2022 - 10/5/2024 (#473159). Registration
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Speaker: Eric Caugh, Attorney, Zelle LLP
Description: Have you ever wondered what happens when a judge's decision is appealed? This CLE covers the basics of appealing a district court case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, what the Court of Appeals can review, and what happens after the Court of Appeals makes a decision.
- Presentation Slides.
- The Promise and Perils of Blockchain-Based Transactions
- CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 8/11/2022 - 8/11/2024 (#469918). Registration
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Speaker: Susan Stephan, ETech Law, LLC
Description: This CLE presentation discusses key opportunities and risks that blockchain technology brings to business transactions. After an overview of blockchain in the context of business clients, it addresses smart contract applications, as well as forensic details of investigations involving blockchain-based transactions and digital chain of custody considerations. Finally, it considers some of the most significant potential consequences of advances in blockchain technology and highlight some recent efforts to regulate cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
- Presentation Slides.
- Jurisdiction in Indian Country 101
- CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 7/8/2022 - 7/8/2024 (#467045). Registration
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Speaker: Judge Colette Routel, Fourth Judicial District Court
Description: Do state and/or federal laws apply with Indian reservations in Minnesota? Do tribal laws apply to the activities of persons who are not tribal members when those activities take place in Indian country? This presentation covered the basics of civil jurisdiction in Indian country and provided participants with suggestions for resources to consult when these issues arise in practice.
- Presentation Slides.
- Domestic Violence: Four Contemporaneous Proceedings a Child Abuser May Face
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CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 2/1/2022 - 2/1/2024 (#439757).
Registration
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Speaker: Jason Brown, Barna, Guzy & Steffen
Description: In this CLE, Mr. Brown discusses the four avenues that cases go down after a parent is accused of harming a child: (1) protective services; (2) order for protection; (3) criminal charges; and (4) divorce (custody) implications.
- Presentation Slides.
- Mental Health and Well-Being in a Post-COVID Environment
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CLE Credit: One ethics on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 12/22/2021 - 12/22/2023 (#429040).
Registration
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Speaker: Joan Bibelhausen, Executive Director, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
Description: Life and work during the COVID pandemic have been challenging for many people, including legal professionals. These challenges are multifaceted and, at times, seemingly unrelenting. While a post-COVID world may seem distant right now, current circumstances give rise to unique stressors. This session discussed the ethical implications of the current state of affairs while also offering perspectives and tools for coping.
- Presentation Slides. Handouts: How Can LCL Help 2021. LCL Resources. LCL Supplemental Resources - Return to Work Post-COVID. LCL Well-Being Materials 2021. Post Traumatic Growth - The Hennepin Lawyer. Well-Being Ethics Rules.
- Uniform Pro Bono Reporting and Financial Support of Civil Legal Services
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CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 12/20/2021 - 12/20/2023 (#426806).
Registration.
- Co-sponsors: Minnesota State Law Library and Minnesota State Bar Association Access to Justice Committee
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Speakers: Dee Baskin - Executive Director, Loan Repayment Assistance Program; Anne Hoefgen - Executive Director, Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota; Natasha Melchionne - Managing Attorney, Office of Lawyer Registration; Katy Drahos - Access to Justice Director, Minnesota State Bar Association; Moderator - Roy Ginsburg, Esq.
Description: Beginning in 2022, when completing their annual attorney registration statement, attorneys will notice three additional required questions related to the aspirational goals stated in Rule 6.1 of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct. Two questions ask about approximate hours spent the prior calendar year on pro bono service and activities for improving the law, the legal system, or the legal profession. An additional question, with a checkbox response, asks whether attorneys provided financial support during the prior calendar year to organizations that provide legal services to persons of limited means. This CLE discusses the details of Rule 6.1 and what it means for attorneys, as well as why there is an ongoing need for pro bono and financial support of legal services in our communities.
- Presentation Slides. Handout: Resources for Pro Bono Attorneys.
