MSBA Civil Litigation Advocate Award Presentation and CLE

Join the Civil Litigation Section for their virtual* Annual Advocate Award Presentation and CLE.  Do not miss this opportunity to honor distinguished retired Judge Kevin Burke, as well as hear a moderated conversation with three members of the prosecution team from the Chauvin trial: Jerry Blackwell, Steve Schleicher, and Lola Velazquez-Aguilu.

2021 Advocate Award Recipients

• Judge Kevin Burke , Retired Chief Judge Fourth Judicial District

• The Chauvin Trial Team: Jerry Blackwell, Steve Schleicher, and Lola Velazquez-Aguilu

CLE Presentation:

A moderated conversation with the Chauvin Trial Team

The Chauvin trial was perhaps the most significant trial in Minnesota history and the much of the world watched it.  While it was a criminal case, three local private practice attorneys set aside their practices to prosecute the Chauvin case pro bono. Jerry Blackwell is a full-time civil litigator, who founded his own firm Blackwell Burke, focusing on product liability. Steve Schleicher, a former prosecutor, is currently Maslon LLP’s Co-chair of Government & Internal Investigations Group, with practice areas including business litigation and tort & product liability.  Lola Velazquez-Aguilu, also a former prosecutor, is currently Lead Counsel, Brain Modulation at Medtronic, working on litigation and investigations.

We are honoring these excellent litigators, who answered the call to help serve justice, epitomizing the Section’s theme for 2021 – “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Their participation advanced the cause of under-represented groups everywhere… in the criminal justice system, in the civil litigation system, and most significantly in the realm of social justice.