The Minnesota Lavender Bar Association is excited to announce the keynote speaker for the 9th Annual MLBA Conference: Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal.

Kevin M. Cathcart has been the Executive Director of Lambda Legal since 1992 and has achieved national recognition as a leader and spokesperson promoting civil rights for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and people with HIV. Under Cathcart's leadership, he has made Lambda Legal an unparalleled national force through its far-reaching litigation and public education.
Mr. Cathcart will speak during our morning plenary session on federal GLBT legal issues such as the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill and the pending Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Meet and reconnect with colleagues and others committed to assisting the GLBT community during our networking luncheon. Learn about current trends in GLBT public policy during the final Plenary of the day which will feature representatives from Project 515, MN AIDS Project and Outfront Minnesota.
CLE Information: Four hours of standard CLE credit and 1 hour of elimination of bias will be applied.

Conference Schedule:

8:30 am Registration begins
9:00 – 10:30 am Keynote Address with Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal: Federal GLBT Legal Issues

10:30 – 11:30 am: First Session
(1) Conquering the Battlefield: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy and Progress: Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal

(2) Marketing for Firms: How will your clients find you?: Kathy M. Davis, Attorney at Henson & Efron and Sam McClure, Executive Director of Quorum

(3) Topics in Immigration: Neil Grungras, Executive Director of ORAM

11:30 am – 11:40 am: Morning Break

11:40 am – 12:40 pm: Second Session
(1) Tax Planning for Same-Sex Couples: Beverly Luther, Attorney at Deloitte & Touche and Karen Sandler Steinert, Attorney at Fredrickson & Byron

(2) Overview of Lawyer's Trust Accounting & Accounting Software for Small Firms and Solo Practitioners: Mike Trittipo with the Minnesota State Bar Association

(3) Understanding Corporate Entities: Advising your Clients and Yourself: Kathy M. Davis, Attorney at Henson & Efron Chuck Palmer, Covalent Financial

12:40 pm – 12:50 pm: Afternoon Break

12:50 pm – 2:00 pm: Networking Lunch

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Third Session
(1) Assault by Disease: HIV/AIDS criminal prosecution: Jerry Burg, Attorney at Heltzer & Burg, P.L.C.

(2) Large Firm to Small Firm: What it Means to Transition and Start Your Own Practice: David Ahlvers, Attorney at Family Solutions Law Group

(3) Trial Skills: Virginia Muphrey, Anoka County Public Defender

3:00-3:10 pm Late Afternoon Break

3:10 - 4:30 Public Policy Panel: Out Front Minnesota, MN Aids Project, Project 515 (Closing Ceremonies)

2010 Membership Rates
$75 (annual income more than $50,000)
$35 (annual income less than $50,000)
$15 (law student)

2010 Membership & Conference Registration
$150 (annual income more than $50,000)
$110 (annual income less than $50,000)
$15 (law student)

Membership Drive:
A year ago many of you made a commitment to the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association by joining as a member. Thank you! Over the past year, many of you volunteered your time to support MLBA's work. Thank you!

Today, we are writing to ask you to renew your commitment to MLBA by becoming a member for 2010.

As you know, MLBA commits itself to using your membership dues wisely. Over the past 10 years we made significant strides in advocating for GLBT people and issues within the Minnesota legal system. In the past year alone we:

• lobbied MSBA to form the Task Force on the Rights of Unmarried Couples and issue an executive summary that identifies dozens of law changes to support equity for same-sex couples;
• promoted Minnesota GLBT legal practitioners with new online networking tools, including our online member directory and facebook page;
• supported community building by co-hosting a variety of social mixers, including events with the Federal Bar Association Diversity Committee, Hamline Law School's Stonewall Alliance, and William Mitchell College of Law's Out!Law;
• offered CLEs including MLBA's annual day-long conference;
• complimented our formal relationship with MSBA, HCBA, RCBA, by developing a formal relationship with the Federal Bar Association;
• promoted MLBA's accomplishments at this year's National LGBT Bar Association conference by presenting as part of a panel entitled, “How Bar Associations Across the National are Pushing for LGBT Rights”; and
• collaborated with our minority (or affinity) bar associations in Minnesota on select community service projects through “The Collaboration Project.