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Stephen Lee; Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, Target Corporation

Over the past handful of years, there has been a growing crisis affecting the very structure of our trademark registration system. There has been a parabolic growth curve of fraudulent trademark applications flooding the United States Patent and Trademark Office which could effectively clutter and block legitimate filers’ efforts to secure their own trademark rights. Moreover, these fraudulent marks undermine the very integrity of the U.S. trademark system. In this session, the following questions will be addressed:

• How big a problem is this really?
• Where is this coming from and who is behind this?
• As a trademark owner, how do you identify these fraudulent filings?
• So, what’s being done and what are some proposed solutions?

One tool that has been recently added in our arsenal to combat this threat is the Trademark Modernization Act (TMA). Join us for this trademark session to gain a better understanding about the extent of the problem and what the TMA hopes to accomplish.

Legalizing Sports Betting in Minnesota

Senator Karla Bigham; MN State Senate

Earlier this year, HF 778, a bill to legalize sports betting in Minnesota, gained bipartisan support. Senator Bigham, one of the lawmakers behind the bill, will provide an overview of the bill and highlight what the bill specifically would legalize in Minnesota if passed. She will also explain the legislative process involved to get a proposed bill passed, including common hurdles a bill can face, and the required approvals needed to move a bill forward.

Early Case Assessment 2.0

Brandon Rimnac & Matt Samet; Director of Consulting Services; Senior Project Manager; TransPerfect 

Keyword searching as a measure of document culling is becoming less valuable than it once was. The amount of delay, and cost, that can accompany perfecting keywords may be an unnecessary burden on end clients. It is not uncommon for contentious back and forth to exist between opposing parties as terms are finalized.

This presentation investigates whether a continuous active learning model – also known as TAR 2.0 – can be used with minimal searching as the most efficient method to cull documents.

Through firsthand experience we intend to demonstrate that TAR 2.0 can lead to a greater degree of accuracy in a document review and avoid the potential for missing key topics or concepts.

 CLE Sessions
10:55 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.

Compliance Programs and the Evolving Role of Legal Professionals

Christoph Meyer-Grimberg, LLM; Adjunct Professor, Mitchell Hamline School of Law

We'll talk about the elements of an effective compliance program mixing the 2020 DOJ guidance for the evaluation of corporate compliance programs with real life examples.

We'll also explore how legal professionals can partner with the business and others corporate functions to foster a culture of ethics and compliance and how the constantly changing legal environment requires us to learn and apply old and new skills such as project management, process improvement, business oriented communication, contemporary training, brand building, data analytics and more

Understanding Minnesota's Legal Cannabis Industry

Carol R.M. Moss; Attorney, Hellmuth & Johnson

Carol R. M. Moss, Esq. will discuss Minnesota's cannabis industry, the legal issues affecting the industry, and how it works with federal regulations. This presentation will provide background to understand how Minnesota's cannabis industry affects different areas of law and practices.

Mediation - Process, Pearls, and Paralegal Involvement from a Mediator’s Perspective

Martin Ho;  Attorney, Stingley & Ho, PLLP

Paralegal involvement can be critical and highly beneficial throughout mediation preparation and mediation itself. Join as seasoned mediator, Martin B. Ho, shares stories from his diverse mediation practice and the various methods he’s found to advance the mediation process – whether that be via an early mediation, or involving a mediator just days short of trial. This presentation will be moderated by MPA Employment Sectional Chair, Maddie Baker, MnCP. Martin has worked with Maddie and her firm on multiple mediations – they’ll share what works and what doesn’t, plus provide tips to paralegals looking to impress their attorneys throughout the mediation process! Open to audience involvement, Martin hopes that attendees come with questions and are open to sharing their own mediation experiences.

Spousal Maintenance 101

Anne Haaland & Sarah Hewitt; Attorneys, Henson Efron, PA

In Minnesota divorces, courts may order monthly payments in the form of spousal maintenance when one spouse needs additional financial support to meet his or her expenses and the other spouse has the ability to pay. This presentation will cover three major questions regarding spousal maintenance: 1) Amount: How much should it be? 2) Duration: How long should it last? 3) Modification: How can it be changed? We will discuss the relevant laws and cases and how they are applied. We will also provide practice tips for working with clients and attorneys on this issue (for example, developing a client’s budget, calculating a buyout, drafting Karon waiver language, etc.).

Surviving and Loving a Long Career as a Paralegal

Barbara Peppersack; Paralegal, Larkin Hoffman

This session will be a discussion about changes in a law firm and how to continue your paralegal career and enjoy it:

• Changes in law firms over the years
• Changes in technology
• Learning new laws throughout the years, how it impacts your work
• Working with attorneys: gaining their respect, learning how each attorney you work with is different, etc.
• How I managed it all these year!

Employee or Independent Contractor? Why Worker Classification Matters in Employment Law

Caroline Bressman; Attorney, Nichols Kaster, PLLP

Worker classification is an important topic for both employers and workers, as well as the public. This presentation will explain under what circumstances a worker is an employee versus an independent contractor, the legal implications of being classified as an employee versus an independent contractor, federal and state-based legislation that address worker classification worker misclassification in the context of the gig economy, and the future of the gig economy.

 Workshops

Professional Development, Advancement, and Self-Advocacy

Aprille Beyer, Deanne Brooks, Nicole DeJarlais, Andrew McNaughtan, David Brown

How non-attorney legal professionals (paralegals and legal assistants) can drive their career paths in ways that we know from our experience to be effective. When it is the right time to change employers; what traits make the best stand-out, in-demand candidates; the value of soft/non-technical skills; and truly knowing one's strengths and weaknesses to inform the direction of one's professional development and career path.

Michael Larson, Sarah Gernes, Jenelle Lundgren, Patty Meagher

This paralegal panel will discuss the differences and similarities of in-house corporation paralegal positions versus private practice paralegal positions and transitioning between the two different working environments.

Discovery Do’s, Don’ts, and Discussion

Maddie Baker, Teri Inderieden, Alexzandria Neumiller, Jeffrey Cluever

Join our panel of litigation paralegals and discovery specialists as they share discovery experiences, strategies, tips, and tricks! This group will discuss all aspects of discovery amongst various areas of law. Attendees are encouraged to contribute to this discussion for a collaborative workshop where all in attendance can learn ways to improve, expedite, and enjoy the discovery process.