- United States v. Cooley
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CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 8/10/2021 - 8/10/2023 (#397489).
Registration
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Speaker: Colette Routel, Professor and Co-Director, Native American Law and Sovereignty Institute, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Description: In
United States v. Cooley, the U.S. Supreme Court held that tribal police officers have the authority to interrogate and briefly detain persons suspected of committing crimes within the boundaries of an Indian reservation, even though they are not tribal members. This presentation will discuss the Court's June 2021 decision in depth, and address its implications for Minnesota.
- Presentation Slides.
- Appellate Practice: A Peek Behind the Scenes - A Conversation with Staff Attorneys from the Minnesota Court of Appeals
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CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 5/3/2021 - 5/3/2023 (#357160).
Registration
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Speakers: Kari Crone, Matt Keating, Mike Kunkel, Cindy Lehr, and Jeff Simard, Staff Attorneys, Minnesota Court of Appeals
Description: In this CLE, staff attorneys from the Minnesota Court of Appeals provide insight into their roles at the court and their perspectives on appellate practice.
- Handout.
- Ethics, Mental Health, and Social Media in the Legal Profession
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CLE Credit: One ethics on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 4/27/2021 - 4/27/2023 (#357018).
Registration
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Speaker: Bob Schuneman, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
Description: Since the start of the pandemic, attorney reliance on technology has increased exponentially, becoming a necessary part of the practice of law today. In this program, Bob Schuneman from Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, explores the concept of over-reliance on, or even addiction to, smartphones and similar devices, along with ethical issues potentially implicated.
- Handouts available in Box.
- Interrupting Bias while Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Times
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CLE Credit: One elimination of bias on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 3/26/2021 - 3/26/2023 (#346956).
Registration
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Speakers: Bob Schuneman and Joan Bibelhausen, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
Description: In the best of times the legal profession is at risk for high levels of stress and mental health challenges. During challenging times, our professional and personal lives may seem out of control and this can affect our work and relationships. This program helps to identify normal feelings, reactions, and behaviors, and recognize when they are cause for concern. It examines the role of stigma and bias in preventing us for asking for and accessing help for mental health issues. The program also identifies tools to cope and to thrive while developing and enhancing skills to identify and address individual needs.
- PDF of Presentation.
- Handouts: Implicit Bias Materials. Well-Being Materials. How Can LCL Help. Detours on the Path to Well-Being.
- The Nuts and Bolts of Family Law Procedure
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CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 12/8/2022 - 12/8/2024 (#477768).
Registration
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Speaker: Jason Brown, Brown Law Offices
Description: Procedure in family court involves a blending of statutes, rules, and caselaw. Attorney Jason Brown, Brown Law Offices, provides an easy-to-understand overview of family court cases and the burdens associated with each phase of the process. Topics covered include divorce, custody, paternity, orders for protection, harassment restraining orders, grandparent rights, and post-decree motions.
- PDF of Presentation.
- Note: This CLE was previously approved for one standard on-demand CLE credit, 12/15/2020 - 12/15/2022 (#333431).
- Minnesota Family Law: Overview of Asset & Debt Division
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CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 10/14/2022 - 10/14/2024 (#474882).
Registration
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Speaker: Jason Brown, Brown Law Offices
Description: This CLE, presented by Twin Cities family law attorney Jason Brown, Brown Law Offices, provides an informative, easy-to understand overview of handling asset and debt division as part of a divorce. Concepts covered include non-marital tracing, division of pension benefits, business valuation, taxation and dissipation.
- PDF of Presentation. Sample balance sheet.
- Note: This CLE was previously approved for one standard on-demand CLE credit, 10/15/2020 - 10/15/2022 (#328641).
- Social Media Evidence: Accessing the Treasure Trove of Social Media Evidence
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CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 7/1/2022 - 7/1/2024 (#466559).
