 |
 |
||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||
|
Archived Council Meeting Minutes
GENERAL PRACTICE SOLO AND SMALL FIRM Present at the meeting were: Patrick W. Kelly Chair Minutes of April 2004 and August 2004 council meetings were approved with minor changes. Treasurer's Report: presented by Helen Federline. As of August 31, 2004, account balance = $5,272.20. As of October 8, 2004, the section has 298 members. Newsletter: In past, Karl's office did 4-8 page newsletters; made copies; and mailed to all GPS&SF members as of time MSBA printed the mailing labels. Charged section for copies, postage, and MSBA-printed mailing labels (there is a charge for this, but it is directly billed to the section by MSBA, not Karl). Costs generally ran $180-$200 per newsletter. MSBA estimated cost now would be about $450, if emailed to all members we have email addresses for, and mailed to those we don't have email addresses for (28). Still looking for a newsletter editor. Howard Lazarus had agreed to consider serving as editor. Called Howard, he is traveling on highway, will call back later. TABLED until he calls back. Jason Hoffman agreed to be newsletter editor to coordinate assembly of a newsletter. He will contact Howard Lazarus to see if he will assist with project. Will attempt to email to those willing to accept it, mail or FAX to others. Perhaps place on Section's website. Attorney Referral Project: No new requests for listings since last put together. Need to publicize it more. Once the newsletter is being published, we will publicize in that. Helen will let people on MSBA solo/small listserve know that this exists and is an alternate referral option. New Lawyers Section: Jason Kohlmeyer is new section chair. Teresa has contacted him, he would like to have the New Lawyers Section strategic planning meeting, then see where they are at. Teresa suggests we come up with a specific proposal, then relay it to them. A lot of the metro area new lawyers would like to have a joint meeting. Maybe hold at a facility in metro area. Maybe have two different types of meetings: 1. "Grand Rounds" or "Case Studies"; and Discussed fact that many new lawyers are still living/working in the metro area - very few are out-state. Consensus was to simply send some of our council members to a New Lawyers Section meeting (3rd Thurs. of each month, 5:30 at MSBA center in Mpls.), be introduced, then attend their social hour function (usually at Lyon's Pub on 6th Street) with them, see if they want to work it into something more, or simply stay informal. Teresa McClain will coordinate meeting with them, probably at November meeting. Practice Management & Marketing Section (sponsor of solo/small listserve) is also considering doing monthly social gatherings that would be a good group to coordinate with in the future. They have expressed a desire to do this in the past. Maybe coordinate meeting of some type among all of these sections. Helen Federline is on the PMM Section Council, and will coordinate this. New Membership Recruitment: Discussed possibility of free or reduced cost memberships for law students or new lawyers for first year or two of practice. At one point the section had 34 members who were in their first two years of practice. Motion to allow free membership to students, everyone else at regular cost, which is $15. Motion approved. (MSBA policy is that for first year of membership they can choose two Section memberships free.) Perhaps work with Law Student Section to have gatherings with them. Jennifer
Wagner is MSBA Liaison for law student section. MSBA does events at law schools;
Lisa Wilde will try to coordinate with them. Offer them contacts and networking
opportunities with more experienced solo and small firm attorneys. Notice to Members: Section Council has authority to approve expenditures by the Section. What notices are members to receive? Notice of Annual Meeting & Elections, and Annual Meeting minutes. Participation on Paralegal Committee Panel: Helen reported that MSBA Paralegal Committee is planning on doing a meeting in the spring to explain the opportunity for attorneys to use paralegal students/interns, which is a requirement of their training. They would like to have some attorneys on the panel to explain how the process works. Patrick Kelly agreed to serve on the panel. Section CLE: Motion to work on this agenda item now that Robert Woodke has arrived. 1. Date, Location, Topics and Speakers: Date: April 1, 2005. One day only, Saturday morning session was not well attended. Location: Hilton Northwest. Have rooms available, can put vendors in the hallway. Topics: Do a Dual Track seminar, practice management track and a substantive law track. LaVern Pritchard has indicated Law Practice Management Section is willing to coordinate providing speakers, etc. Probably don't want them to "co-sponsor" as they provide a lot of information for larger law firms. Possible Topics: 1. Ethics - MLM topic 1. Future of the Practice of Law - PLENARY SESSION - Robert Woodke
