Minutes, FY 2011-12
11/15/11 | 10/18/11 | 9/20/11 | 8/18/11
Archived minutes from prior fiscal years

Tuesday, November 15, 2011
11:45am – 12:45pm
MSBA Offices – 3rd Floor City Center
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 380, Downtown Minneapolis

Attendees:  In person:  Phil Trobaugh, Amy Bergquist, Jennifer Carter (MSBA staff), Jim Skoog (HCBA)

By teleconference:  Brenda Tofte, Jim Moore, Jennifer Bloom, LuAnne Pederson, Richard Rosivach, Elise Peterson, Steve Buckingham, Gary Hansen, Susan Gliszinsky, Eldon Kaul

Not in attendance:  Dan Prokott, Andriel Dees, Alan Haynes, Lawrencina Oramalu, David Moody, Capt. Lindsey Olson, Margaret Erickson, Brandon Fitzsimmons, Trista Roy

Agenda

Negotiate Agenda

1. Nothing new to add to the agenda.

Approval of Last Month’s Minutes

1. The minutes from October 2011 were approved

HCBA Legal Expo Discussion

1. Jim Skoog from the HCBA spoke to the Committee regarding participation in the Legal Expo at the Earle Brown Center in Brooklyn Center on March 29, 2012.  The open presentation slot is at 10:00 am on 3/29/12.  Steve, Amy and Brenda expressed interest in participation.  Jim Skoog will be in touch with them for further planning.

Citizen Lawyer Award Update

1. Eldon gave a report regarding the Policy Committee decision for the Citizen Lawyer Award recipient.  Judge James Dehn will be this year’s recipient.  Elise has notified him.  The presentation will take place at the December 16, 2011 MSBA Assembly meeting.

Review of Constitution Day Presentation Statistics

1. Constitution Day statistics were strong with 90 presentations given to 3,337 students across MN.  Jennifer Carter has plans in place to increase participation, especially outside the metro area.  More focused attention will be paid to locations that have previously hosted the Supreme Court Traveling Oral Arguments.

Presidents’ Day Planning Update

1. The previously proposed lesson plan has been tabled in favor of something that requires less prep work by the teachers.  Jennifer Carter will be reviewing possible plans and communicating with the Committee.
2. Initial planning will start in December with emails to previous participants. 

Other Business

1. No other business was discussed.

Adjourn

Tuesday, October 18, 2011
11:45am – 12:45pm
MSBA Offices – 3rd Floor City Center
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 380, Downtown Minneapolis

Attendees:  In person:  Dan Prokott, LuAnne Pederson, Eldon Kaul, Jennifer Carter (MSBA staff)
                   By teleconference:  Brenda Tofte, Jim Moore, Jennifer Bloom

Not in attendance:  Phil Trobaugh, Gary Hansen, Susan Gliszinsky, Elise Peterson, Richard Rosivach, Andriel Dees, Alan Haynes, Lawrencina Oramalu, Amy Bergquist, David Moody, Capt. Lindsey Olson, Margaret Erickson, Brandon Fitzsimmons, Trista Roy

Agenda

Negotiate Agenda

1. Nothing new to add to the agenda

Approval of Last Month’s Minutes

1. The minutes from September 2011 were approved.

Constitution Day Update

1. Jennifer Carter gave an update of the presentations given for Constitution Day.  There have been 90 presentations given or scheduled to be given at 31 schools for 3,337 students.  Last year there were 93 presentations given at 18 schools.  There weren’t records kept of how many students were being reached.  There is still the possibility of a few more presentations and better statistics will be available at the November meeting.
2. The Committee would like to create a document from the surveys that shows, through comments, how the presentations were received by the students and teachers.  This could help the volunteer attorneys in preparation for future presentations and give more concrete feedback.

Supreme Court Oral Arguments in Brainerd Update

1. The Oral Arguments were October 12 in Brainerd.  In the week prior to the arguments 16 volunteer attorneys were scheduled to conduct 18 presentations to the juniors and seniors at Brainerd High School.  Dan Prokott wrote the lesson plan/teacher’s guide.  It was sent to the attorneys and teachers along with a glossary of legal terms that was created by Jennifer Carter.
2. The Committee would like to create an evaluation to be given to the students and teachers for next spring’s Oral Arguments.
3. As far as we know, the Oral Arguments have not been scheduled or a location selected for Spring 2012.

