Since 1933, The Hennepin Lawyer has been a respected resource for articles about the legal profession and developments in the law—particularly as they relate to practice in Hennepin County, as well as providing news on the local legal community and bar association. HCBA members receive copies of the current digital edition via email.
Introducing Brandon Vaughn: 2021-2022 HCBA President
Aug 27, 2021
On July 1st, Brandon Vaughn became the 103rd president of the Hennepin County Bar Association. Vaughn is a partner at Robins Kaplan, where he represents victims of medical malpractice, and individuals injured by others due to no fault of their own. In this interview, Vaughn shares what brought him to the HCBA, reflections on the last year and a half, and his vision for this bar year.
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Meet M (Michael) Boulette: 2021-2022 HCBA Secretary
Aug 27, 2021
The HCBA welcomes M (Michael) Boulette to membership on its executive committee for the 2021-22 bar year. On July 1st, Boulette was introduced to the association’s officer ranks as secretary, beginning a five-year leadership track to serve as president for the 2024-25 bar year. Boulette is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law and a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, practicing family law.
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Behind The Mask: The First Year Of Practice
Aug 27, 2021
Getting over graduation cancellations due to the pandemic and then studying for the bar exam were already a feat, but the class of 2020 and other new lawyers deserve an honorable mention for taking their lawyer’s oath behind a computer and then practicing entirely in a remote setting for almost a year.
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Moving Back to the Courtroom
Aug 27, 2021
What to Expect and How to Be Prepared: Prior to March 2020, we packed courtrooms with little care or awareness about space and public health. In March 2020 that changed as we were told to stay away from these courtrooms and as we became keenly aware of social distancing, masking, hand sanitizer, and plexiglass shields. Now we are going back into the places we were told to stay away from for our safety. In this article, I will discuss the challenges we face as we return to the courtroom and the steps attorneys can take as we move to in-person court appearances.
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The Best Life Hack for Being a Good Lawyer: Exercise
Aug 27, 2021
As lawyers and busy professionals, especially during a pandemic, life feels like an endless list of things we should or must do. Too often, self-care becomes another tedious and overwhelming item on that list. From there, we fall into a cycle of feeling too busy to care for ourselves, which in turn makes life feel more stressful and we are less likely to care for ourselves even when that is what we need most. It’s an endless and toxic cycle.
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Spirituality and Well-Being
Aug 27, 2021
When we think of health, we often envision exercise and eating well (physical health) or stress reduction and therapy (mental health). But a third facet of health— spiritual— is often overlooked. Emerging research indicates that spirituality is as important to our well-being. This article explores what spirituality is and the role it plays in our lives.
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Post-traumatic Growth and Your Career
Aug 27, 2021
As we ponder our work lives in the near and distant future, this article will focus on occupational well-being while recognizing that all six areas are equally important. How can you do your best thinking and best work if other aspects of your well-being are at risk?
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Aug 27, 2021
Warnings and Opportunities Around Lawyer Mental Health in a Post-COVID Era. With summer now behind us and many legal professionals in the process of returning to an office either full- or part-time, this is a pivotal moment that warrants pausing and thoughtfully checking in with our mental health and personal well-being
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Therapy: Being a Zealous Advocate for Yourself
Aug 27, 2021
Things aren’t that bad… I’m sure it’ll eventually get better… I’m too busy to ask for help… I don’t want to appear weak… I just need to power through it…
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“Overwhelm” Five Productive Principles to Overcome It
Aug 27, 2021
Whether you’re a solo lawyer or a partner at a big firm, you’re bound to experience “overwhelm.” It’s the feeling of not being able to manage the depth, breadth, and complexity of your situation. You feel buried with work, overloaded with responsibilities, and saddled with deadlines.
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Managing Our Relationship with Time
Aug 27, 2021
Do you feel like you do not have enough time for your personal and professional growth? Are you frustrated with time? Angry about waiting? Feel like everyone’s wasting your time? Is your response to anything new, “Who has time for that?” You are not alone. In this busy, stressed out, and overloaded world, even your stress has stress and it is especially true for lawyers.
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Jul 13, 2021
The art we choose for our walls can say a lot about us. During quarantine, many of us turned areas of our living spaces into makeshift workplaces. Here, several attorneys share the artwork they’ve chosen to personalize where they work—be that in an office or at home—and why that art has significance to them.
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10 Questions: Traci Bransford
Jun 29, 2021
Stinson partner Traci Bransford answers 10 questions about her practice and life.
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Jun 25, 2021
For the Art, Literature, and the Law issue, we wanted to highlight the creative side of our HCBA members.
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REQUIEM: 9 MINUTES 29 SECONDS
Jun 25, 2021
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The First Day of Law School
Jun 25, 2021
The first day of the first year of law school. I didn’t expect it to be so confidence-shaking.
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Jun 25, 2021
Diamond was determined to speak to her brother, Prince, alone. He was guarded when their family asked why he decided to enroll in community college two years after dropping out of University and she wanted to learn more. An early morning walk was the only way they could talk without interruption. Prince agreed.
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Clinical Trial: An ALS Memoir of Science, Hope and Love
Jun 25, 2021
After I was diagnosed with ALS in 2016, I began writing a memoir to tell my story. I may be the luckiest ALS patient alive, if you can call someone lucky with a disease that generally causes death three to five years after diagnosis.
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Jun 25, 2021
In this month's Ethics column, Eric T. Cooperstein talks about the importance of trusting your "gut" when reviewing potential problem clients.
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