Possible Speakers: 1. Sam Hanson - Supreme Court Justice 3. Sponsors/Vendors and Exhibitors: Last Year: MLM = $1,000, West = $500, door prizes and gifts from Thom Miranda. 1. Thom Miranda - Patrick Kelly? 4. Tuition Costs: Approved $100 for section members; $125 MSBA non-section members; $200 non-MSBA members for one day full of seminars; extra for supper and guest speaker; meal cost to be set based on actual cost (including gratuity), plus $5 per person. Recessed at 10:15 p.m. 5. CLE Committees/Coordinators: Robert Woodke, Helen Federline, Patrick Kelly, and Diana Longrie-Kline. Helen will try to arrange vendors in areas of interest, if needs our help to contact people, she will contact us. Teresa will do final follow-up with faculty. 6. January Meeting: To verify organization of CLE. Concern regarding costs: possibility of Helen's home, Grand Casino Mille Lacs, restaurant in St. Cloud or Mpls. area, or Town & Country Club in St. Paul. 7. Date for Submission of Materials: December 2004. Discussed having case materials available on CDs also for all attendees, in PDF format. Attempt to include some checklists or forms. 8. Mailings: to all solo and small firm members of MSBA, even if not GPS&SF section members. Robert Woodke will coordinate. 9. Discussion about possible Faculty Dinner/Section Council dinner the night
before the Annual Meeting. Basic Annual Budget Expenses: EXPENSES: 1. Newsletter costs: 4 x $400/newsletter $ 1,600 INCOME SOURCES: 1. Dues (300 x $15) $ 4,500 Solo/Small Firm Attorney of the Year Award: Agreed would be good to get started, maybe set up a committee to prepare criteria. Will put a notice requesting nominations into the newsletter. Possible Criteria: 1. Service to Clients Paralegal Committee Legislation: Paralegal Committee seeking to amend the private investigator laws which prevents freelance/contract or temporary paralegals from doing investigations, interviewing of witnesses, and other activities routinely performed by paralegals, even though they are hired by a specific attorney or law firm to do specific investigations on specific cases. As law currently reads, paralegals can only do this work if they are "employed exclusively by an attorney or a law firm", or have a Private Investigator's license. For the benefit of solo and small firm lawyers, a motion was made and approved that GPS&SF section support Paralegal Committee's legislative efforts to amend the law to allow temporary and contract paralegals to do investigative work without requiring a Private Investigator's license, provided they are employed by an attorney. Motion made and seconded to reconsider the above motion. Motion then withdrawn pending Helen Federline sending out information to section Council Members to review and discuss further on the Council email list. Submitted by Karl O. Friedrichs, Secretary MSBA GENERAL PRACTICE SOLO AND SMALL FIRM SECTION Participating in the call were: Patrick W. Kelly Chair Discussion began regarding using AT&T or MSBA option for the conference call hook-up, as would be much more efficient than present method. Was generally agreed to use AT&T as they have an operator call the participants, instead of hoping participants remember to call into the MSBA option. Discussion began regarding the annual CLE conference and the need to start publicizing it earlier and heavier in hopes of having greater attendance, although this would cost significant amounts of money. Further discussion delayed until continued conference call date. Helen Federline will coordinate the date, and let us all know. CONTINUED CONFERENCE CALL DATE: September 1, 2004. Those in attendance: Helen Federline, Karl O. Friedrichs, Jason Hoffman, Patrick
W. Kelly, Patrick W. Kelly called the meeting to order. 2. Fall Section Council Meeting: Selecting a place and date for our overnight hotel brain-storming conference to be arranged for this Fall at which we will be able to "flesh" out the details of our Spring Membership Meeting (Success Conference); Motion made, seconded and approved for October 8 & 9th, 2004, in St. Cloud, MN at the Radisson. Helen Federline will coordinate rooms and let us know, we then call to confirm the rooms, pay by credit card, section will reimburse us. 3. Winter council retreat - Motion made to not hold a winter meeting, just roll into the St. Cloud meeting. Motion to table was successful, will decide at October 2004 meeting whether need a follow-up section council meeting. 4. Annual Meeting/ CLE Success Conference: 1. Date needs to be set - Motion made, seconded and approved to hold conference on April 1, 2005, at location in northern twin cities suburb, preferably Hilton in Brooklyn Park again. Motion made and seconded and approved to have Helen Federline contact Hilton to verify date and ability of sponsors to set up displays in the hallway. 2. Possible Speakers: 3. Deadline for materials: for brochure needs to be set (ASAP) so we can start publicizing the event. Date to be determined at Fall Retreat. 4. Cooperating with other Sections: Practice Management & Marketing Section (LaVern Pritchard and Mike Vitt) Helen to contact to determine interest; New Lawyer's Section (Jason Kohlmeyer) Teresa or Jason to contact him to determine interest. 