Bringing Good News…
June 2010 brought with it the usual excitement surrounding the Pride festival and all the ensuing activities. However, this year the LGBT community had reason to celebrate further because the hope for a more equal tomorrow became even more tangible after the occurrence of two key events:

1) the MSBA endorsed the ABA resolution calling for the removal of legal barriers to civil marriage, and
2) the MSBA unanimously voted in its first openly gay Officer.

The Minnesota State Bar Association Endorses Marriage Equality:
On June 25th, the Assembly of the Minnesota State Bar Association voted to support of the American Bar Association resolution calling for the removal of legal barriers to civil marriage at the state, territorial, and tribal level, including Minnesota. The ABA’s resolution has been endorsed by the bars of New York City and San Francisco, as well as the state bar associations of New York, Washington state, Vermont and Massachusetts. To read the ABA resolution, click here

Phil Duran Elected as MSBA Secretary:
Phil Duran, former MLBA Board Member and member of the MLBA, was elected unanimously to the Minnesota State Bar Association's Secretary Position on June 25, 2010. This is the first step on the leadership track to the MSBA presidency. Historically, Phil played an integral role in advancing the MLBA's presence in the MSBA, including helping obtain seats on the MSBA's General Assembly, being included as part of the minority bar associations' rotating seats on the MSBA's council, and identifying and successfully ushering significant policy changes within the MSBA that support the LGBT Community. Most recently, Phil played a key role in the MSBA voting to support a resolution currently before the American Bar Association that calls for marriage equality throughout the United States. The MSBA is the first Midwest state bar association to support the resolution.

MLBA Thanks Its Volunteers
MLBA wishes to thank all the volunteers who gave their time to the MLBA and LAMBDA Legal Pride booths! We could not have done it without your help. The Transgender legal resource handouts and the MLBA member directories were a hit. After Pride was over, MLBA gave many of these handouts to organizations focusing on assisting the transgender community in hopes that we can begin cultivating relationships with these organizations.

The transgender legal handouts will remain on the MLBA website as a resource for attorneys, organizations and anyone else who would like information on transgender legal issues.

MLBA Thanks Eagle Copy Service
MLBA wishes to thank Eagle Copy Service for their help with all of MLBA’s copying needs for this year’s Pride festival. Eagle Copy Service is a full service Litigation and Corporate document management service. They did a wonderful job with our Pride handouts and we hope to continue working with them in the future. Feel free to check out their web site at http://www.eaglecopymn.com/

SAVE THE DATE!

Diversity in Practice’s Annual Summer Social
Friday, July 23, 5:00-7:00pm at Crowne Plaza SkyGarden
RSVP ASAP at http://www.diversityinpractice.org/index.asp

The Diversity in Practice’s Annual Summer Social is a time for lawyers of color to join together and build a stronger professional community for support, networking, and camaraderie. Celebrate and support diversity within our legal community by attending our most exciting social event of the year. Co-hosted with Minnesota American Indian Bar Association, Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, Minnesota Black Women Lawyers Network, Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, and National Asian Pacific Bar Association--MN Chapter. Friday, July 23, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. @ Crowne Plaza SkyGarden, 618 2nd Avenue South, Minneapolis. RSVP at http://www.diversityinpractice.org/index.asp

The Infinity Project presents “Achieving Diversity on the Bench in the 21st Century”
Wednesday, August 11th 3:00-5:00 p.m. at University of St. Thomas School of Law, Schulze Grand Atrium
Please join the Infinity Project as they take a candid look at the current system regarding judicial appointments and discuss ways in which we can continue to promote the most qualified lawyers and judges to the federal bench as well as best practices in developing a diverse pool of qualified applicants. The moderator will be Dahlia Lithwick, Contributing Editor of Newsweek and Senior Editor of Slate. RSVP by August 10th at stub1600@stthomas.edu. For more information, visit www.theinfinityproject.org

2010 Lavender Law Career Fair & ConferenceAugust 26-28th at the Loews Miami Beach
The 2010 Lavender Law Career Fair & Conference will be held August 26-28th at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, FL
Over 1,000 practicing attorneys, scholars, law students, members of the judiciary and other legal professionals year are expected to attend this year’s event which will feature career, networking, and continuing legal education opportunities tailored for the LGBT legal community. For more information, please visit http://www.lgbtbar.org/annual/panel.php

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Visiting Clinical Professor at Hamline University School of Law
Hamline University School of Law is considering applications for a visiting clinical professor, a ten-month appointment for the school year 2010-11. The Visiting Clinical Professor will teach and supervise 6 to 8 students each semester in a clinical class and on client cases in an area of his/her personal expertise, but preferably a litigation-based area such as unemployment compensation, including supervision of students handling client cases.

Qualifications include a J.D., license to practice law in Minnesota, and preferably experience working with law students on client cases in a clinical, externship or similar setting. For more information

William Mitchell College of Law Public Health Law Center to Hire Two Full Time Staff Attorneys
The Public Health Law Center, a public interest, non-profit affiliate of the William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota, has an immediate opening for two full-time, grant funded, staff attorneys. Qualifications include: admission to the bar and 3 years of experience in the practice of law; strong preference will be given to attorneys with relevant experience in public health law and/or demonstrated expertise in municipal law, including land use regulation, zoning law, and business licensure and regulation; and excellent legal research, writing, and public speaking skills. For more information, visit http://www.wmitchell.edu/services/hr/employment-jobs.asp

William Mitchell College of Law to Hire Director of Multicultural Affairs
In partnership with the Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs, the Director, Multicultural Affairs is responsible for: developing and implementing strategies and tactics to achieve the College’s multicultural vision; partnering with college leaders to implement multicultural goals; developing and executing minority recruitment strategies, international students and study abroad support; and developing and implementing multicultural programming and support for the William Mitchell community including students, faculty, staff, alumni, employers, and minority organizations.

The Director will serve as a member of the college’s leadership team and manage the staff and the operations of the multicultural affairs office and participate as a member of the admissions committee reviewing and making recommendations on applicants.  For more information, including how to apply, visit http://www.wmitchell.edu/services/hr/employment-jobs.asp

William Mitchell College of Law Seeking Mentors for First Year Students
When a student is transitioning into the first semester of law school, there are many difficult challenges, questions, and fears that can be overwhelming. Recent Mitchell graduates can provide the type of guidance, advice, and practical wisdom that best meets the needs of first-year law students.

Mitchell Mentors assigns you and one other alumni co-mentor to a group of two to three students and one upper-class student (peer) mentor. Please consider becoming a mentor and making a first year student’s first year a successful one. Applications are being taken until August 27th. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/AlumniMentor_2010

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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/Employment.htm