Civil Litigation Section Annual Report | 2022-2023
Section Membership
As of 6/09/2023 the Section has 1,042 members.
Financial Status
The Section had an account balance of $77,178 as of April 30, 2023.
CLEs & Events
The Section hosted 9 CLEs and one community service event in fiscal year 2022-23.
| Program Title | Date | Event Code | CLE Credits | Attendees | Virtual/ In-person/ Hybrid |
| Why Diverse Juries are Important | 9/21/2022 | 471157 | 1.0 Bias | 53 | Virtual |
| OneCourtMN Hearing Initiative | 10/27/2022 | 474909 | 1.0 Standard | 37 | Virtual |
| Expert Deposition- Why and How to Conduct an Effective Expert Deposition | 11/16/2022 | 476178 | 1.0 Standard | 54 | Virtual |
| Introduction of Evidence | 12/12/2022 | 476716 | 1.0 Standard | 137 | Virtual |
| Effective Advocate Trial Skills Course | 1/11/2023 | 477295 | 11.50 Standard | 43 | In-Person |
| Judicial Appointments: Demystifying the Process | 2/22/2023 | 479478 | 1.0 Standard | 38 | Virtual |
| Strategic Considerations for Presenting Expert Testimony at Trial: Live vs. Zoom | 3/7/2023 | 479479 | 1.0 Standard | 51 | Virtual |
| Civil Litigation Section Annual Dinner & Reception | 4/27/2023 | 484269 | 1.0 Standard | 152 | In-Person |
| Community Service Event at Good in the 'Hood | | N/A | N/A | 5 | In-Person |
| Solve the Problem! Survey Recommendations for Effective Dispute Resolution Through Mediation and Arbitration Co-Sponsor with ADR Section | 6/13/2023 | TBD | 1.0 Standard | 80 | Virtual |
Annual Meeting and Election Results
The Section’s Annual Meeting was held on 4/27/23 and 152 people attended.
Officers elected for 2023-2024 bar year:
- Chair: Dan O’Fallon
- Vice Chair: Molly Ryan
- Treasurer: Kenya Bodden
- Secretary: Kyle Kroll
- Past Chair: Janel Dressen
New Council Member Candidates (2-year term)
The following candidates were nominated for the Council. Their term will run from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025.
- Judge Jamie Anderson, 4th Judicial District
- Ken Bayliss, Quinlivan & Hughes, P.A.
- Heather Kathleen Mendiola, SMRLS
- Libby Stennes, Greenberg Traurig
- Barton Gernander, Burns & Hansen
- Thomas Steven Johnson, Bowman & Brooke
Current Council Members up for Re-election (two-year terms)
The following current Council members are up for re-election this year. Their terms will run from July 1, 2023– June 30, 2025.
- Judge Brianne Buccicone
- Stephanie Balmer
- Judge Martin Fallon
- Judge Thomas Gilligan
- Jeremy Stevens
- Matt Schaap
- Judge Ned Wahl
Current Council Members up for Re-election (one-year terms)
The following current Council members are up for re-election this year. Their terms will run from July 1, 2023– June 30, 2024.
- Chad Snyder
- Grant Borgen
- David Lee Tomenes
Continuing Council members with terms expiring on June 30, 2024:
- Scott Rusert
- Melissa Stull
- Michael Fondungallah
- Liz Fors
- Judge Mary Mahler
- Mark Schroeder
- Gerardo ‘Jerry’ Alcazar
Other Section Accomplishments
- Judicial Clerkships: The Section Council focused much attention this year on educating law students about the benefits of clerking for a district judge, especially in Greater MN. In addition, the Council showed strong support for increasing the wages of judicial law clerks.
- Time’s Up Manual: The Time’s Up Manual was updated which covers time limitations in Minnesota Statutes, Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure, General Rules of Practice in the District Courts, and the Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure. The 2023 Manual can be accessed free for all Civil Litigation Section members on the MSBA website.
- Practice Tips: Our Practice Tips committee authored 5 monthly Practice Tips, which were emailed to section members on our website. These tips highlighted new rules, cases, and developments in the law.
- Judge’s Courtroom Preferences: This year, the Courtroom Preferences committee updated the judicial survey based on the shift to virtual appearances. We have recirculated the survey to all district court judges requesting their individual preferences on motion practice and courtroom conduct preferences. Survey results are published and updated on the MSBA website here.
- Annual Reception:The Civil Litigation Section’s annual reception was held in person on 4/27/2023 at Windows on Minnesota with over 150 guests attending. The crowd enjoyed a really engaging keynote from local Nicole Saharsky, one of the pre-eminent U.S. Supreme Court advocates of our generation, having argued more than 30 cases before the Supreme Court, the third most appearances by a woman in Supreme Court history.
- Tubman Trifecta: A committee continues work in coordination with the Tubman Pro Bono Safety Project to train attorneys in mentor and mentee positions to represent Tubman clients in OFP and HRO hearings. This program was designed to achieve the Tubman Trifecta: 1) to encourage Civil Litigation Section members to participate in pro bono work; 2) to provide mentorship opportunities; and 3) to promote the development of litigation skills.
- Advocate Award: The 2022 Recipient of the Advocate Award was Annamarie Daley, and this was presented to her at our Annual Reception on 4/27/2023.
- Grant Approval: The Section approved three grants this year.
- $2000 donation to the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society. This donation supports its essay contest to promote legal literacy in school-age children so that they become adults who understand and appreciate the third branch of government and the role that courts and attorneys play in the judicial system, as well as History Day, which promotes a better understanding of Minnesota’s courts and legal system.
- $2000 donation to the MSBA Mock Trial Program. This program is the most comprehensive effort by the MSBA in the area of public education. The program supports over 100 teams in 230 trials imploring the help of over 700 volunteers throughout the state. Over 1,200 students participate.
- $500 donation for the MSBA Convention to provide a discounted rate for all Civil Litigation Section members to attend a two-day live and online convention to be held on 6/21/23 and 6/22/23.
Submitted By:
Janel Dressen, Section Chair
Date 06/16/2023