SAVE THE DATE!
2010 MLBA Annual Member Meeting, This Tuesday, April 13, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Don’t forget to RSVP!
All Minnesota Lavender Bar Association (MLBA) members, guests, and law students are cordially invited to attend the 2010 MLBA Annual Member Meeting on Tuesday, April 13. MLBA has reserved a private space at Amore Victoria Ristorante, located at 1601 W. Lake St. in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood. The business meeting will take place from 6:30-7:15; afterward, social time and dinner from 7:15-8:30.

Agenda
As part of the annual meeting we will hear from Leo Brisbois, President, Minnesota State Bar Association, regarding MSBA’s support of House File 224 (Rep. Steve Simon) and Senate File 70 (Sen. Ann Rest). If passed, this bill would put a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2010 for Minnesotans to decide whether to amend the Minnesota State Constitution to change our current system of contested judicial elections to one of retention elections (see background information below).

We will also review MLBA’s activities over the past year and elect new board members. If you have an additional agenda item you would like discussed at the member meeting, please notify Jenny Ryan at jennyryan@gmail.com.

Background information:
* Bill language: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/revisor/pages/

* MSBA’s white paper: http://mnbar.org/impartialjustice/WhitePaper.pdf

* Leo I. Brisbois, “Judicial Elections Are Not Necessarily a More Effective Way than Merit Selection for Attorneys of Color to Reach to Attain a Seat on the Bench—At Least Not in Minnesota to Date,” (2009).

RSVP
Please help us plan for this dinner by sending an RSVP email to events@mnlavbar.org.

Don’t Forget to Renew your MLBA Membership!
MLBA members enjoy opportunities to network with other legal professionals throughout the year by attending MLBA sponsored events. Members also receive discounts to the MLBA Annual Conference and NLGLA Membership. Receive the MLBA monthly Newsletter as well as regular electronic updates regarding news and other legislative activity. Join today and receive a free subscription to the Lesbian and Gay Law Notes, a comprehensive national digest published ten times annually.

Join today by visiting http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/102071. Annual dues are $75 (for annual income over $50,000), $35 (for annual income under $50,000), and $15 (law students).

Lobby Day 2010: Advocating a Constructive Agenda for Minnesota
April 21, 2010 - Minnesota State Capitol - Rally at 1pm
Join thousands of Minnesotans in their show of support for LGBT equality at our state’s capitol on April 21, 2010. We are entering an election year and need to show those who would like to represent Minnesotans that equality matters regardless of sexual identification or orientation.

To register for Lobby Day, visit: https://www.outfront.org/takeaction/lobbyday

National Lawyers Guild, MN Presents: Serving Transgender Clients in Minnesota
Wednesday, April 28 th,7-8 p.m. at Hamline University School of Law, Moot Court Room

Please join the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild for a moderated panel presentation to examine barriers to access of legal services for transgender community members. We will discuss best practices and a skills-based approach to improving legal services for transgender clients in Minnesota. The panel will feature attorney, paralegal, and law student perspectives and case studies about serving transgender clients. One hour of eliminating bias credit has been applied for.

Please join us after the presentation for dessert and coffee compliments of the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association.

To pre-register, email Micah Ludeke at Mludeke01@Hamlineuniversity.edu

Please write “CLE PRE-REGISTRATION” in the subject line.

*Co-Sponsored by Hamline University School of Law, Hamline Stonewall Association, and Minnesota Lavender Bar Association.
Hamline University School of Law is located at 1536 Hewitt Ave. St. Paul, MN 55104

CURRENT EVENTS

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell National Call-In Hosted by the National LGBT Bar Association, April 16th 3:00-3:30 p.m. EDT RSVP for this event!
Last month, the U.S. Department of Defense announced changes to the implementation of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law designed to reduce the number of discharges of service members accused of being gay or lesbian. Among the changes:

* Anonymous tips, hearsay and privileged statements made to medical professionals or clergy can no longer be used to trigger an investigation.

* Complaints of violations must be submitted under oath.

* Only a general or admiral may initiate a fact-finding inquiry

On Friday, April 16th, the National LGBT Bar Association is hosting a national call-in to discuss what these changes actually mean for our men and women in the military. The call will also cover the U.S. Department of Justice’s brief filed in Log Cabin Republicans v. Gates (a constitutional challenge to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”). The call will be led by Bridget Wilson (San Diego-based attorney specializing in military law, Rosenstein Wilson & Dean) and Professor Diane H. Mazur (Professor of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law)

Please RSVP to receive dial-in information and instructions on how to submit questions during the call. This call will be approximately 30 minutes in length and is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit https://web.memberclicks.com/

Support the Uniting American Families Act
The Uniting American Families Act is a bill that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act, thus ending discrimination in the immigration laws by allowing same sex couples to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as heterosexual spouses of citizens. Currently, federal law does not acknowledge same sex relationships even if they are married in a country or US state where same sex marriage is legal. Under the current law, a gay or lesbian permanent resident cannot sponsor their spouse to obtain legal US resident status which could affect more than 500 families in Minnesota alone and over 36,000 families nationwide.

Please contact your Member of Congress and US Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken to tell them to pass the Uniting American Families Act.

LGBT Domestic Violence Toolkit for Attorneys
The American Bar Association (ABA), in collaboration with the National LGBT Bar Association, has announced the release of a LGBT Domestic Violence Toolkit, designed specifically for attorneys. This legal resource was produced as part of the ABA’s Legal Assistance and Education for LGBT Victims of Domestic Violence Project, which was created to provide national leadership and education on domestic violence issues in LGBT communities. The toolkit contains helpful resources to assist attorneys and their clients in better understanding and responding to domestic violence in the context of LGBT relationships.