5. Sponsors: MLM, WEST, other local vendors. Each council member to come up with additional potential vendors. 6. "Seed Money" from our account for initial promotion/publicity for the event. Who should the mailings go to? All solo practitioner members of MSBA? Any other source for a list of non-member solo practitioners? How many mailings? Perhaps give a financial incentive to MSBA members who recruit non-MSBA members to attend the meeting. 5. Newsletter: NO ACTION TAKEN. Discussion included recruiting volunteers for the work, establishing guidelines for a format, distribution options etc. 6. "Stand-up" events: NO ACTION TAKEN. Project in conjunction with other Bar sections including New Lawyers and Practice Management; 7. Lawyer Referral Project: NO ACTION TAKEN. 8. Other New Business: 1. Social Events: NO ACTION TAKEN. The PMM Section is planning to hold a get together for the Solo/Small listserve - no date has been set yet - they are willing to consider having GPSSF co-sponsor this. They are thinking they'd do one initially for just the listserve, then do additional ones with co-sponsors to perhaps draw new members for the sections &/or the listserve. Submitted by, Karl O. Friedrichs GENERAL PRACTICE SOLO AND SMALL FIRM The Annual Section membership meeting was called to order by the Chair, Patrick W. Kelly. The Secretary's report was approved. The Treasurer reported that as of January 31, 2004, the MSBA showed $3,428.57 in the Section's account. Article II, Section 2: Unless exempt, members shall be assessed dues for each fiscal year in such amount as established by the Section Council. Dues shall be paid through the Minnesota State Bar Association office. At the time required by the MSBA, the Executive Director of the MSBA shall be notified, by the Section Secretary, of the amount of dues established by the Section Council for the next fiscal year so that Section dues may be billed along with MSBA dues. Members of MSBA who are not billed by MSBA may pay Section dues to the MSBA office. The MSBA office will remit to this Section the amount of Section dues collected and the names and addresses of members paying. The MSBA office will maintain a list of members of MSBA who have paid dues to this Section and the particular class of membership to which they belong. 1. Amendment to two sections regarding notice to members were approved to read as follows: Article IV. Meetings; Section 3: At least ten days notice of meetings shall be given by electronic mail (e-mail), regular mail, or facsimile transmission. Article V. Amendments; Section 1: These Bylaws may be amended at any special or annual meeting of the membership by a majority vote of those members present and voting, provided that at least ten days notice of the proposed amendment be given prior to the meeting either by electronic mail (e-mail), regular mail, or facsimile transmission. 1. SECTION COUNCIL ELECTIONS: Nominations for Section Council Members then occurred. Diana Longrie-Kline, Teresa McLain and Jason Hoffman were nominated for three year terms ending in the year 2007. Upon a motion duly made, seconded, and approved, all were elected. Karl O. Friedrichs was nominated to complete the term of Robert E. Schmidt, which expires in 2005. Upon a motion duly made, seconded, and approved, he was appointed to serve the remaining year of Mr. Schmidt's term. 1. REFERRAL DIRECTORY: Helen Federline provided an update regarding the Section's Referral Directory. An updated version will be available to section members electronically about May 1, 2004. 1. STAND-UPS: Discussion then occurred regarding "Stand-ups" or "Grand Rounds" coordinated with the New Lawyers' Section or other sections of the MSBA. The New Lawyers Section remains interested in arranging some sort of meeting and social hour a few times per year. 1. NEWSLETTER: Discussion occurred regarding revitalization of the Section's newsletter. A proposal was made to distribute it online, rather than by mail. Suggested topics for the newsletter editors were Tech Tips (perhaps contact LaVern Pritchard); Practice Pointers (not just case summaries); Meeting Notices; and Marketing and Management Tips. Diana Longrie-Kline explained that these were areas of most interest by those persons who completed the section survey last year. 1. MSBA CONVENTION: Will be held in Duluth, MN from June 9-11, 2004. A letter from Tim Groshens indicates that there is a major restructuring of the MSBA Governance in the works, which will have the General Assembly made up of about 125 members who will be elected from each Section and local District of the Bar Association. The governing Council would be made up of 14 people who would handle the day to day operations of the MSBA. A motion was made, seconded, and approved for the GPS&SF Section to reserve a room at the MSBA convention for a meeting of Section members. 