JD Journal » Minnesota

Teachers in Northern Wisconsin Awarded Bonuses

jim — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:15:10 +0000

A school district in Northern Wisconsin finished 2011 with a surplus in the budget, allowing the district to return that surplus to the employees of the district. The employees received $500 bonuses for Christmas, a move that did anger a local citizens group that claims the money should have been sent back to the taxpayers.

The school district, the Baldwin-Woodville Area School District, which is 30 miles east of St. Paul, Minnesota, sent out the $500 checks to the homes of its full and part-time employees right before the Christmas holiday. This was announced by School Board President Jeff Campbell.

Campbell explained that earlier in 2011, teachers and other employees within the district had agreed to a pay freeze. Those employees also agreed to pay 5.8 percent of their salary toward pensions, to drop the WEA Trust health insurance plan and switch to a more affordable provider, and to pay higher deductibles for their health insurance. These concessions were in response to Governor Scott Walker’s Act 10 law and other cuts across the state for school spending.

The teachers at Baldwin-Woodville Area School District are under contract until the summer of 2012. Even though the teachers are under contract until after the 2011-2012 school year, they still agreed to the concessions, much like teachers from other districts without contracts did because of Act 10.

There are 200 employees in the district, all of whom received the bonus checks. The surplus came from the concessions by the employees, which left the district with an extra $100,000.

Campbell went onto explain that the school board did not vote on the action of handing out the bonuses. He also added that there was not an opposition to the bonus idea when Superintendent Russell Helland mentioned it at a board meeting.

“When all this (Act 10 action) was happening earlier in the year, there was discussion at the board about how, if we could at the end of the year, we could try to give something back to employees,” Campbell said. “We have custodians making between $8 and $12 an hour, and our youngest teachers make in the low $30,000s per year. We couldn’t give them a raise, but we could do this.”

The Citizens for Responsible Government, a conservative group from St. Croix County, disagree with the bonuses to the employees.

“Despite a budget surplus, taxpayers will not get a Christmas bonus,” said Leanne Rice in an email to the Journal Sentinel.

According to a news release, the group believes that the bonuses are out of line, which caused them to “filed documentation for an Exploratory Committee for Recall of one or several members of the BWSD.”

How Will London Olympic Games Affect Summer Programs for Law Students?

rebneely — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:33:21 +0000

Law students may miss an opportunity to study abroad due to logistical issues surrounding the Olympics, scheduled to be held in London next summer from July 27^th through August 12^th.

Over 11,000 athletes are expected to be in the city. That number doesn’t include coaches, trainers and support personnel, or the hundreds of spectators and tourists sure to come as well. The London 2012 Olympic Games will feature 26 sports, and 39 disciplines.

London is the most popular city in the world for law students to study abroad; about twenty other U.S. law schools have programs in the city. Why? Due largely to the presence of both Parliament and Lloyd’s of London, the world’s leading insurance market, as well as the city’s position as the publishing and media capital of Europe, it is a prime environment for students to get a flavor for international, financial and intellectual property law.

According to the recent nationaljurist.com article, “London study abroad programs reschedule for Olympics”, Georgetown Law points to the Olympics as the reason for cancelling its almost five week summer program in London next summer; it generally costs students $4,500 to take up to six credits. However, the program should be reinstated in 2013.

Cara Morris, director of transnational programs at Georgetown Law was quoted as saying in the article: “The overall increase in costs and scarcity of affordable housing in London during the Olympic period were the major factors that influenced the decision not to offer the program in 2012.”

However, Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles began planning in the summer of 2009, so as not to miss out on the excellent opportunity London provides for students to study abroad.

Michael Scott, professor and director of the London summer program in international information technology was quoted as saying: “We expect this summer to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students. We have done several things that will (we hope) ensure that this year’s program will not be negatively impacted by the Olympics.” This included securing flats early and finishing tours earlier than normal.

In addition, the school booked the dorm rooms and classrooms far in advance and altered the program schedule so that it will end two weeks sooner than before, putting its last day three weeks before the beginning of the Olympics. Scott hopes students will take advantage of the many pre-Olympics events, like concerts, art exhibits and athletic competitions.

Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota’s six credit program, which takes place in June and July, will overlap the Olympic games by a few days. The program offers students a chance to study international commercial arbitration.

Kitty Atkins, an associate director at Hamline was quoted as saying: “We usually have our publicity ready to go out to students at this point in the academic year. We just decided on [Oct. 18] that the program will be a go.”

