The Minnesota State Bar Association is a professional association of lawyers, judge

Judge

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

s, and other legal practitioners, such as clerks, registrars, and paralegals. The MSBA is one of the oldest state bar association

State bar association

A state bar association is a bar association that represents or seeks to represent all of the attorneys in a specific U.S. state. Membership in such an association may be voluntary or mandatory for practitioners in that state. State bar associations may be tasked with the administration of the...

s in the United States. The association was organized in 1883 and claims a membership of nearly 16,000 legal professionals. While some states require membership in the state bar to practice in the jurisdiction, Minnesota does not require membership. Membership is purely voluntary.

Purposes

Two of the primary purposes of the Minnesota State Bar Association, as with most bar associations, are to connect people who need legal services with lawyers who practice in the relevant practice areas and to help lawyers become better lawyers. State bar associations (as well as national and local associations) are the means by which the legal profession regulates itself. See American Bar Association

American Bar Association

The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...

.

The MSBA states the following goals:

• To aid the courts in the administration of justice.
• To apply the knowledge and experience of the profession to the public good.
• To maintain in the profession high standards of learning, competence, ethics, and public service.
• To conduct a program of continuing legal education.
• To organize into the MSBA the entire Bench and Bar of Minnesota and correlate the activities of affiliated associations.
• To provide a forum for the discussion of subjects pertaining to the practice of law, the science of jurisprudence and law reform, and to publish information relating thereof.
• To cooperate with other bar associations and organizations to further MSBA objectives.

Projects and publications

Projects of the MSBA include a variety of services and Web sites.

• PracticeLaw.org is a resource for practicing attorneys, which provides forms and guides to help lawyers practice more efficiently and effectively.
• Minnesota CLE (at MinnCLE.org) is a source of hundreds of continuing legal education offerings for lawyers and other legal practitioners.
• Bench & Bar is a legal magazine published by the MSBA. The publication includes articles written by legal practitioners on topics in law and legal ethics, updates and notes on recent court decisions and changes in statutes, announcements by lawyers and law firms, and news on current legal issues and events.

Officers

Approximately every four years, the MSBA Assembly elects officers from the Hennepin County Bar Association, the Ramsey County Bar Association, the outstate bar associations (collectively), and a single at-large position. The officer is elected as Secretary, then advances to Treasurer, and then President-Elect, and eventually President. As of October 2009, the current officers are:

• President: Leo Brisbois
• President-Elect: Terry Votel
• Treasurer: Aaron Biber (resigned after arrest)
• Secretary: Bob Enger

Directors

The directors of the MSBA, under the guidance of the executive director

Executive director

Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...

, have the responsibility of carrying out the day-to-day operations of the association. The directors are responsible for supervising staff and setting and communicating goals and standards.

The current directors of the MSBA:

• Executive Director: Tim Groshens
• Access to Justice Director: Steve Hirsh
• Director of Finance: Tim Giving
• Director of Public Relations: Pat Everheart
• Director of Publications: Judson Haverkamp
• Director of Section Services: Elyse Farnsworth
• Director of Technology: Mike Trittipo
• Director of Web Services: Dick Ericson
• Human Resources Director: Denise Plachecki
• Legal Issues Director: Nancy Mischel
• Marketing Director: Margaret Dean
• Practice Development Director: Gregory Luce

Part time directors (Development Editors): Nancy Hupp

External links

• Minnesota CLE Web site
• PracticeLaw from the Minnesota State Bar Association.
• Bench & Bar of Minnesota.
• Affiliated member Ramsey County Bar Association's records are available at the Minnesota Historical Society.