To download your free copy, visit http://www.abanet.org/irr/enterprise/lgbt/

CAREER AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

William Mitchell College of Law Invites Applications for Part-time Adjunct Faculty for 2010-2011 Academic Year, Deadline April 30th.
Open Positions include both day and evening classes in the following areas:

1. Writing Professors teach first-year students about office memos, advice and demand letters, and motion practice memoranda in a year-long course.

2. Representation Professors critique first-year students in interviewing, counseling, negotiating, and oral argument exercises in a year-long course.

3. Appellate Professors teach second- and third-year students about appellate briefs and oral argument in a semester-long course.

Please visit www.wmitchell.edu/Legal-Practice-Center for more information. Successful applicants will have several years of practice experience. Please send a resume and cover letter by mail to Human Resources, 875 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105, by e-mail to hr@wmitchell.edu, or by fax to (651) 290-8645. Include times you would be able to teach and the position(s) in which you are interested, listed in order of preference. Candidates participating in the selection process for writing positions will be asked to provide writing and marking samples. Members of under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. AA/EOE. The application deadline is April 30, 2010.

Fourth Judicial District Vacancy, Deadline April 20th @ 4:30
(St. Paul, MN) – The Commission on Judicial Selection today announced that applications are now being accepted for a trial court bench vacancy in the Fourth Judicial District in Hennepin County. The vacancy occurred with the retirement of the Honorable H. Peter Albrecht on December 31, 2009.

Licensed Minnesota attorneys who are residents of the Fourth Judicial District may request an application for this position by calling John Hultquist at 651-296-0019, via e-mail at john.hultquist@state.mn.us or by writing: Ronald J. Schutz, Chair, Commission on Judicial Selection130 State Capitol 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155.

All candidates for this vacancy must submit an application. Applications and letters of recommendation must be submitted to the above address so they are received no later than 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.

Applicants are asked not to contact the commission members individually, as the nine at-large members and the four district members will conduct interviews at a later date.

MSBA Accepting Nominations for Secretary Candidates,
Deadline May 7th
Pursuant to MSBA Bylaws §9.3, the Elections/Appointments Committee of the Assembly will nominate a candidate for MSBA Secretary on Friday, May 21, 2010. As required by Bylaw 9.3.4, the Committee “shall consider the need to provide for gender, racial, and other forms of diversity in the leadership of the MSBA when electing the officer at-large.”

All applications for this position should be submitted to the Chair of the Committee in care of Joni Fenner, Assistant to the Executive Director, Minnesota State Bar Association, 600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 380, Minneapolis, MN 55402; 612/333-1183; email jfenner@mnbar.org. Deadline for submission is Friday, May 7, 2010

Williams Institute Small Grants Program
*Applications due by April 15, 2010.
The Williams Institute’s Small Research Grants Program is designed to encourage new empirical research focused on the LGBT population. Applicants from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, including social sciences like economics, sociology, demography, social psychology, law, and public policy are encouraged to apply. This initiative is designed to foster sound empirical analyses focused on the LGBT population; and to develop a better understanding of the need for and impact of public policies that affect the LGBT population. Advanced-level graduate students are strongly encouraged to apply. Similarly, more senior scholars interested in expanding their research agenda to include LGBT-related issues are welcome. http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/home.html 

National LGBT Bar Association Seeks Candidates for Board of Directors
April 30, 2010: Deadline for interested individuals to submit statements of interest based upon the questions provided. Statements should include the individual’s contact information, their history with nonprofit boards, and their interest in serving the members of the Association. Statements of interest and the questionnaire must be submitted to nominations@LGBTbar.org by 5:00pm EDT on April 30, 2009.

Each Board Member is elected by the LGBT Bar Board of Directors for a two-year term.

The Board usually has four in-person meetings a year. The meetings usually last half a day in length and are held in major cities in conjunction with the ABA Midyear and Annual Meetings, with at least one meeting at the LGBT Bar’s Lavender Law Career Fair and Conference.

All Board Members are encouraged to attend LGBT Bar programs and meetings where applicable, and act as “good will” ambassadors for the organization by interacting in a positive way with employers, other legal professionals and the public.

As time permits, Board Members are also encouraged to participate with local LGBT voluntary bar association in their activities. Board Members are covered by a Code of Conduct, must disclose any conflicts of interest and are subject to a background check by the General Counsel. Board members are covered by D&O insurance in the amount of $1 million and by indemnification to the maximum extent allowed by law.

For more information, visit www.lgbtbar.org

Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition, Submission Deadline: June 1, 2010
The National LGBT Bar Association’s Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition recognizes and encourages outstanding law student scholarship on the legal issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons. For any questions, please contact the LGBT Bar’s Law Student Division co-chair Samuel Pearson-Moore at writingcompetition@lgbtbar.org. Please do not include any substantive information regarding your piece, as submissions are blind-graded by student co-chairs

To find out more information, visit http://lgbtbar.org/newsletter/

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Job Opportunities posted
on MLBA website

MLBA receives a number of notices from employers seeking candidates for open positions. We try to post these on our web site regularly, and in fact have now created a specific page dedicated to sharing these opportunities.
Please click here for more information. http://www.mnlavbar.org/