Minnesota Lawyer articles from June 2006

Minnesota Lawyer archives from June 2006

MN judiciary committee reviews use of interactive video teleconference for some criminal hearings.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Barbara L. Jones A Supreme Court advisory committee is currently reviewing the use of interactive video teleconference (ITV) in hearings for some criminal matters. Currently the use of ITV is governed by a protocol established...

New law changes the liability caps of Minnesota government entities.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Michelle Lore Gov. Pawlenty recently signed a bill that limits the tort liability of governmental entities acting under a joint powers agreement or other joint venture. While recoveries for negligence claims against...

MSBA convention will build on last year's successful formula.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Cohen

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights Conference explores labor rights as human rights.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter The Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights (MAHR) hosted its annual Human Rights Law and Asylum Conference at Dorsey & Whitney, LLP., last week. The Human Rights Law and Policy aspect of the...

Conference explores labor rights as human rights.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter

MN Bar Buzz: June 5, 2006.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter What would he have said if he was a 'Rising Star?' Minnesota Lawyer last month recognized its 15 Up & Coming Attorneys at a very nice luncheon held at Hamline University. The annual event...

Commentary: Who's watching the lawyers?
June 5, 2006... Byline: Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility Every state has an attorney-discipline system. In some states that have a unified bar, the discipline system is operated by the bar association. In Minnesota the discipline system is...

Sometimes a retreat is just a retreat &#133<P>.(Greg Wersal sues)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Cohen Greg Wersal last week filed a complaint with the Campaign Finance Board against the Minnesota Judicial Council and two of the three Andersons on the high court (Russell and G. Barry Anderson, to be precise). Mr....

Nationally recognized expert on juror behavior speaks to Minnesota attorneys.(Dr. Susan E. Jones)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Michelle Lore It's a myth that 80 percent of all jurors make up their minds after the opening statement, at least according to Dr. Susan E. Jones, a nationally recognized expert on juror behavior. Jones, the founder of the Jury...

A closing argument can arm advocates on the jury, advises expert on juror behavior.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Michelle Lore At a recent continuing legal education seminar, Dr. Susan E. Jones, an expert on juror behavior, said that when it comes to closing arguments, preparation is the key to success. She also stressed that the closing...

MN Court of Appeals ruls denial of car-repair license for site was error.(Lam v. St. Paul)
June 5, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter A property used for the nonconforming uses of auto sales and repairs can continue to be used for those purposes, even though the nonconforming uses were halted for a period, the Court of Appeals has...

Courts consider couple of contract conundrums.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Marshall H. Tanick

Minnesota State Bar Association convention will build on last year's successful formula.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Cohen The Minnesota State Bar Association is once again gearing up to hold its annual convention in Brainerd. Building on last year's successful model, the MSBA is planning to offer a wide array of...

Commentary: Courts consider couple of contract conundrums.
June 5, 2006... Byline: Marshall H. Tanick Most employees do not have employment contracts. Those in labor unions are governed by collective bargaining agreements, public sector employees are subject to civil service rule and personnel policies, as well...

Commentary: Sometimes a retreat is just a retreat ...(Greg Wersal sues Minnesota Judicial Council )
June 5, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Cohen Greg Wersal last week filed a complaint with the Campaign Finance Board against the Minnesota Judicial Council and two of the three Andersons on the high court (Russell and G. Barry Anderson, to be precise). Mr....

Blowing the Whistle.
June 12, 2006... Byline: Michelle Lore As a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting a whistleblower claim demonstrates, prevailing in such cases can be difficult. In Garcetti v. Ceballos, the U.S. high court scaled back protections for government...

MN Court of Appeals rules whistleblower claim can proceed.
June 12, 2006... Byline: Michelle Lore Minneapolis lawyer Sonja Dunnwald Peterson enjoyed a victory in the Court of Appeals last week on a whistleblower claim in which the issue of pretext was pivotal. The plaintiff in that case was an energy...

MN lawyers pitch in to aid soldiers and their families.(Minnesota State Bar Association)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Michelle Lore The Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) held a continuing legal education (CLE) seminar last week designed to educate attorneys in how to assist soldiers and their families with legal issues they may confront as a...

