Join us Friday, May 5 for our conference and celebration
Conference
“Wellbeing in Law: Great in theory. Better in practice”
10:30 am–4:30 pm | Mitchell Hamline
Mitchell Hamline’s clinical education equips students for the changing realities of the legal profession and empowers them to pursue careers of meaning through a practice-based approach. Grounded in this vision, the Wellbeing in Law Conference will provide attendees with experiential opportunities to strengthen their ability to take care of themselves and others in the practice of law.
- Suggested rate: $75
- Discounted rate for those who need it: $50
- Law students: $0
Celebration
Post-conference celebration with speakers, music, and food
5–7 pm | Conservatory and Great Room
We’re hosting a reception to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the clinical program at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. We will gather to share stories and food, with music provided by The Patience Band, featuring alumni Mark Cosimini ’78 and Brian Johnson ’81.
Program to begin at 5:30 pm, featured speakers include Roger Haydock, a founding professor of the Mitchell Hamline Clinical Program, Luis Morales ’09, a former clinic student of Professor McCaffrey’s, and Reentry Clinic Alum Maya Johnson ’20, Director of the Prison to Law Pipeline: The Legal Revolution.
- Free to attend (please register)
Share your clinic photos and experiences
As we prepare for the event, we’d love to have your memories to share. If you have a story about how your experience as a student in a clinic shaped your experience, or a photo to share, please submit them using the link below. Here’s a submission we’ve already received:
Submit your clinic memories hereMy participation in the LAMP Clinic for 3 semesters during law school was transformative. The experience led to my decision to pursue a career advocating for indigent persons. I credit Professor Colbert, LAMP Clinic Director, for serving as an endless source of inspiration and support.
Wellbeing in Law Conference Agenda
Welcome | 10:30–10:40 am | Room 225
President and Dean Anthony Niedwiecki
Collective Keynote | 10:40–11:15 am | Room 225
Larry Krieger will discuss the role of clinics in the movement for balance and well-being in legal education. Ann Juergens will highlight the role Mitchell Hamline’s clinical legal education program has played in the movement. Natalie Netzel will explore how the program continues to innovate within the movement.
Wellbeing in Law School: The Power of Clinics— Larry Krieger, College of Law at Florida State University
History of Wellbeing in Mitchell Hamline Clinics—Ann Juergens
Practicing Wellbeing in Practice—Natalie Netzel ’15, co-director of the clinical education program at Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Session 1 | 11:30–12:20 pm
Option A | Kelley Boardroom
Bringing Mindfulness Practices into Our Community—Mike Millios, board chair for Karuna Community
This session will offer mindfulness practices that connect us with stress relief, awareness, and loving-kindness. It will share practices and the neuroscience as to why the practices work. Mike hopes that these tools will help us individually and our community as a whole.
Option B | Room 223
Trauma Responsive Lawyering—Miriam Itzkowitz. director of trauma informed care for the Institute to Transform Child Protection and Katie Olson, director of Training in the Zero Abuse Project
This session will explore the neurobiological effects of trauma on the brain, and, specifically, how it impacts an individual’s ability to think logically and communicate with others. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore useful and innovative communication techniques that mitigate trauma responses and improve attorney-client relationships. Special attention will be given to the connection between trauma responsive communication and Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, and 1.14.
Option C | Room 219
Creative Healing for Law Professionals—Anusha Ramaswami, licensed therapist and board-certified music therapist for Creative Kuponya
Community care and creativity go hand in hand. In this session, participants will learn about the use of music and movement to reduce stress and increase wellbeing. Interactive activities will demonstrate the power of creativity and communal play in healing. Participants will leave the session with an increased understanding of the impact of trauma and stress on the body AND simple strategies to bring about healing.
Lunch | 12:20–1:10 pm | Room 225
Provided by Bougie Waffle
Session 2 | 1:10–2 pm
Option A | Kelley Boardroom
Moving Through Conflict: Enhance your nonverbal communication skills working with clients—Kaori Kenmotsu, artistic director for Hamline Dance Ensemble
Combining the mindfulness of yoga with an introduction to Laban Movement Analysis, participants will investigate how a body-based praxis allows for more awareness in communication; and how bodies, in relationship to others, teach us ways to move through conflict.
