Local Legal News
In the Oct 12 issue of the St Paul Pioneer Press, retired immigration judge Joseph Dierkes is profiled. Here's a short excerpt:
Q What's the quality of legal representation in Minnesota compared to elsewhere?
A I saw a much, much lower level of attorney preparation out there (in other places). (Dierkes occasionally was sent to Los Angeles and other areas to help clear high volumes of cases.)
We have the group Advocates for Human Rights here. They have a clearinghouse of private attorneys to represent people. The first week I was here, I had an attorney from Pillsbury representing someone. There's nothing like that I have encountered in any other city.
Read the entire article at: http://www.twincities.com/ci_10696573?nclick_check=1
Barriers to Justice to be Explored at JPLP Spring Symposium
In commemoration of the centennial of Southern Minnesota Legal Services (SMRLS), The Journal of Public Law and Policy at Hamline University School of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota, will host a symposium entitled "Barriers to Justice: Responding to the Needs of the Low-Income Population in America." The symposium will begin on Thursday, March 12 and will continue throughout the day on Friday, March 13, 2009. Read more at: http://law.hamline.edu/newsitems
St. Thomas School of Law establishes James L. Oberstar Professorship of Law and Public Policy
The St. Thomas School of Law has established the James L. Oberstar Professorship of Law and Public Policy to honor the Minnesota congressman and St. Thomas alumnus. The professorship was announced Tuesday, Oct. 7, at a private reception at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Read more at: http://www.stthomas.edu/law/news/headlines/Fall2008/JamesLOberstarProfes.html
William Mitchell launches new Center for the Empirical Study of Legal Practice
William Mitchell has launched a new Center for the Empirical Study of Legal Practice which will research the daily realities of the work of a lawyer and the business of the legal profession. Led by Professor Herbert Kritzer, a political scientist, the Center will be officially launched with a reception and CLE program on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008, at 6 pm. in the Haynsworth Conservatory at William Mitchell. The program, “Changing Legal Practice in the Wake of Medical Malpractice Reform” begins at 7 pm. Read more at: http://www.wmitchell.edu/news/articles/default.asp?articleId=11730&from=RSS
Coen family intrigue might be worthy of a movie plot
The 222-page complaint, filed in March 2005, boils down to an accusation that Lou, who lives in France, cheated his brother when he bought Ed's shares of Compayne (Hempstead) Ltd., which appears to be a London real estate company. She argued that Ed didn't have the same information that Lou had when he sold his shares. Read the whole story, with a link to the complaint, at: http://www.minnpost.com/judithyatesborger/