Presidents’ Day Initial Planning

1. Jennifer Carter has selected a possible lesson plan to be used for Presidents’ Day 2012 – the suspension of habeas corpus by President Lincoln during the Civil War.  This lesson will be circulated to the Committee Members for any comment.
2. The Committee would also like to create a Powerpoint of the Presidents’ Day lesson plan that would be available to the volunteer attorneys for use in their presentations.  The Committee is hoping that some of the law students who gave Constitution Day presentations would be willing to put the Powerpoint together.  Jennifer Carter will be in touch with the students regarding this project.

Other Business

1. Jennifer Carter will be attending the Education Minnesota conference on Thursday, October 20, 2011 and is hoping to recruit more teachers to participate in the LITS program. 
2. Citizen Lawyer Award
1. The nominations are due November 4, 2011.  A notice has been posted on the Civic Education Committee website and will be going out in the Legal News Digest weekly email blast.  The subcommittee is meeting on November 7, 2011 to review the nominations.

Adjourn

Tuesday, September 20, 2011
11:45am – 12:45pm
MSBA Offices – 3rd Floor City Center
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 380, Downtown Minneapolis

Attendees: In person: Phil Trobaugh, Eldon Kaul, Jim Moore, Jennifer Carter (MSBA staff),

By teleconference: Gary Hansen, Brenda Tofte, Susan Gliszinsky, Elise Peterson, Jennifer Bloom
                   
Not in attendance: Richard Rosivich, Andriel Dees, Alan Haynes, Dan Prokott, Lawrencina Oramalu, Amy Bergquist, David Moody, LuAnne Pederson, Capt. Lindsey Olson, Margaret Erickson, Brandon Fitzsimmons, Trista Roy 

Agenda

Negotiate Agenda

1. Nothing new to add to the agenda.

Approval of Last Month’s Minutes

1. The minutes from August 2011 were approved.

Constitution Day Update

1. Training
1. Amy Bergquist, Elise Peterson, Brenda Tofte and Phil Trobaugh led the LITS training on September 13, 2011 for 23 attendees (20 by phone and 3 by teleconference). 
2. It was a successful event with positive feedback from those in attendance.
2. Constitution Day Preparation Update
1. As of today, there are 52 presentations scheduled and approximately 18 pairings still in the process of scheduling.  There were 93 presentations for Constitution Day 2010.  The goal this year is 95 presentations.
2. There are several attorney volunteers in outstate Minnesota who have not been placed in schools.  Jim Moore has volunteered to contact the volunteers in Rochester and do outreach to Rochester schools.  Phil Trobaugh has volunteered to try to find schools for the Duluth volunteer as well as the Willmar volunteer.  Jennifer Carter will communicate the contact information to both Phil and Jim.
3. By the end of October, Jennifer Carter hopes to have a report on the success of Constitution Day 2011 with the total number of presentations given, number of participants (both attorneys and volunteers) and the total number of students reached. 
4. PR
1. We are hoping to have an article placed in the Star Tribune and Bench & Bar regarding Constitution Day 2011.  If someone can take a picture at their presentation, that would be included as well.
2. Past PR pieces will be communicated to the Committee. 

1. Future LITS Planning
1. Jennifer Bloom suggested that the Civic Education Committee have a presence at the MCSS conference in March 2012.  The suggestion was made to do a mock presentation so that teachers can see what the program is all about.  Jennifer Carter will make a proposal to be involved in the presentations.  Volunteers will be needed if we are successful.
2. More targeted outreach needs to be done to increase participation throughout Minnesota.  Through the Supreme Court Traveling Oral Arguments contacts in Brainerd, we should have a presence there for future events. 
3. Is there an organization that provides free copies of the US Constitution that we can hand out at the training to give to the students?

