MSBA Appellate Practice Section

Annual Reports

MSBA Appellate Practice Section
Annual Report
2010-11

Section Membership
As of June 16, 2011, the Appellate Practice Section has 234 members. This is an 8% increase in membership since July 1, 2010.

Financial Status
The Appellate Practice Section had an account balance of $2,431.59 as of April 30, 2011.

Continuing Legal Education Programs and Social Events
The Section hosted six CLE programs in fiscal year 2010-11, including the Section’s quarterly luncheon series and the Minnesota Appellate Clerks Reunion. The Section was also the lead sponsor of the 2011 Appellate Practice Institute, which garnered the most attendees in the history of the Institute.

Program Date	Program Title	CLE Credit and Event Code	# of Attendees
8/2/2010	The Resurrection of the Second Amendment	147201; 1.0 Standard	43
10/25/2010	The United States Supreme Court Preview: 2010-11 Term	149453; 1.0 Standard	59
2/10/2011	Citizens United and the Future of Free Speech	152844; 1.0 Standard	40
3/4/2011	Appellate Practice Institute	152396; 6.5 Standard	130
4/28/2011	Boumediene Three Years Later: All Sound and Fury…?"	154837; 1.0 Standard	38
5/17/2011	This Presentation is Brought to You by the Letter "I" and the Number "1"	156151; 1.0 Standard	36
6/3/2011	The Road Less Traveled to the Federal District Court	156001; 1.0 Standard	69

Legislation and Amicus Briefs

The Section was asked by the MSBA President to consider an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of Minnesota on an issue relating to funding of public defenders, but after extensive consideration decided not to submit a brief.

Annual Meeting and Election Results
The Section’s annual meeting and elections took place on May 17, 2011, at 5:30 p.m. at Jax Café in Minneapolis. Following the business meeting and elections, Judge Toussaint was the keynote speaker.

The following individuals were elected to serve on the Appellate Practice Section Council:

Chair: Robin M. Wolpert (Greene Espel)
Vice Chair: Jonathan P. Schmidt (Briggs & Morgan)
Secretary/Treasurer: Karen R. Cole

Council Members (Term):

The following new council members were elected to three-year terms beginning July 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2014:

Robert D. Sicoli
Law Offices of Robert D. Sicoli
8000 Flour Exchange Building
310 Fourth Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-871-0708
Fax: 612-871-0960
bsicoli@usinternet.com

Sharon Van Dyck
Van Dyck Law Firm, PLLC
5354 Parkdale Drive, Suite 103
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
952-746-1095
Fax: 952-746-1096
sharon@vandycklaw.com

Paul Banker
Lindquist & Vennum PLLP
4200 IDS Center
80 South Eighth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-371-3969
Fax: 612-371-3207
pbanker@lindquist.com

Thomas J. Radio
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
333 South Seventh Street, Suite 2000
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-334-2653
Fax: 612-334-8888
tradio@hinshawlaw.com

Mark R. Bradford
Bassford Remele
33 South Sixth Street, Suite 3800
Minneapolis, MN 55402-3707
612-376-1667
Fax: 612-746-1267
mbradford@bassford.com

Other Section Accomplishments

1. The Section began a program of annual training sessions for pro bono appellate work, beginning in 2011 with training for handling pro bono appeals for the Public Defender’s office. In 2012, the training session will focus on immigration appeals to the Eighth Circuit (in conjunction with Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights), and in 2013 the Section will resume its training for handling workers’-compensation cases before the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

2. The Section increased its inclusion of lawyers who practice criminal law by adding another council member (Robert Sicoli) whose practice focuses on criminal law. He joins Rachel Bond of the State Public Defender’s Office. The Section has historically had a very high percentage of civil practitioners. One of the Council’s goals this year—and in coming years—is to increase the representation of criminal-law practitioners.

3. The Section continued its hugely-successful and highly-regarded series of lunchtime seminars featuring national speakers on topics of appellate interest. This year’s speakers included Lyle Denison, a 40-year Supreme Court journalist (speaking on the Guantanamo detainee case, Boumediene) and Professor Dale Carpenter (speaking on the Supreme Court’s high-profile Citizens United decision).

Submitted By:
Charles Webber, Section Chair

- Last Updated 07/25/2011 -

Minnesota State Bar Association
600 Nicollet Mall, #380, Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 333-1183 | (800) 882- 6722