FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:October 7, 2024Contact: Ellie Andersonellie.anderson@state.mn.us 612-594-1721Governor Walz Appoints Jessica Fralich to Fill Sixth Judicial District Vacancy[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced the appointment of Jessica Fralich as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District. Fralich will replace the Honorable David M. Johnson and will
Latest from Bench & Bar of Minnesota
AI + MSBA: Building Minnesota’s legal future
From practice innovations to battling the justice gap, the bar’s new Artificial Intelligence Standing Committee has big plans
By Damien Riehl
Shortly after the November 2022 launch of ChatGPT, the MSBA was among the first state bar associations to consider how large language models (LLMs) could affect legal practice. In early 2023, the MSBA appointed
Flash Backward: The future of legal tech and the art of persuasive legal writing
By Brendan Kenny & Neven Selimovic
From the art of debate to the psychology of persuasion, legal writing stands alone as the purest form of argument in our profession. Good legal writing is an attorney’s main vehicle of advocacy. Legal writing requires commitment, clarity, choosing words that hit home, organizing them for maximum persuasion—and much
‘Legal aid is in really good hands’
A conversation with five retiring access to justice leaders
By Kiri Somermeyer
On May 20, the MSBA Access to Justice (ATJ) Committee had the great opportunity to hear from five retiring leaders in the access to justice and pro bono legal communities. These women have left a lasting legacy throughout the state, and over the
Legislature creates State Board of Civil Legal Aid
By Bridget Gernander
Effective July 1, 2025, the State Board of Civil Legal Aid will become a stand-alone agency in the Judicial Branch, joining the State Board of Public Defense as another important access-to-justice institution for Minnesotans unable to afford private counsel.
For the past four decades, the Minnesota Supreme Court has supervised legislative funds
Pro bono work is part of our duty
By Samuel EdmundsAs I reflect on my journey in the legal profession, one chapter stands out as particularly formative: my early years as a criminal prosecutor. During that time, one of the opportunities I had was to handle criminal expungement cases for government clients. I learned that the cases were more than just legal files;
Lightning round: Ethics tips
BY SUSAN M. HUMISTON
Got a few minutes? Here are several legal ethics tips to improve your practice.
Want to avoid an ethics complaint? Communicate often and well with your client, even (especially) the bad news.
Even if there is no news, have a system that allows for periodic check-ins with your clients on open
Go a little slower. You’ll get more done.
By Sarah MacGillis
As I write this, I have 18 tabs open across the top of my screen. I dart from article to article searching for relevant information while simultaneously chuckling at what I am researching: the idea of slowing down to avoid burnout and get more done—or “strategic slowness,” as it’s sometimes called
Spread the word: Judicial elections matter
The results of the MSBA’s poll of our attorney members for the three contested statewide judicial races and several local district court races offer valuable insights into how our members view these crucial races: They overwhelmingly favor the incumbents in both the statewide judicial races and the district court races. (The complete results, along with
Greater Minnesota Legal Opportunity Map
Did you know there’s a Greater Minnesota Legal Opportunity Map?
It’s an interactive map that includes full-time and part-time attorney positions as well as other opportunities, such as judicial clerkships, firm buyouts, and mentoring relationships. You can even filter for opportunities that offer remote or hybrid work formats and those that include benefits. Only members