Option B | Room 223
Incorporating Faith into Work to Promote Justice—Ana Pottratz Acosta, clinical instructor for the Medical Legal Partnership (moderator)
Drawing upon the values of liberation theology and the sanctuary movement, his session will explore how lawyers and community organizers can incorporate their faith into their work to build a more just society. Discussion will include: 1980’s sanctuary movement, 2017 work by lawyers in MN to provide legal guidance to congregations offering sanctuary to undocumented immigrants at risk of arrest by ICE during Trump Administration and mobilization of voters ahead of 2018, 2020 and 2022 elections, starting with the 2018 Faith in Minnesota “Greater than Fear” Campaign.
Panelists
- Catalina Morales Behena, La Red Faith in Action
- John Medeiros, shareholder and head of corporate immigration for Nilan Johnson Lewis
- Kathy Moccio, adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Option C | Room 219
You Are Enough: The Healing Power of Improv—Shoshana Alexander-Daniels, educator, teaching artist, improv performer, and healer
Improv theater is just acting without a script, making up a story as you go along. Healing improv focuses on playful, loving acceptance of ourselves and others. Improv can help reduce anxiety, reduce perfectionism and judgment, and increase self-esteem. In this session, we will honor each other’s boundaries, play, laugh, and remind ourselves of the deep importance of joy!
Session 3 | 2:10–3 pm
Option A | Kelley Boardroom
Resilient Practice for Lawyers—Natalie Netzel ’15, co-director of the clinical education program at Mitchell Hamline School of Law
In this session attendees will reconnect with their mission, vision, and purpose in their career. Grounded in positive psychology, they explore tips and tricks for developing resilience in the face of adversity including celebrating tiny victories
Option B | Room 223
All Behavior Is Meaningful, Even Yours—Gerry Huerth, registered nurse and instructor at North Hennepin Community College and Aniya Spears, activist, socialist, and humanitarian
Lawyers must deal with all parties represented—a whole crowd of people: their clients, the opposing attorneys and their clients, the judges, the legal system and most importantly themselves. We all have personal and societal complexities to contend with when processing or interacting with new information, people who seem different than us, and challenging cases. Are you more prone to fight, flight, or freeze in a stressful circumstance? How about your clients? Our backgrounds determine our behavior, our personal lives affect our professional lives, our professional lives affect out personal lives and all behavior is meaningful. How do you juggle complexity?
Option C | Room 219
Polyvagal Practices for Calm and Change—Miriam Itzkowitz, director of trauma informed care for the Institute to Transform Child Protection
The autonomic nervous system not only controls our vital body functions, but is also at the heart of our daily experience. It influences how we live, relate to others, and work. It guides the way we move through the world. In this workshop, participants will learn about the three responsive pathways of the autonomic nervous system and practice techniques to anchor regulation and move through our days with a sense of safety to successfully meet the everyday challenges of life.
Session 4 | 3:10–4 pm
Option A | Kelley Boardroom
Afro Latin Dance and Movement to Energize, Uplift, and Unwind—Don DeBoer, counseling services
Don DeBoer will be providing basic lessons in a number of Latin dance rhythms including: salsa, cha cha, bachata, and cumbia in solo, partner, and group formats. The emphasis is on connecting with music and other people in nonverbal and playful ways in a manner that is easy to understand and fun.
Option B | Room 223
Experiencing Flow: The Pathway to Peak Performance and Optimal Well-being for Attorneys—Rick Petry ’98, director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The state of flow is defined as the time when we perform our best work while also feel our best. In this session, participants will learn about the flow cycle, flow trigger, flow blockers and how they can enjoy the state of flow more often in their lives. This information presented in this session is based on cutting-edge research from many of the world’s leading academic institutions.
Option C | Room 219
Your passion, your purpose, and your career—Joan Bibelhausen, executive director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
How do we put mental health first in our careers? Our occupational well-being includes cultivating personal satisfaction, growth and enrichment in our work. This session will provide tools and resources to actively attend to our well-being so we can do our best work.
Closing Remarks| 4:10–4:30 pm | Room 225
Intrinsically Intertwined: Care for Self and Others in Law – Natalie Netzel ’15, co-director of the clinical education program