Commentary: Happy 40th birthday 'Miranda' -- and many happy returns.
June 12, 2006... Byline: John Stuart Back in the old days, the bad old days, I had a friend whose brother was a Chicago cop. We heard the story of what the officers in his precinct did when they got their first copying machine: they lifted up the rubber...

MN Women Lawyers bestows several awards at its annual meeting.(Minnesota Women Lawyers )(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Minnesota Women Lawyers (MWL) bestowed its Myra Bradwell Award on Court of Appeals Judge Wilhelmina Wright at the group's annual meeting last week. The award is presented annually to an MWL member who expresses the highest ideals of the...

MN Women Lawyers's new slate of officers takes the helm.(Mary R. Vasaly appointed at Minnesota State Bar Association)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Mary R. Vasaly has been named the 2006-07 MWL president. A partner with Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand's, Vasaly has served as president-elect of MWL for the past year. Practicing in the areas of appeals,...

MN Court of Appeals upholds decision in aquarium case.
June 12, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter The Minnesota Court of Appeals has determined that upon finding excusable neglect pursuant to Minn. R. Civ. P. 6.02, a District Court may grant an extension of time for filing an affidavit certifying...

Federal court in MN to hold seminar on electronic filing.(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff The District Court of Minnesota is sponsoring an electronic case filing (ECF) "Best Practices" seminar in Duluth and St. Cloud this month. The seminars are designed to provide attorneys and law firm staff an...

Openings on 10th Judicial District bench in Anoka County announced.(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Applications are being accepted for two trial court bench vacancies in the 10th Judicial District in Anoka County. The vacancies will occur with the retirement of Judge Joseph Quinn on June 30, 2006, and the...

Finalists announced for 4th District bench positions in MN.(Tim Pawlenty announces three finalists)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Gov. Tim Pawlenty has announced the finalists for three trial court bench vacancies in the 4th Judicial District in Hennepin County. The vacancies occurred as a result of the retirement of Judge...

Commentary: Recent rulings review difficult defamation doctrines.
June 12, 2006... Byline: Marshall H. Tanick The notion that public officials, especially elected officeholders, invariably lose defamation lawsuits is widely held and well-deserved. A pair of cases recently decided by the Minnesota Court of Appeals...

MN Lawyers in the News: June 12, 2006.(Leigh K. Currie, Signe L. Levine join Leonard, Street and Deinard)(Trisha A. Vicario join Hansen, Dordell, Bradt, Odlaug & Bradt, P.L.L.P)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Leigh K. Currie and Signe L. Levine have joined Leonard, Street and Deinard as associate attorneys. Currie focuses her practice in administrative and environmental Law. She received her law degree from...

MN Bar Buzz: June 12, 2006.
June 12, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Deposition is child's play U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Presnell in Florida apparently is fed up with what he views as childish discovery games played by attorneys. Despite repeated...

Dealing with judicial stress.
June 19, 2006... Byline: Barbara L. Jones Anoka County District Court Judge Joseph Quinn's recent disability retirement has again focused the profession's attention on the health of its judges. Quinn cited depression and job-related stress along with a...

MN judges who leave the bench after stress- or mental-illness induced episodes.(Minnesota)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Byline: Barbara L. Jones Minnesota has seen a number of cases in the last few years where judges have left the bench or gone on leave after stress- or mental-illness induced episodes. Most recently, Anoka County District Court Judge R....

Patrick Kelly ready to take the helm of the Minnesota State Bar Association.
June 19, 2006... Byline: Barbara L. Jones Like many Minnesotans, incoming Minnesota State Bar Association President Patrick J. Kelly hasn't moved around all that much. Born in St. Paul, he has practiced law with the same St. Paul firm (in different...

Legal implications of Minnesota's carbon monoxide detector law considered.
June 19, 2006... Byline: Barbara L. Jones A quietly passed law mandating carbon-monoxide detectors in residential dwellings was not on the radar screen of most local lawyers. The statute was passed as part of the omnibus public safety bill, signed by...

