Minnesota Lawyer articles from December 2003

Minnesota Lawyer archives from December 2003

Minn. Court of Appeals rules district court can consider grievant's lawsuit.(Minnesota. Court of Appeals)
December 1, 2003... Byline: Michelle Lore The District Court had jurisdiction to consider a former University of Minnesota employee's statutory and contract claims notwithstanding a grievance panel order that was subject only to certiorari review, the Court...

Minnesota Supreme Court suspends lawyer for misconduct in child protection proceeding.(Dale C. Nathan)
December 1, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter The Minnesota Supreme Court has indefinitely suspended Eagan attorney Dale C. Nathan from the practice of law for misconduct in a child custody matter and a child protection proceeding. Nathan may...

Minn. Court of Appeals orders child support under parenting plan.(Minnesota)
December 1, 2003... Byline: Barbara Jones Where a parenting plan did not use traditional custodial designations and did not establish child support, the District Court judge should have ordered both parents to pay prorated support according to the Minnesota...

American Bar Assn. seeks nominations for 2004 Thurgood Marshall Award.(American Bar Association)
December 1, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter The American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities is seeking nominations for the 2004 Thurgood Marshall Award, honoring individuals' long-term contributions to the...

Commentary: Avoiding problems when settling malpractice claims.
December 1, 2003... Byline: Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility Unfortunately, not all clients will be completely satisfied with your services. Some clients threaten to, or do, bring malpractice claims. A lawyer may settle a potential or actual...

Senior status does not slow down U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson.
December 1, 2003... Byline: Michelle Lore Despite going on senior status just over a year ago, this 22-year veteran of the bench isn't slowing down a bit. U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson continues to maintain a full caseload while also making time...

Justice Page becoming 'great dissenter' on Minnesota Supreme Court.(Alan Page)
December 1, 2003... Byline: Marshall Tanick In his younger days, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page was spending this time of the year on the gridiron. An all-American defensive lineman at Notre Dame, he starred for many years in the National...

MN Legal Briefs: December 1, 2003.(law firms)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Raymond Bonnabeau, Jen Salyers, Jeff Stites and Bob Doe, all formerly with the firm of Thomas & Bonnabeau, have opened the new law firm of Bonnabeau, Salyers, Stites & Doe, L.L.C. in Minneapolis....

Minnesota's same-sex couples still face legal hurdles.
December 1, 2003... Byline: Barbara Jones A recent Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that same-sex couples have the legal right to marry in that state isn't expected in and of itself to change the legal landscape in Minnesota, local lawyers say. But...

Home for disabled entitled to waiver.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Michelle Lore The city of Minneapolis properly granted a zoning ordinance waiver where it would not impose undue financial or administrative burdens on the city and was needed to allow disabled people the same opportunity to live...

High court considers challenge to public defender co-payments.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Barbara Jones The Minnesota Supreme Court last week heard arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of a new law that requires a $50 to $200 co-payment from clients of the public defender. The case State v. Tennin...

Nonresident license fee provision is struck down.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Barbara Jones A licensing system for transporting minnows that favors residents over nonresidents discriminates against interstate commerce in violation of the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, the Court of Appeals has...

MN Advocates for Human Rights launches 'Stop Violence Against Women' Web site.(Minnesota)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights has officially launched the "Stop Violence Against Women" Web site, a resource for individuals and organizations working to eliminate violence against women in...

Winona attorney named chair of lawyers board.(Kent Gernander has been named chair of the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Winona attorney Kent Gernander has been named chair of the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, effective on Feb. 1. Gernander, 62, is a partner at Streater & Murphy in Winona and received...

Reception held for attorney Richard Hendrickson.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Michelle Lore After a month of hospitalization and recuperation since he was seriously injured in a courthouse shooting, attorney Richard L. Hendrickson was welcomed back at a reception hosted by the Hennepin County Bar Association...

Diversity Web site seeks to lure legal professionals to Minnesota.(Minnesota Minority Bar Summit )
December 8, 2003... Byline: Michelle Lore The Minnesota Minority Bar Summit (MMBS) is taking a big step toward attracting more minority law students and lawyers to Minnesota. The MMBS a collaboration of minority bar associations, local law schools and the...

Legal Liaisons hires Director of Client Services.(appointment of Barbara J. Klas)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Barbara J. Klas, Esq. has joined Legal Liaisons, Ltd. as Director of Client Services where she will manage client relations and business development. Klas is a 1991 graduate of William Mitchell...

