History
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| The Minnesota Lavender Bar Association (MLBA) was founded in 1996 as a special project of the OutFront Minnesota Legal Program, in response to the limited opportunities for GLBTI lawyers and law students to network, learn together, and address homophobia within the profession. MLBA was reorganized in 1999 as an independent, 501(c)(6), organization. Since that time, MLBA has become the primary sponsor of the Regional Lavender Law conference for local GLBTI attorneys and students, which started in 1991, and has become an affiliate of NLGLA. |
Accomplishments |
MLBA and its members have demonstrated leadership in advocating for change within the legal system. MLBA is proud of the following accomplishments:
bidding successfully to host the national Lavender Law conference in 2004
participating as an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") in the landmark case, Lawrence v. Gardner, the only Minnesota GLBTI group to do so
working with the Minnesota State Bar Association ("MSBA") to update the state Code of Judicial Conduct anti-discrimination language to be sexual orientation-inclusive
- participating as an amicus curiae with other similar organizations from across the country in Dale v. Boy Scouts of America case - the only such group from the midwest to so participate
- acting as the sole organizational plaintiff in the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union's successsful constitutional challenge to Minnesota's antiquated "sodomy" law
- filing amicus curiae briefs with the Minnesota Court of Appeals in Pinkal v. State, challenging the mishandling of a gay man's claim of discriminatory law enforcement, and, in conjunction with OutFront Minnesota, with the Minnesota Supreme Court in the important transgender related case Goins v. West Group
- lobbying the MSBA, Hennepin County Bar Association ("HCBA"), and Ramsey County Bar Association ("RCBA") to endorse a resolution opposing a state constitutional amendment banning legal recognition of same-sex couples
- promoting the growing sense of community among GLBTI legal practioners by co-sponsoring mixers with GLBTI lawyers' groups at numerous Twin Cities firms
- offering GLBTI related Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs for attorneys in Greater Minnesota, and co-sponsoring the annual regional Lavender Law conference each Fall
- providing referral services and Lesbian and Gay Law Notes, one of the nation's leading sources of breaking GLBTI legal news, to members
- establishing formal relationships with the MSBA, HCBA, and RCBA
- working to help create or revitalize GLBTI student groups at local law schools
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