Exploring the role lawyers play as business leaders will be the focus of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review Volume 43 Symposium on Wednesday, March 22. The daylong six-credit CLE will be held from 8 am – 3 pm at Able Seedhouse + Brewery in Northeast Minneapolis.
Register here. Current Mitchell Hamline students need to register but can attend for free by registering with discount code MHSL Student.
The event will feature five panel discussions based on Law Review articles on the intersection of law, business, and the role legal education plays in training future business leaders.
8 am Breakfast
8:30 am Opening remarks
8:45 am Panel discussion: Craft Beer – Jeff O’Brien ’00 (WMCL) with the firm Lommen Abdo has more than 50 craft brewery clients in Minnesota and will use his extensive experience in brewery law to explore the three-tier distribution system of alcohol. The panel discussion will be based on O’Brien’s symposium article The Craft Brewing Boom And Minnesota’s Three-Tier System: The Case For Change. In it, he explains how Minnesota law could adapt to create more opportunities for craft breweries.
9:45 am Panel discussion: Adding Value to Business – Zachary Atherton-Ely is associate general counsel at Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, which operates Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley. MLCV handles the Mille Lacs Band’s business operations, including several hotels, resorts, and various small businesses. The panel discussion will be based on his symposium article Demonstrating Value to a Corporation as General Counsel.
10:45 am Break
10:55 am Panel discussion: Lawyer as Entrepreneur – Kathleen Harrell-Latham ’06 (WMCL) of Loop Legal created an app to help businesses navigate the process of hiring contingent workers. The discussion will be based on Harrell-Latham’s symposium article Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like a Mogul: Tackling Practical Business Problems in a Changing Legal Landscape, in which she examines the law around working with freelancers, independent contractors, and consultants.
Noon Lunch and keynote – Keith Lee is the founder of Associate’s Mind, one of the most popular legal blogs in the United States. In 2013, Lee wrote The Marble and The Sculptor: From Law School to Law Practice, an ABA bestseller. Lee currently practices law at Hamer Law Group in Birmingham, Ala.
12:50 pm Panel discussion: Crowdfunding – Zach Robins ’08 (WMCL) of Winthrop & Weinstine authored the legislation behind the MNVest Securities Registration Exemption, or MNVest. The measure legalized equity-based crowdfunding in Minnesota. Robins’ symposium article, MNVest and Equity-Based Crowdfunding, was written with Tim Joyce of the University of Minnesota Law School. It looks at empirical data from recent crowdfunding efforts to suggest the ideal crowdfunding offering from both a legal and business standpoint.
1:50 pm Panel discussion: Legal Education and Business – Leanne Fuith ’10 (WMCL), dean of career and professional development at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, will explore the changing legal job market and the various opportunities for law students outside of traditional legal careers. The panel discussion will also focus on how law schools should adapt to best prepare students for a changing job market.
2:50 pm Closing remarks
Please direct any questions about the event to the Symposium editor, Joey Balthazor, at joey.balthazor@mitchellhamline.edu.