Ogletree Deakins Continues to Grow Firm with Addition of Trio of Attorneys to Minneapolis Office; Shareholders to Phoenix Office

rebneely — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:00:43 +0000

In recent days, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C announced the addition of a group of attorneys to the firm’s Minneapolis office.

The attorneys join from Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd.. Bruce Douglas joins as a shareholder. Chris Heffelbower joins as of counsel and Ashlee Bekish as an associate. Their addition both strengthens the firm’s presence in the upper Midwest and the labor relations and litigation practice.

Douglas is certified as a Specialist in Labor and Employment Law by the Minnesota State Bar Association. His focuses his practice on matters related to traditional labor relations, class action litigation, and single plaintiff litigation.

Shareholder Cynthia Bremer was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Since opening last year, our office continues to see positive growth driven by client demand. This addition is a big plus for clients as they will benefit from the collective and comprehensive experience Bruce and the group will bring to employers in Minnesota and throughout the country.”

With over 25 years of traditional labor relations experience handling matters under the National Labor Relations Act, Douglas represents management before the National Labor Relations Board and has significant experience in representation cases and unfair labor practice cases. He is also experienced in drafting and negotiating collective bargaining agreements and conducting arbitrations under such agreements. He also advises employers in union organizing campaigns and related matters.

Throughout his career, Douglas has defended and counseled employers in a broad variety of industries, including business process outsourcing, lodging, insurance, finance, communications, temporary personnel, security, manufacturing, transportation and health care. His litigation experience includes representing employers around the country. He has significant experience with collective actions brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act and class actions brought under Title VII.

Douglas has also tried cases in matters relating to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, unfair competition and trade secrets, and wrongful discharge. He also represents employers in matters under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and in other federal whistleblower cases investigated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the Department of Labor.

Aside from his litigation practice, Douglas provides advice to management regarding Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance and investigations. He also conducts training for managers and supervisors regarding employee discipline, harassment, and equal employment opportunity matters.

Heffelbower is a litigator experienced in wage and hour matters and proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Bekish is experienced in matters regarding the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and has assisted with traditional labor law cases.

The firm also recently announced the addition of Mark Kisicki and Thomas Stanek to its Phoenix office, where both joined as shareholders.

Ogletree Deakins is the nation’s third-largest labor and employment law firm, with over 600 lawyers in 40 offices from Miami to Los Angeles. The firm represents management in all types of employment-related legal matters.

University of Minnesota Law School considers private funding

EmploymentCrossing — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:00:14 +0000

The University of Minnesota Law School, a public university, is considering moving to what it calls a “private funding model”. The Dean of the law school is saying that this does not mean that there will be a tuition hike, but Elie Mystal of Above the Law says that this is the first step towards charging law students more fees. Mystal is a well-known vocal critic of law schools over their tuition fees and employment rates for their graduates.

Read the original article here:
Private Funding of Public Law Schools = Bad News For Future Law Students

Minnesota State Governor Announces Running for 2012 Presidential Nomination

EmploymentCrossing — Tue, 24 May 2011 15:41:06 +0000

Minnesota State Governor, Tim Pawlenty, made an announcement during a speech in Iowa town hall on Monday, May 24 of his intention to run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Speculation had been growing before the announcement. Followed up by a online video, Pawlenty talked about the USA’s problems and attacked Obama’s first term in office.

Read the full article here:

Pawlenty announces 2012 presidential bid: “Our country’s in big trouble”

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:04:52 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, August 19th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

Former Merrill Lynch counsel John Bevilacqua joined Fulbright…

Johnsrun and Knuesel, LLC, based in Winona, Minnesota, took over court-appointed counsel in Houston County…

Dallas-based law firm Goldfarb Branham LLP launched an investigation into Marlin Equity Partners buyout of Phoenix Technologies…

Howrey’s Jerrold Ganzfried assumed Chairmanship of ABA’s Council of Apellate Lawyers…

Johnsrun And Knuesel LLC Appointed Court-Appointed Counsel In Houston County, Minn.

todd — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:30:54 +0000

Johnsrun and Knuesel, LLC, based in Winona, Minnesota, will take over court-appointed counsel in Houston County. Darlene Larson, the Court Administrator for Houston County has requested approval from the County Attorney Sue Bublitz. The two will work out the specifics of the contract with Johnsrun.

Only two bids were submitted for the contract. One of which was La Crescent and Spring Grove, who requested $54,000 for a one-year term. Johnsrun bid was just slightly lower at $52,500.

