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LGN Sponsors Minnesota Law Review Banquet
LGN was thrilled to sponsor the Minnesota Law Review banquet last night. Law Clerks Tyler Blackmon and Abby Ward are members of MLR and we had a great night celebrating their success and Volume 107!
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LGN Law Clerk Authors Minnesota Law Review Blog Post
LGN Law Clerk Abby Ward recently authored a blog post inspired by her experience at the firm working on a pro bono criminal expungement case. Her blog post originally appeared on the Minnesota Law Review’s website and can be read in full below.
KEEP ROLLING: AFTER PROVIDING AUTOMATIC EXPUNGEMENT FOR CERTAIN MARIJUANA OFFENSES MINNESOTA SHOULD ENACT AUTOMATIC EXPUNGEMENT FOR OTHER CRIMINAL RECORDS
The racially discriminatory impact from the War on Drugs is clear,[1] and while marijuana legalization is one step in addressing the inequities of America’s criminal justice system, the work does not end there. States should also enact broader expungement reforms. This 2023 session, Minnesota is likely going to legalize recreational marijuana.[2] The current House bill (Cannabis Bill) would automatically expunge[3] lower offenses of marijuana use after an individual meets certain requirements.[4] As state legislatures increasingly consider recreational marijuana legalization, activists argue those bills must include proposals to help people easily expunge their records, like the Cannabis Bill provision.[5] As a result, marijuana legalization is a groundbreaking area for criminal justice reform and should be utilized to advance other criminal record reform.[6]
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LGN Government Relations Professionals Attend Citizens League Civic Celebration
LGN Government Relations team members Peter Glessing, Reen Reinhardt, and Dan Larson attended the Citizens League Civic Celebration last night. LGN was proud to be a sponsor of the event and is proud of our firm’s involvement in the Citizens League Capitol Pathways Program—the only paid internship program in the state that opens a legislative policy career pathway for BIPOC college students.
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Lockridge Grindal Nauen Associates Surpass Goals for Legal Aid Associates’ Campaign!
Congratulations to the LGN Associates for hitting 100% participation and surpassing the firm’s goal for giving to the 2022-23 Legal Aid Associates’ Campaign! LGN raised $4,305.04, beating the firm’s overall giving record to the Campaign! The Campaign as a whole raised $126,359, providing crucial support for Legal Aid services in the coming year. LGN Associates will be honored at the Legal Aid Law Day Dinner in May.
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Neighborhood House 2023 March Food Drive
Our firm invites you to join us in raising funds for Neighborhood House, a St. Paul-based multi-service agency that has helped immigrant and refugee families since 1897. Neighborhood House has become a full-service hub for those seeking assistance with basic needs, from food to housing, as well as helping create future opportunities through family coaching and education programming. LGN is proud to have supported this work for over a decade.
Each March, Neighborhood House raises money and collects healthy, fresh, and culture-appropriate foods for its diverse group of more than 16,000 annual visitors. These donations are critical in allowing these visitors to maintain their dignity, health, and culture during a challenging time in their lives.
Like many other food shelves across the metro, Neighborhood House is seeing increased visits from the same families and more new faces visiting its two free food markets. Added challenges such as inflation, food availability, and economic hardships have continued to plague families who were already struggling. More Minnesotans were dependent on food shelves and food stamps in 2022 than the previous years.
You can help support Neighborhood House and its mission to serve our community by donating at this link: https://give.neighborhoodhousemn.org/LGN
Thank you for considering helping Neighborhood House continue its legacy of giving to those in the community who have the greatest need.
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LGN Celebrates Black History Month
Lockridge Grindal Nauen celebrates this February 1st as the beginning of Black History Month, and honors the immeasurable contributions and achievements Black Americans have made to our country and the world. At the same time, LGN acknowledges that every month is Black History Month, and Black history is an integral part of our country’s history every month. Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, which established Black History Month, emphasized the importance of providing a theme of focus for Black History Month, since the intention has never been to dictate or limit exploration but to focus the public on important developments in Black history that merit emphasis. The Association has called on all of us to study the history of Black Americans’ efforts to establish safe spaces through the 2023 theme Black Resistance. More information and resources are available here. #BlackHistoryMonth
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LGN Adopts a Family Through Ramsey County’s Family Sponsorship Program
LGN was proud to once again adopt a family this holiday season through Ramsey County’s Family Sponsorship Program. The Family Sponsorship Program matches community sponsors with Ramsey County families in need and gives sponsors the opportunity to personally shop and wrap gifts for their matched family.
This year, the firm collected gifts and donations for a family of five in our community. We were glad to have the opportunity to help brighten the holiday season for this family!
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LGN Celebrates Give to the Max Day 2022
This Holiday Season, and in recognition of Give to The Max Day, Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P. is proud to support Agate Housing + Services in Minneapolis, and Neighborhood House in St. Paul. On #GTMD22, LGN will be matching donations to both of these organizations up to $10,000 each.
Agate Housing + Services’ mission is to end homelessness and relieve hunger through action and advocacy. In 2021 alone, Agate Housing + Services served nearly 70,500 meals, provided 50,000 nights of service, and gave emergency shelter to over 450 individuals. Agate’s Rapid Re-Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing programs help families and individuals move quickly from shelter to scattered-site permanent housing with long-term supportive services to help households maintain housing stability through a range of services. LGN is proud to support their important mission.
Neighborhood House helps people with basic needs, education, multiple youth programs, and health and well-being. All programs are offered for free to participants, with the mission of helping people gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in diverse communities. Neighborhood House has been serving the St. Paul community since its founding in 1897, and today serves more than 15,000 people at their six locations throughout the City of St. Paul. LGN has supported Neighborhood House for over a decade, routinely collecting food and monetary donations during Neighborhood House’s annual food drive.
On this #GTMD22, please join us in supporting Agate Housing + Services, Neighborhood House, and the critical missions they carry out in our community.
News
LGN Attorneys Attend Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers Gala
Lockridge Grindal Nauen lawyers were thrilled to attend the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers Gala as a Silver Sponsor! We celebrate the scholarship recipients and are committed to doing our best to advance and support Black lawyers in Minnesota.
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LGN Attorney Rachel Kitze Collins Recognized by Minnesota Lawyer as One of its 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Award Honorees
Congratulations to LGN Associate Rachel Kitze Collins who was recognized by Minnesota Lawyer as one of its 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Award honorees. As Co-President of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the American Constitution Society, Rachel helped plan and organize a virtual CLE titled, “What Every Lawyer Should Know About the Future of Transgender Student Rights,” which sought to educate lawyers about the challenges that transgender students face, the laws that protect them, and steps that schools and educators can take to protect these students. Rachel and the other CLE panelists were honored at an event on October 6 at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Learn more by following this link.