Supreme Court Oral Arguments in Brainerd

1. Volunteer Attorneys
1. The volunteer attorneys have been lined up and we are in the final stages of scheduling them into the schools to prepare the students for the oral arguments.
2. Teacher’s Guide and Lesson Plan
1. The case this year has to do with whether or not there were improper jury instructions given to the jury in a personal injury negligence case.
2. Dan is in the process of finishing the teacher’s guide and lesson plan that will be given to the volunteer attorneys and teachers.
3. Jennifer Carter wants to add a glossary for some of the terminology that will be heard by the kids during the arguments.  Eldon offered to help with the glossary.
3. The arguments are scheduled for October 12 in Brainerd.

Report on Funding Progress

1. The Civic Education Committee raises all of its own funds to support their projects.  Those funds are obtained through a variety of grants and donations.  For FY 2011-12, there is a budget of $6,200.00 to cover expenses ranging from food for committee meetings to teleconferencing to conference attendance.  So far we have raised about $2,000.00.  The MSBA Assembly also voted to allow us to keep $1,600.00 in unused funds that was carried over from last year. 

New Business

1. In an effort to help control expenses, Jim Moore suggested that we no longer pay for lunches for committee meetings.  The motion was seconded and it passed.  All future committee meetings will be “brown bag” unless otherwise requested by the Committee.

Adjourn

Thursday, August 18, 2011
11:45am – 12:45pm
HCBA Rivers Room – 3rd Floor City Center
600 Nicollet Mall, Downtown Minneapolis

Attendees: In person: Elise Peterson, Daniel Prokott, Phil Trobaugh, James Moore, Lawrencina Oramalu, Amy Bergquist, Eldon Kaul, Jennifer Carter (MSBA staff), Jim Skoog (HCBA staff)

By teleconference: Gary Hansen, David Moody, LuAnne Pederson, Capt. Lindsey Olson, Brenda Tofte, Susan Gliszinsky
                   
Not in attendance: Jennifer Bloom, Richard Rosivich, Andriel Dees, Alan Haynes, Margaret Erickson, Brandon Fitzsimmons, Trista Roy

Agenda

Discuss Meeting Plan for the Year

1. It was determined that the Committee should meet monthly on the third Tuesday of the month at 11:45am.

Lawyers in the Schools Training

1. Scheduled the LITS training – September 13, 2011 at 3:30pm
1. The President’s Room at the MSBA has been reserved for this training.
2. Brenda, Amy, Phil and Elise have offered to help with the training
3. It was suggested and agreed upon that one lesson should be taught in the training with emphasis on how to teach the lesson to the kids.  The attorney/teacher pairs can then decide whether or not they want to choose another lesson to present.
4. Jennifer Carter will start marketing the LITS training and the program in general through emails to past participants as well as district bar leaders.

Constitution Day Coordination

1. Dan made it clear that more emphasis needs to be placed on measuring the success of the LITS program.  Specifically, we need to work to increase participation across the state. 
1. Eldon is planning on speaking with organizations to partner with on the LITS program.  David offered to help with Districts 7, 8, 9, 12, 16.  Amy offered to reach out to the Minneapolis Public Schools and Phil offered to do the same with the St. Paul Public Schools.
2. Dan wants committee members to pair up and take ownership of the program, increasing participation across the state. 
3. Jennifer Carter will communicate to the Committee what schools have recently participated in the program.

Supreme Court Traveling Oral Arguments in Brainerd

1. Organization has begun.  Jennifer Carter will be traveling to Brainerd at the end of August to continue planning.

Committee Reports

1. No reports given

HCBA Community Project Updates

1. Jim Skoog of the HCBA made a presentation to the Committee to get their support for a recommendation to the MSBA Assembly to request the use of MSBA office space for the Urban Debate League in November.  James Moore and Amy Bergquist seconded the following:
1. The Civic Education Committee moves to support, recommend and request the use of MSBA office space for the Urban Debate League consistent with the proposal made by Jim Skoog on August 18, 2011.

The Committee welcomes new member Lawrencina Oramalu.  She is the Assistant Dean and Director for Multicultural Affairs at William Mitchell School of Law.