If those estimates seem low, they actually represent a “signicant increase” in the words of Bublitz. Previously, the county was able to budget a two-year contract for $52,000 plus contingency. This represents more than a 100 percent increase.

Dorsey & Whitney Cancels Most 2010 Summer Programs

Erik Even — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:55:27 +0000

Dorsey & Whitney, which in June laid off 55 staff members and cut associate salaries, has canceled its 2010 Summer Associate programs, except at the firm’s Minneapolis, Minnesota headquarters.

The firm claims the cancellations are not to save money.

Dorsey & Whitney LLP is a large law firm, with close to 700 lawyers and 850 staff, located in 19 offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

University of Minnesota Law School May Raise Tuition 15%

Erik Even — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:13:35 +0000

In an effort to minimize tuition increases for undergraduates, the University of Minnesota is considering major tuition increases for professional and graduate students, including a 15.3% increase for 1L law students over last year.

Most graduate students would see a 7.5% tuition hike. First-year medical students would suffer a 5.2% increase.

In-state undergraduates are looking at a 3.1% tuition increase.

Professional and graduate students make up 40% of the student body.

Founded in 1888, The University of Minnesota Law School is in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school is currently ranked 20th in the US News & World Report “Best Law Schools” rankings, and 11th overall in the annual 2009 Judging the Law Schools rankings. Tuition and fees for a resident are currently $25,400. Non-residents pay $34,900.

Barnes & Thornburg Acquires Parsinen Law Firm

Erik Even — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:27:37 +0000

Indiana’s Barnes & Thornburg, which recently expanded into Georgia and Ohio, is now gaining an office in Minnesota through the acquisition of the 22-attorney Parsinen Law Firm.

The Minneapolis office, with 14 partners, will be Barnes & Thornburg’s 10th location. The deal has been in the works since 2008.

The Parsinen Law Firm was founded in 1981.

With 540 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from its offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Columbus and Washington DC.

Dorsey & Whitney Cuts 55 Staffers Firmwide [Update]

Erik Even — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:10:41 +0000

Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Dorsey & Whitney has laid off 55 staff members, or 7% of the firm’s support staff.

Seven of the firm’s offices were targeted, but 38 of the layoffs were at the Minneapolis headquarters.

The firm saw flat revenues, with a small decrease in profits per partner, in 2008.

Dorsey & Whitney LLP is a large law firm, with close to 700 lawyers and 850 staff, located in 19 offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

UPDATE

The firm also this week implemented a 10% salary reduction for all associates. Contract lawyers are being asked to take a similar cut. This is on top of an existing salary freeze.

IP Attorney Group Joins Merchant & Gould

Erik Even — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:45:52 +0000

Four attorneys specializing in intellectual property have left Michael Best & Friedrich in Madison, Wisconsin to join Minneapolis’ Merchant & Gould.

Attorneys Jeffrey S. Ward, Wendy M. Ward, Thomas P. Heneghan and Edward J. Pardon, who also is a physician, will open a Madison office of Merchant & Gould, and will focus on the generic pharmaceutical industry.

The office is expected to open in April or early May.

Merchant & Gold laid off 33 people, including two partners, last month. The firm has offices in Atlanta, Denver, Omaha, Seattle, Washington DC, and Knoxville.

Littler Expands Employment Practice with Faegre Lawyers

Erik Even — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:28:12 +0000

San Francisco’s Littler Mendelson has added David J. Goldstein and Holly M. Robbins to its Minneapolis office. Both lawyers are formerly of Faegre & Benson.

Shareholder David J. Goldstein has been counseling employers for over 20 years. He is a leading authority on affirmative action and governmental contract requirements. Goldstein received his JD from Harvard Law School and his BA from Haverford College.

Shareholder Holly M. Robbins advises clients on a wide variety of employment issues, including discipline, terminations, reductions-in-force and complex leave issues. Robbins received her JD from the George Washington University Law School and her BA also from Haverford.

With more than 750 attorneys and 46 offices, Littler Mendelson is the largest US law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters. Established in 1942, the firm has litigated, mediated and negotiated some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record.

Dunlap & Seeger Cuts Two Attorneys, Three Staff

Erik Even — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:24:42 +0000

Rochester, Minnesota’s Dunlap & Seeger cut two attorneys and three staff members this week.

The firm declined to name the people laid off.

The stagnation of commercial transactions has slowed the work flow for the firm, and clients are holding off on discretionary legal projects.