1. AWARDS: The ABA is soliciting nominations for "Bar Leader of the Year" and "Project of the Year" awards. The MSBA has a "Professional Excellence" award and a "President's" award that it awards each year. Robert Woodke suggested the GPS&SF Section consider establishing some sort of award for small firms or solo practitioners. Members of the Section could nominate firms or solo attorneys, with the Section Council choosing the award winner. A motion was made, seconded, and approved directing the Section Council to establish some guidelines for such an award. 1. Minnesota Lawyer: Is looking for someone to assist with an article regarding the building and operating of a small law practice. Any interested members should contact Patrick W. Kelly for details. Submitted by Karl O. Friedrichs, Secretary GENERAL PRACTICE SOLO AND SMALL FIRM Immediately after the Section's Annual membership meeting, the Chair, Patrick W. Kelly called the meeting to order. The minutes of the previous Section Council meeting were approved. 1. CLE Programs: Robert Woodke announced that the Section's CLE programs received 2 Ethics credits, 2 Elimination of Bias credits, and 2 Management CLE credits. 1. Future Meetings: After discussion was held, it was decided to try to do a phone conference call in July or August to schedule the Fall Section Council meetings, in order that planning can begin on the Annual Spring Program. 1. Bulk Mailing Permit: Discussion occurred regarding obtaining a bulk mailing permit for the section if there will be a lot of mailings in the future. No specific action was taken. 1. Corporate Sponsors: Everyone was encouraged to begin thinking of corporate sponsors to solicit for the Annual Section meeting. Submitted by, Karl O. Friedrichs, Secretary DECEMBER 2003 SECTION COUNCIL MEETING Attendees: Council Members: Patrick W. Kelly, Robert Woodke, Helen Federline, The meeting was called to order by Patrick W. Kelly, Chair of the Section. 2. SECRETARY'S REPORT: The minutes of the previous meeting were approved with amendments. Meeting minutes for the October and December meetings will be sent to all Section members by means of email, along with the member survey. This is to be sent to Mary Kempton, the MSBA Section Coordinator for distribution. 3. TREASURER'S REPORT: Not in attendance. 4. OLD BUSINESS: Meeting adjourned, Helen M. Federline, Acting Secretary FALL 2003 SECTION COUNCIL MEETING Attendees: Council Members: Patrick W. Kelly, Robert Woodke, Helen Federline, The meeting was called to order by Patrick W. Kelly, Vice President of the
Section. 2. SECRETARY'S REPORT: The minutes of previous meeting were approved. Discussion was then held about circulating the meeting minutes to all Section members by means of e-mail. An attempt will be made to arrange this through the MSBA. 3. TREASURER'S REPORT: Diana Longrie-Kline reported that the Section's account contained $1,770.53 as of July 1, 2003. Since then $2,689.00 of membership dues were deposited, and various expenses (including the $3.00 per section member MSBA administrative fee) have been deducted, leaving a balance of $3,937.63. The report was approved. 4. OLD BUSINESS: 2. Bylaws: Renee Anderson had various questions regarding the current status
of the Section Bylaws. 5. NEW BUSINESS: 2. Standup Presentations/Social/Educational Events: Discussion occurred regarding the possibility of more social or short educational events for section members in various parts of the state. Perhaps some section Council members or others could put together a short standup presentation to make to local bar associations, including discussion of the Section's referral database. Diana Longrie-Kline, Helen Federline, and Jason Hoffman, who are working on the referral database program, will take these comments into consideration. 3. State Bar Association Concerns: There are approximately 24,000 licensed
attorneys in the State, 15,000 of which are MSBA members, 300 plus of which
are GPS&SF members. 1. Attendance at MSBA Convention - There was discussion
regarding sagging attendance at the annual MSBA Convention, but no ideas on
how to change this. 4. Practice Management & Marketing Section: The Practice Management & Marketing Section of the MSBA requested permission to market their November program to GPS&SF section members. Approval was given to allow them to do so. 5. Section Council Planning Retreat: Discussion was held regarding a Section Council Planning Retreat on January 30th & 31st, 2004. It was agreed that perhaps a membership survey should be completed by that time. Diana Longrie-Kline will modify a general membership survey she did recently with another group, and attempt to circulate it to GPS&SF members prior to the retreat. 6. Section Council Conference Call: It was agreed that a Section Council conference call should be held between now and the time of the retreat in order to coordinate the retreat and have further discussion regarding possible annual meeting dates and CLE topics. Patrick W. Kelly and Renee Anderson will attempt to coordinate. Meeting adjourned, Karl O. Friedrichs, Secretary
- Last Updated 07/05/2012 - |
 |
|
||||||
| Minnesota State Bar Association 600 Nicollet Mall, #380, Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 333-1183 | (800) 882-6722 |
|
|
|||||