Attorneys receive awards for pro bono service to 2nd District.
June 19, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter The 2nd Judicial District Pro Bono Committee, co-chaired by Ramsey County District Court judges Dale Lindman and Teresa Warner, recently awarded Esther Lerman and Thomas R. Sheran with its Pro Bono...

Shestack to be awarded ABA Medal at annual meeting.(Jerome J. Shestack)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Jerome J. Shestack of the Philadelphia law firm of Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen, has been selected to receive the 2006 American Bar Association Medal. The ABA Medal is the highest recognition...

MN Bar Buzz: June 19, 2006.(Minnesota)(Brent Routman)
June 19, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Routman's detector is smoking, but not a gas The new law requiring every household in the state to have a carbon monoxide detector by 2009 could be subtitled the "Full-Employment Act for Detector...

Reception held for participants in Minnesota Minority Clerkship Program.(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter The first annual Welcome Reception for participants in the Minnesota Minority Clerkship Program was held last week at the law offices of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. The clerkship...

U.S. District Court judge approves class-action settlement in sex bias case.
June 19, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter U.S. District Court Judge Joan Ericksen gave preliminary approval last week to a proposed class action settlement of certain gender discrimination claims asserted against C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc....

Commentary: Ethical leadership in the Sarbanes-Oxley world.
June 19, 2006... Byline: Neil Hamilton and Marlon Cush A common question in the corporate scandals that are playing out their final chapters in the Lay/Skilling guilty verdicts is "Where were the lawyers?" It is apparent that many lawyers representing...

MN Legal Briefs: June 19, 2006.(Portia Hampton Flowers appointed at St. Paul City Attorney's Office)(The Esquire Group appoints Jennifer J. Middleton)(Mansfield Tanick & Cohen appoints St. Paul, Andrew J. Dawkins)
June 19, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Portia Hampton Flowers has been appointed to manage the Civil Litigation Division of the St. Paul City Attorney's Office. She is a 1990 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law. Louise...

Commentary: Battles: Restroom rulings reflect rival results.
June 19, 2006... Byline: Marshall H. Tanick Not much work is done in bathrooms. They are, however, an integral part of the workplace. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this spring reached rival results in a pair of sex harassment cases revolving...

Popular MN trial lawyers' executive director lauded.
June 26, 2006... Byline: Barbara L. Jones Times have certainly changed since Dick Martin joined the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association (MTLA) as a lobbyist in 1991. Fifteen years ago, Stella Liebeck had yet to sue McDonald's after being burned by coffee...

MN Court of Appeals rules statements by attorney may be basis to rescind settlement.
June 26, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Cohen An attorney's allegedly misleading statements regarding his corporate client's relationship with its subsidiary company may be a ground to rescind a release and settlement agreement entered into in reliance on the...

MN Court of Appeals rules evidence law doesn't violate.
June 26, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff The Court of Appeals last week reversed a Scott County District Court judge's ruling that the state's evidence in a DWI prosecution was inadmissible because the defendant driver had successfully challenged...

MN Bar Buzz: June 26, 2006.
June 26, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter You may be a lawyer, but are you likeable? An interesting looking CLE brochure came across Bar Buzz's desk from a group billing itself as "the likeable Lawyer." (The name is trademarked, so, if...

Human rights group holds awards dinner in Minneapolis.
June 26, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Garrison Keillor served as Master of Ceremonies for the annual Human Rights Awards Dinner recently hosted by Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights (MAHR). This year's Human Rights Awards honored Nigerian...

Truth and Reconciliation Commission launched at MN State Capitol last week.
June 26, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights (MAHR) launched the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission at the Minnesota State Capitol last week. Coinciding with the opening of the Liberian Truth...

MN Lawyers in the News: June 26, 2006.
June 26, 2006... Byline: Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter Laurel J. Pugh and Melissa C. Gregory have become associates of the Twin Cities law firm of Bassford Remele. Pugh received her B.A. from the University of Washington and her J.D. from the University...

Commentary: Instant replays: Jurors can review trial tapes.
June 26, 2006... Byline: Marshall H. Tanick "Are you ready for some football?" Within a few weeks, that cry will permeate the land as professional football teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, begin their summer drills to get ready for the upcoming...