Discrimination and harassment cases falter in 8th Circuit.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Marshall Tanick The claims of employees asserting harassment and discrimination often falter. This is particularly so in federal court proceedings. Many cases are settled before or during administrative proceedings. But those...

Ramsey County Bar Foundation gives Southern MN Regional Legal Services $19,000.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) recently became the grateful recipient of $19,377.25 from the Ramsey County Bar Foundation (RCBF). The check was presented at the Campaign for...

Judge Howard attacked in Hennepin County Drug Court.
December 8, 2003... Byline: Barbara Jones A 23-year old man was in custody last week, facing two felony charges in connection with an assault on Hennepin County District Court Judge William Howard while he was presiding over Drug Court on Dec. 1, 2003. ...

MN Court of Appeals rejects claim by affordable housing advocates.(Minnesota metropolitan court of appeals)
December 15, 2003... Byline: Michelle Lore While affordable housing advocacy organizations had standing to challenge Metropolitan Council actions they say harmed their missions, they could not proceed with a declaratory judgment action because they did not...

Some in Minnesota's legal community express concern about re-introducing the death penalty.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Barbara L. Jones With the idea of re-introducing the death penalty into Minnesota again a hot topic, members of the legal community are concerned with the potential ramifications that such a change could have on the state's justice...

MN Court of Appeals rules that charge limiting prior crime evidence must be given when requested.(Minnesota)
December 15, 2003... Byline: Barbara L. Jones A jury instruction limiting the use of evidence of prior crimes to proof of motive and identity must be given when the defendant requests it, the Court of Appeals has ruled. The defendant was convicted of...

Minneapolis firm finds success in new niche, entertainment law.(Abdo, Abdo, Broady & Satorius)
December 15, 2003... Byline: Michelle Lore The Minneapolis law firm of Abdo, Abdo, Broady & Satorius has been providing a variety of legal services to businesses and individuals for 67 years. Starting in the early 1990s, the well-established firm began carving...

Commentary: Moral psychology and the education of lawyers.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Neil W. Hamilton What do empirical studies tell us about the impact of legal education on law students' ethical development? Ironically, while legal educators and the leadership of the bench and bar emphasize the importance of...

Minn.-based nonprofit law firm names recipients of "Advocate for Justice Award".(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Centro Legal, Inc., a nonprofit community law office that provides civil legal services to the Latino community in Minnesota, has named Jeffrey P. Larson and Julie M. Zimmer as the recipients of the...

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights Women's Program sends delegation to Bulgaria.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights (MAHR) Women's Program sent a delegation to Sofia, Bulgaria, last month at the invitation of long-time partner, the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation. The...

Survey by Nat. Assn. of Securities Dealers shows investors misunderstand investment issues.(National Association of Security Dealers)
December 15, 2003... Byline: James J. Eccleston The National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) has announced that it has established the NASD Investor Education Foundation, and that it is funding the foundation with an initial endowment of $10 million....

Minnesota Supreme Court approves credits for legal professional development.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Barbara L. Jones The Minnesota Supreme Court last week approved a rule authorizing an unlimited amount of continuing legal education credit hours for professional development courses, concluding an effort to amend the rule that has...

District of Minn. amends local rule relating to motion practice.(Minnesota)(Brief Article)
December 15, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. sec. 2071(e), the District of Minnesota is adopting a revision to Local Rule 7.1(b), "Civil Motion Practice," effective Jan. 1, 2004. The rule will read as follows: Unless...

One attorney position open on Minnesota State Board of Legal Certification.(Public Notice)
December 15, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter One attorney position is open on the 12-member Minnesota State Board of Legal Certification. The all-volunteer board is responsible for the process by which lawyers can be certified as...

Three finalists named for 6th Judicial District Court bench.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter The Commission on Judicial Selection last week announced three finalists for a 6th Judicial District Court bench vacancy in the city of Hibbing in St. Louis County. The opening occurred with the...

8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals addresses diverse issues in academic assault appeal.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Marshall H. Tanick Most appeals focus on a key central issue, although several other questions may be addressed by appellate tribunals. In some cases, liability and damages are both at issue. A recent ruling by the 8th U.S....

MN Legal Briefs: December 15, 2003.
December 15, 2003... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Eide Bailly, L.L.P., has announced that Marc W. Courey has joined the firm to lead its Fraudwise Division in the Twin Cities. His experience includes criminal and complex civil litigation, mediation,...