MSBA Labor & Employment Law Section

Annual Reports

The MSBA Labor & Employment Law Section posts an annual report for its section membership by June 30 each year.

MSBA Labor & Employment Law Section
Annual Report
2010-11

This report highlights the MSBA Labor & Employment Law Section’s programs and initiatives during the busy and productive 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Section Membership
As of June 27, 2011, the Labor & Employment Law Section has 694 members. This accounts for a 9% loss in membership since July 1, 2010.

Financial Status
The Labor & Employment Law Section had an account balance of $20,514.92 as of April 30, 2011. This balance does not reflect the expense related to the Section’s annual dinner, CLE and awards program held in May 2011.

Continuing Legal Education Programs and Social Events
The Section hosted a number of successful CLE programs in fiscal year 2010-2011. This year’s Mid-Winter Luncheon program in March featured a lively and informative panel discussion about hot topics in retaliation claims. The Section’s Annual Meeting and Spring Dinner included an inside look into the current dispute between NFL owners and players. The Labor & Employment Section also co-hosted with the ADR Section an informative lunch hour CLE and hosted three training sessions for agency investigators that qualified for CLE credit.

In addition, the Section continued its co-sponsorship of two popular annual programs with Minnesota CLE – the Labor & Employment Law Institute and the Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute.

Continuing this Section’s strong tradition of reaching out to law students, the Labor & Employment Section hosted its annual law student outreach reception in May 2011. This year’s reception featured a panel of newer lawyers in various areas of practice who discussed their different approaches to launching their legal careers. The event was very successful and the great attendance by Section members was appreciated by the students and the Governing Council. The Section recognized outstanding labor law and employment law students from the four area law students at its Annual Meeting and Spring Dinner.

The Section also participated in the May 2011 Certification Reception at Minikahda Club in Minneapolis. This event served as a nice recognition for those in this Section and other MSBA sections who have received a certification designation through one of the Minnesota Board of Legal Certification’s programs and a show of appreciation for those who work to make the certification programs happen.

Program Date	Program Title	CLE Event Code and Credit	# of Attendees
2/8/2011	Keep your "In-fighting" In-House: Designing Workplace Dispute Resolution Processes: Tips and Traps for Attorneys and ADR Neutrals (co-sponsored with ADR)	152448; 1.0 Standard	59
3/9/2011	Defining Legally-Protected Conduct and Other Hot Topics in Retaliation Claims	153215; 1.0 Standard	71
3/29/2011	Annual Labor and Employment Law Section Law Student Reception	N/A	60
4/6/2011	Caregiver Discrimination under the MHRA and Title VII	154178; 1.0 Standard	32
5/4/2011	Reasonable Accommodation under the ADAAA: The shift in focus from who is disabled to who can work	155087; 1.0 Standard	30
5/19/2011	Ditching the NLRA for the Sherman Act: the Impact on the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB	155247; 1.0 Standard	129
6/1/2011	The Expanding Scope of Retaliation Claims	156486; 1.0 Standard	23

Legislation and Amicus Briefs
The Labor & Employment Law Section did not submit any legislative proposals or amicus briefs in the 2010-11 term. The Governing Council monitors legislative activity and provides regular reports on items of possible to the Section.

Annual Meeting and Election Results
The Section’s Annual Meeting was held in conjunction with the Spring Dinner on May 19, 2011, and the Metropolitan Club at Target Field provided a fantastic venue for this event. The 129 Section members in attendance enjoyed tours of Target Field, a social hour featuring spectacular views and a Minnesota Gopher baseball game, dinner, awards presentations and the previously mentioned CLE program. One highlight of the evening was the Section’s presentation of the Leonard E. Lindquist Distinguished Labor & Employment Attorney Award to Roger Jensen in recognition of his illustrious career.

During the business meeting portion of the evening, the following individuals were elected to serve as officers for the Governing Council’s 2011-12 term:

Chair: Thomas Trachsel
Vice Chair: Charles Knapp
Secretary/Treasurer: Howard Bolter

The following individuals were elected to serve on the Labor & Employment Law Governing Council from July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2014:

Mary Martin (re-elected to second term)
Kelly Jeanetta
Michael Moberg
Craig Trepanier
Phyllis Karasov

Other Section Accomplishments
Certification Program: Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Certification Committee and Jessica Thomas, following the first certification examination on October 2, 2010, 74 attorneys earned the designation of MSBA Certified Labor and Employment Law Specialist. A second certification examination will be administered in the fall of 2011. More information is available at www.mnbar.org/certify.

State Court Opinions Database: Under the leadership of former Section Chair Justin Cummins, the Section has continued to work with the Civil Litigation Section, the Family Law Section, and the Minnesota District Court Judges Association to create a word-searchable database for State court orders.

Section Newsletter: The Section published two issues of the Section’s e-newsletter this year. Many thanks to Chris Jozwiak, Professor Deborah Schmedemann from William Mitchell College of Law, and all of the authors and editors who continue to provide useful and well-written materials for this publication.

Section Website, Facebook and LinkedIn sites: The Section’s website continues to be a wonderful source of information. This year, the MSBA launched Facebook and LinkedIn sites for the Section, which also provide timely and useful information and additional ways for Section members to interact.

Mediators List: The Section’s website continues to feature a directory of mediators in the labor and employment areas with links to the mediators’ biographies and contact information.

Speakers Bureau: Section member are encouraged to submit their information to the Labor & Employment Speakers Bureau, which enables schools and community groups to connect with volunteer speakers on labor and employment topics.

Practicelaw.org: Using the Practicelaw.org platform, the Governing Council is developing and publishing a set of helpful checklists for practitioners. These resources can be found under the “Jump Starts” link on the practicelaw.org site.

Thank you to the 2010-2011 Governing Council members: Thomas Trachsel, Charles Knapp, Howard Bolter, Connie Howard, Chris Jozwiak, John Klassen, Mary Krakow, Jessica Looman, Mary Martin, Linda Mealey-Lohmann, and Mark Pihart. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with such an extraordinary group of colleagues. Thank you also to MSBA Section liaison Elyse Farnsworth and the MSBA staff for their invaluable support and guidance.

Finally, none of these accomplishments would have been possible without the support and commitment of Section members. Your continued enthusiasm for and participation in Section events and initiatives set this Section apart.

Submitted By:
Beth Papacek-Kovach, Section Chair

- Last Updated 06/23/2010 -

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