Dunlap & Seeger formed in 1993 when Dunlap, Finseth, Berndt & Sandberg merged with Michaels Seeger Rosenblad & Arnold.

In Minnesota, Legal Jobs Shrink As Law School Admissions Grow

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:55:53 +0000

The legal job market in Minnesota seems to be getting tighter, as job ads in the state bar publication Bench & Bar are down 50 percent.

Eric Caugh, the hiring partner at Zelle Hofmann in Minneapolis, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the economy’s downturn has resulted in a barrage of resumes from experienced associates.

“We are seeing a markedly increased level of lateral candidates, many with exceptional credentials and big-firm experience that we do not see as frequently when the economy is doing better,” Caugh said in an email.
But while the job market seems to be shrinking in the state, the University of Minnesota law school reports a 20 percent boost in applications. “People don’t have jobs, so they go back to school,” explained admissions director Julie Tigges.

Fredrikson & Byron Expands Construction Law Service

Erik Even — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:27:41 +0000

Fredrikson and Byron, a Minneapolis-based law firm, is expanding its construction law services.

The firm now has a brand new 25-attorney construction group who will provide services in the areas of drafting and negotiating contracts, design agreements, mechanic’s liens, construction mediation, arbitration, and litigation. For other areas, such as bankruptcy and labor issues, the group will draw on other resources within the firm.

“Our construction attorneys are not only skilled dealmakers, but also strong litigators who protect their clients when construction projects go off course,” Construction Group chair Joe Springer said. “Working in both areas is a competitive advantage because it helps our attorneys see all sides of construction-related issues, allowing us to structure deals that minimize the potential for future disputes.”

Maslon Edelman Cuts Five Admin Positions

Erik Even — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:22:56 +0000

Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand has cut five administrative positions.

There is no further information available about these layoffs. If you have any inside info you’d like to share, please send us a confidential tip. You’ll be glad you did!

Founded in 1956, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based firm employs more than 80 lawyers. The firm specializes in business & securities, estate planning, financial services, labor & employment, litigation and real estate.

Judges Begrudgingly Accept Pay Freezes

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:16:16 +0000

The National Law Journal writes that judges, who have been pushing for years for pay raises, are now backing off, and begrudgingly accepting pay freezes in the shadow of the global economic meltdown.

After years of aggressively lobbying for raises in their salaries, chief justices and court administrators in five states are backing off as unprecedented budget cuts have forced judges to accept pay freezes.

Chief justices and court administrators in Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, Ohio and Rhode Island, most of whom had sought jumps in salaries for state judges in the past, have accepted pay freezes in recent weeks as worsening economic problems unfold in their states.

In some cases, judges have spoken out against lobbying for pay increases during a major financial crisis. Judges in other states, such as Hawaii, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, have resisted proposed freezes, although in varying degrees…

But many fear that freezing judicial pay, on top of dwindling raises, could reduce the competitiveness of the bench and negatively affect the quality of those who are retained or recruited to serve as judges.

Read the full story.

Man Fights Forced Electroshock; Would Rather Have Full Bottle In Front of Him

Erik Even — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:11:11 +0000

From Minnesota Public Radio:

A Minnesota man undergoing electro-convulsive therapy goes before a judge in St. Paul on Tuesday to try to stop the court-ordered procedure. Ray Sandford says he’s losing his memory after having more than 30 treatments so far. His doctors have argued that the procedure is necessary to treat Sandford’s psychotic episodes.

The courts have determined that Ray isn’t competent to make decisions regarding his own welfare….

[His] condition [is] described in court records as schizo-affective disorder with bipolar tendencies.

There are no good numbers on how many people receive forced ECT in the U.S. It’s up to states to track these cases and most, like Minnesota, do not.

The MPR story includes the opinions of multiple lawyers and advocates, on the topic of forced medical treatment.

“Sometimes people say you should use the perspective of a reasonable person,” said [Dean of William Mitchell College of Law Eric] Janus. “And it’s assumed that a reasonable person wants to protect him or herself against a relapse of a terrible mental illness.”

Still the “reasonable person” test doesn’t make sense to everyone, including even himself, Janus says.

Janus says even greater weight should be given to what the patient wants — even if it appears their illness might be clouding their judgment. Competent or not, not everyone wants to be treated when they’re sick, he says.

“That’s really what the court should be asking,” said Janus. “What are this person’s values? What does he want? What kind of life does he want to live? And it should be trying to make the decision in his behalf.”

Link to Minnesota Public Radio.