This year has reminded me again and again that the true value of the MSBA lies in our members and the people who show up. It’s a safe space where we can have hard conversations, celebrate each other’s milestones, and face challenges as a united profession. The bar is here for every stage of your career—and it only works if we each step up, show up, and do the work. I will continue doing that work alongside each of you, because this association and what it stands for matter. 

By Samuel Edmunds

Maintaining client confidences is a core professional responsibility obligation and a pivotal part of gaining and maintaining client trust. The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility’s ethics hotline fields numerous questions from lawyers navigating their confidentiality obligation, including queries from criminal defense lawyers wondering how to respond to a former client’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. 

By Susan M. Humiston and Benjamin J. Butler

A year ago I found myself overwhelmed and unable to pull myself out of a hole that I alone had dug. I couldn’t explain how I got there. I was unable even to give words to what was happening. While my family is very supportive, I didn’t want to appear vulnerable or weak, so I avoided talking to them or sharing my frustrations. In a brief moment of clarity, I reached out to Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.

By Kimberly Kirchner 

“Most of what people think they know about the legal system comes straight from TV shows and movies. The “CSI effect”? It’s real. Research shows that all those crime dramas and courtroom scenes have totally warped the public’s understanding of how things actually work in real life.”

The MSBA Diversity & Inclusion Council hosted its sold-out biennial conference on April 25, bringing together legal professionals from across Minnesota for a half-day of learning, connection, and reflection. The year’s theme, “Realities, Roadblocks, and Rising,” focused on deepening understanding and advancing efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession—especially poignant as the community marked five years since the death of George Floyd.

On May 1, over 600 attorneys and members of the public gathered at the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza to participate in the National Law Day of Action. The event, organized by the MSBA along with the Hennepin County and Ramsey County Bar Associations, provided a platform for attorneys to publicly reaffirm their dedication to the rule of law. 

Mingli Wu serves as assistant general counsel at Wells Fargo, where he focuses on capital markets and securities transactions. He volunteers with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) and the Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN), providing pro bono immigration and housing legal services.   

Erich Hartmann, a shareholder at Erickson, Bell, Beckman & Quinn, P.A., has been named a real property law certified specialist. 

The MSBA is pleased to share that the probate documents within MNdocs have been thoroughly reviewed and updated. The enhancements reflect current law and best practices, helping practitioners work more efficiently and with greater confidence.