FRESH LOOK PROBLEM UNPUBLISHED OPINIONS

Are you an MSBA member? If so, are
you a member of any sections? I am an
MSBA member and currently a member
of the Family Law section.
Something you
may not know
about Bethany
Thompson:
I worked full-time
during law school,
attending the
evening program at
Mitchell. I worked
Bethany Thompson
for a private school
all four years during
the school months and used my summers
to gain legal experience as a law clerk
for a number of different firms. I became
engaged to my now-husband during my
3L year and planned my wedding my final
semester of law school. We got married in
September, following the bar exam.
Daniel Sevcik
Law school: University of Minnesota
Hometown: Cedar Falls, IA
What are your plans? I plan to both live
and work in the MSP metro.
What are you most looking forward
to about being a licensed attorney?
Mostly, I’m looking forward to having
the bar exam in the rearview mirror; its
permanent passing is only just beginning
to set in. But in all seriousness, I’m looking
forward to putting to good use the
great honor of a law license that is now
entrusted to me. Having a law license
means that each and every day I will
have a unique opportunity to make an
impact in a person’s life. I think that is
what most excites me.
What do you anticipate to be your greatest
challenge as a new attorney? Learning
how to practice
law. I took many
opportunities
(clinics, externships,
law clerk)
in law school to
learn the practical
aspects of practicing
law. That said,
Daniel Sevcik
there are many aspects
of representing
clients from beginning to completion
that have likely never entered my mind.
I look forward to learning this, but I
believe it is the single greatest challenge
that most of us now have to learn.
Are you an MSBA member? If so, are
you a member of any sections? Yes, and
I am a member of many sections.
You can find special resources for
new lawyers at www.mnbar.org/NL
MSBAinAction
Bar leaders drill
down in diversity
workshops
The MSBA recognizes diversity as
a core value and has committed
to making leadership training a
central component of our diversity and
inclusion work this year. Last month the
MSBA hosted another series of diversity
and inclusion workshops for bar leaders
with consultant Kathleen Nalty. The goal
was to deepen our understanding of how
diversity and inclusion efforts affect the
practice of law and help us to identify
concrete steps that bar leaders can take
to incorporate diversity and inclusion strategies into the work they do through
the bar association and in their professional lives. Throughout each of the various
workshops, Nalty focused on teaching skills and providing tools for achieving an
inclusive environment that will foster sustainable diversity throughout the legal
profession. She also shared with participants the benchmarking system she uses to
assess an individual’s or organization’s progress toward diversity and inclusion in the
legal profession and to offer a path forward with concrete action steps.
The MSBA is committed to expanding our base of diverse perspectives and
backgrounds. Leveraging that talent and maximizing the participation of all
members will help us become a better and stronger bar association. This is an
imperative for the practice of law in the 21st Century. Thanks to all the members
of the MSBA Assembly, Council, Diversity and Inclusion Council, Section/
Committee Chairs, Diversity Liaisons, District Bar leaders and Affinity Bar leaders
who participated in these workshops. Visit our webpage at www.mnbar.org/diversity
to read more about the MSBA’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Coming to my.mnbar.org:
Compliance community
A
new Compliance Community at my.mnbar.org is under development by
co-moderators Jessica Tjorneho (senior ethics & culture specialist at
Medtronic) and Stacey Supina (managing director—GRC at Legal Research
Center). Like other communities at my.mnbar.org, the forum will host conversations
among like-minded professionals. But the compliance community will also include
a growing library of blog posts and whitepapers addressing the specific needs of
compliance professionals. The new forum will also be a place for the growing
number of students who express interest in compliance careers to begin developing
their professional reputations.
“The value of the community,” says Tjorneho, “is as a venue for local ethics &
compliance professionals to chat about best practices, to help each other overcome
hurdles we are facing in our jobs and in the profession, and to benchmark and learn
from each other as it relates to raising the bar for our respective programs.”
To learn more about this project, contact Mike Carlson (mcarlson@mnbar.org).
Volunteer for mock trial season
The MSBA’s high school mock trial is seeking volunteer judges and attorney
coaches statewide for the upcoming 2017 Mock Trial competitions. The program
offers an exciting law-related educational opportunity that introduces
students to the American legal system and provides a challenging opportunity for
personal growth and achievement. Students will exercise their critical thinking and
teamwork skills, as well as the basic skills learned in the classroom.
To learn more about the mock trial program, and to sign up as a volunteer, visit
www.mnbar.org/mocktrial.
www.mnbar.org December 2016 s Bench&Bar of Minnesota 5