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Since 1933, The Hennepin Lawyer has been a respected resource for articles about the legal profession and developments in the law—particularly as they relate to practice in Hennepin County, as well as providing news on the local legal community and bar association. HCBA members receive copies of the current digital edition via email. 
The Drumbeat of Technology
Andy Blair
Dec 19, 2023
Andy Blair takes us on a short tour through some of the data-related issues that lawyers in the music industry confront every day.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Sports & Entertainment Law
A Shocking Reminder
Nicole Kettwick
Dec 13, 2023
Nicole Kettwick, 2023-2024 HCBA President, discusses how recent headlines have emphasized to her the need for community support for attorneys.
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  • CATEGORY
  • President's Page
Crypto in Congress
Joshua D. Franklin
Dec 05, 2023
With the recent rise of cryptocurrency exchanges and fintech companies, cryptocurrency has now expanded far beyond a technological phenomenon, and morphed into a new asset class known as digital assets. Joshua D. Franklin explores some of the most popular and controversial bills regarding digital assets in 2023 and explains key considerations in creating a uniform regulatory framework for digital assets.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Technology
Professional Development: 4000 Weeks—Time Management for Mortals
Lisa Buck
Nov 27, 2023
Lisa Buck reviews the key takeaways from Oliver Burkeman's book, "4000 Weeks—Time Management for Mortals."
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  • CATEGORY
  • Professional Development
The Newfangled Lawyer's Guide to Wandering
Patrick Patino
Nov 14, 2023
In his latest Newfangled Lawyer column, Patrick Patino asks us to reconsider our ideas about productivity.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Practice Management
10 Questions with Heather Marx
Nov 06, 2023
Heather Marx serves as the vice-chair of the Customs, Imports & Trade Remedies practice at Cozen O’Connor. She was recently named a Top Woman in Law by Minnesota Lawyer. Here, she speaks to THL about her practice, the unique challenges women face in the legal profession, and the advice she never forgets.
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  • CATEGORY
  • 10 Questions
Ditching the Billable Hour
Jess Birken
Oct 17, 2023
Jess Birken explores other options for billing clients.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Small Firm Practice
The Newfangled Lawyer's Guide to Letting Go
Patrick Patino
Sep 26, 2023
We say that someone who has multiple roles or talents “wears many hats.” But Patrick Patino was wearing "fifteen vests, forty-five hats, too many pairs of sweatpants to count, and no shoes" and realized he needed to scale back on his duties and delegate more.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Work-Life balance
Get to Know Nicole Kettwick
Sep 18, 2023
HCBA President Nicole Kettwick shares her advice for new lawyers, the professional risk that led her to a great opportunity, and her vision for the year ahead.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Leadership
Lessons in Progress
Joan Bibelhausen
Sep 11, 2023
The seminal report "The Path to Lawyer Well-Being" identifies intellectual well-being as “engaging in continuous learning and the pursuit of creative or intellectually challenging activities that foster ongoing development.” CLE is a start, but what more is there? How does learning help us define and engage with our purpose?
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  • CATEGORY
  • Wellness
10 Questions with Elizabeth Fors
Elizabeth Fors
Aug 29, 2023
Attorney Elizabeth Fors recently helped with passing a landmark survivorship bill in the Minnesota legislature. Here, Fors answers 10 questions for Hennepin Lawyer about her prior career as a TV sports producer, the real-life experiences that helped her in law school, and her love of dogs.
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  • CATEGORY
  • 10 Questions
How Do You Connect with Clients Over Food?
Aug 22, 2023
We asked four Hennepin County attorneys how they connect with clients over food.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Food and the Law Series
Look Before You Leap!
Gerry Fornwald
Aug 21, 2023
Earlier this year, Minnesota enacted a whole new body of cannabis law, expanding the legal production, sale, and consumption of cannabis beyond hemp-derived products. While this change in Minnesota law certainly expands the variety (and potency) of THC-infused food and beverage products that will be available in the not-so-distant future, it also comes with licensing requirements and restrictions that haven’t applied in the past. Food and beverage manufacturers will want to charge ahead in this new gold rush—either for the first time or as a continuation of what they have been doing for the past year—but they will need to be made aware of certain regulatory pitfalls that could await them.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Food and the Law Series
Temporary H-2A Farmworkers in Minnesota
Griselt Andrade, Elana Gold, Peter Murray
Aug 14, 2023
If you enjoy any of the thousands of food products at the supermarket, thank a farmworker. A growing portion of agricultural work is done by foreign workers brought to the U.S. on temporary visas through the H-2A temporary agricultural program. The Agricultural Worker Project team from SMRLS works with H-2A workers, and hears the challenges these workers face in Minnesota.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Food and the Law Series
10 Questions with Emily Zambrana
Aug 07, 2023
Emily Zambrana is an in-house regulatory counsel for Whole Foods Market. She advises the company on labeling and related regulatory issues for food, cosmetics, and other consumer products. Here, she shares how her family's blueberry farm led her to agribusiness and food law, the trends in food label regulation that she's seeing, and what Whole Foods sparkling water flavor she can't live without.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Food and the Law Series
A Recipe for Success
Ben Kwan
Jul 25, 2023
Attorney Ben Kwan started helping out at his family's restaurant at five years old, washing dishes while perched on a five-gallon soy sauce bucket. Although he didn't always see the value in spending his weekends behind the counter, Kwan has grown to fully appreciate the opportunities and the education he received from being involved in the family business. From identifying specialties to checking implicit biases, Kwan credits his family's restaurant with making him the lawyer—and person—he is today.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Food and the Law Series
Litigating "Forever Chemicals"
Melissa Weiner
Jul 25, 2023
Imagine yourself in the aisle of your favorite big box retailer. Confronted with a shelf of products, would it influence your purchase if one of the products or its packaging contained a “forever chemical,” such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”), known to cause significant harm to human health and the environment? Welcome to the world of PFAS litigation, where courts are tackling complex issues—and coming to entirely disparate conclusions.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Food and the Law Series
Our Year of Living Wonderfully
Judge Mel Dickstein
Jul 18, 2023
Retired Judge Mel Dickstein spent a year living in Paris, indulging in all that the City of Lights had to offer: captivating streets, culinary delights, and cultural wonders. Recounting his year abroad, Dickstein experienced the joys—and challenges—of immersing himself in a different culture, and shares what the French can teach us in America about work, rest, balance, and simplicity.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Work-Life balance
2023 Excellence Awards: Hon. Denise Reilly
Jul 17, 2023
The Hon. Denise Reilly was selected for the 2023 Excellence Award for Career Contributions to the Profession. She reflects on her career on the bench and what she hopes to see from the legal profession in the future.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Excellence Awards
Five Takeaways from the Minneapolis Police Department Investigations and Findings
Abigail Cerra, Paul Ostrow
Jul 11, 2023
Two attorneys with experience in public safety reform, Abigail Cerra and Paul Ostrow, provide five observations on the recent investigations into the Minneapolis Police Department.
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  • CATEGORY
  • Public Safety
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Managing Editor
Elsa Cournoyer

Executive Editor
Joseph Satter


Get Involved with the HCBA Bar Memorial Committee
Oct 24, 2023
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Hennepin County Bar Association Honors 10 with 2023 Excellence Awards
May 02, 2023
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Apply for HCBA Leadership Positions by 7/29/22
Jul 15, 2022
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