Registration
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Speaker: John Carney, Esq., Carney Forensics
Description: John Carney, Esq., Chief Technology Office and lead digital forensic examiner at Carney Forensics, presented this CLE on the use of social media as evidence in court. Topics covered include: how social media evidence can be used for civil litigation and e-discovery; how law enforcement is using social media in criminal cases and how defense attorneys can use it to defend clients; seeing evidence recovered from devices and the cloud; and understanding the ethics of social media evidence collection.
- PDF of Presentation. Link to video referenced in Presentation. Carney Forensics Website and Resources.
- Note: This CLE was previously approved for one standard on-demand CLE credit, 6/12/2020 - 6/12/2022 (#306526).
- Lexi's Case: Minnesota's First Quad-Parent Adoption
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CLE Credit: One standard on-demand CLE credit has been approved, 1/25/2022 - 1/25/2024 (#438375).
Registration
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Speaker: Jason Brown, Brown Law Offices
Description: Increasing use of assisted reproductive technologies and open adoption, coupled with the recognition of same-sex marriage, have redefined the meaning of "family." An issue on the leading edge involves whether a child can have more than two parents under Minnesota law. Attorney Jason Brown, Brown Law Offices, discussed his recent experience in successfully concluding an adoption involving four parents. The family dynamics are as interesting as the legal issues involved in Lexi's case.
- PDF of Presentation. Link to KSTP story on Lexi's Case.
- Note: This CLE was previously approved for one standard on-demand CLE credit, 1/30/2020 - 1/30/2022 (#289951).
- Suicide Awareness and Prevention
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CLE CREDIT: One elimination of bias on-demand credit has been approved, 9/16/2021 - 9/16/2023 (#412269).
Registration
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Speakers: Joan Bibelhausen, Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and Faith Amdahl, Amdahl Law Office
Description: The stress lawyers face is a predictor for depression and untreated depression is the #1 predictor for suicide. Lawyers also must deal with the fact that clients can be suicidal. This program, presented by Joan Bibelhausen, Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and Faith Amdahl, Amdahl Law Office, will help you understand the facts and myths about suicide, recognize signs and indicators for clinical depression, anxiety and suicide and provide resources and a protocol for offering and seeking help to prevent suicide.
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- Note: This CLE was previously approved for one elimination of bias on-demand credit, 10/3/2019 - 10/3/2021 (#278801).
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- The Ethical Impact of Stress
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CLE CREDIT: One ethics on-demand credit has been approved, 8/10/2021 - 8/10/2023 (#397362).
Registration
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Speakers: Joan Bibelhausen, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and Tim Burke, Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board
Description: Lawyer stress contributes to mental health and ethical problems. In this CLE, Joan Bibelhausen, Director, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, and Tim Burke, Senior Assistant Director, Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, discuss the unique stressors in the legal profession and how both mental health and ethical issues can arise as a result. Resources based on the Path to Lawyer Well-Being, Practical Recommendations for Positive Change were also offered.
- Presentation PDF. Handouts: LCL Resource List - Stress, Lawyer Fatigue, and Client Issues; LCL Well-being CLE Materials 2019; LCL Impaired Client CLE Handout.
- Note: This CLE was previously approved for one ethics on-demand credit, 8/21/2019 - 8/21/2021 (#277910).
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- Housing Court: More Than Evictions
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CLE CREDIT: One standard on-demand credit has been approved, 4/26/2021 - 4/26/2023 (#355855).
Registration
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Speaker: Hennepin County District Court Referee Melissa J. Houghtaling
Description: In this CLE, Hennepin County District Court Referee Melissa J. Houghtaling provides an overview of the types of cases heard in housing court, describes the services provided by the Courts, the county and volunteers, and explores the role of poverty in the evolving housing crisis in Minnesota. This session also touches upon recent changes in Minnesota law related to residential and commercial actions governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 504B and the General Rules of Practice for Housing Court.
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- Note: This CLE was previously approved for one standard on-demand credit, 4/9/2019 - 4/9/2021 (#270343).
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