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MWL Member
Spotlight: St. Croix Valley Chapter
By Connie Armstrong It all started with a simple question posed by Washington County District Court Judge Susan Miles to several female prosecutors standing in Courtroom 2 of the Washington County Courthouse one morning right before lunchtime: "Wouldn’t it be nice to have regular local events providing female attorneys in the area the opportunity to network and socialize with each other?" Fueled by the energy and enthusiasm of Judge Miles and a few interested women, a quest was launched to find a way to make this idea a reality. The first issue addressed was whether enough female attorneys in the area were interested and willing to participate in a local group. To assess local interest a happy hour was organized at Luna Rossa in Stillwater in September 2008. The initial invitation, targeting women attorneys residing or practicing in either Washington or Chisago counties, resulted in a tremendous response. At the event, Judge Miles and Luz Frias, President, Minnesota Women Lawyers, spoke to the group of over 30 women in attendance. From that point forward the ball was set in motion and plans were underway to form a new chapter of Minnesota Women Lawyers. During the next month, the first meeting was held, officers were nominated, a name was selected, and the MWL Board of Directors officially ratified the formation of the St. Croix Valley Chapter of Minnesota Women Lawyers on November 20, 2008. The following individuals were elected to serve as Officers: · Jennifer Nodes, Eckberg, Lammers, Briggs, Wolff & Vierling, P.L.L.P., Chair · Wendy Murphy, Washington County Attorney's Office, Vice-Chair · Connie Armstrong, Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson, P.A., Treasurer · Emerald Gratz, Attorney General's Office, MWL Liaison At its first official business meeting in December 2008, the Chapter formed committees designed to accomplish its goals and sought participation from its nearly 60 registered members. Social, professional development, and community service committees were formed and began efforts to plan events for the Chapter. The Chapter surveyed its members input for purposes of planning events designed to meet their individual professional development goals. Cravings Wine Bar and Grill in Woodbury was the site of the Chapter's inaugural event in February 2009. The event provided members with both a valuable networking experience and the opportunity to benefit The Refuge Network in opening its new Black Dog Shelter. The Refuge Network's Executive Director, Roxie Karelis, and Jen Gustafson, Volunteer and Advocacy Coordinator provided information on the goals and needs of the organization and the story behind the establishment of the Black Dog Shelter. To further its goals of providing safety and shelter for up to 15 women and children recovering from domestic and family violence situations, both monetary and material donations were collected by the Chapter to help prepare the shelter for its grand opening. The event was highly successful and a generous contribution was presented to The Refuge Network. Those interested in learning more about The Refuge Network can visit http://www.therefugenetwork.org The next Chapter event was a continuing legal education entitled "Views From the Bench: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly,” which was held at the Washington County Courthouse in early April 2009. This CLE featured District Court Judges Susan Miles, Mary Hannon, Elizabeth Martin, Ellen Maas and Krista Martin as panelists and focused on court appearances, addressing topics including effective advocacy techniques and common mistakes and provided participants an opportunity to question the panelists. Attendees received 1.0 CLE credit at no cost and were given the opportunity to socialize with the judges and each other prior to the start of the program. Plans are currently underway for the Chapter's next events. Please continue to check the MWL website and emails for further information on upcoming Chapter events. Anyone seeking additional information about the St. Croix Valley Chapter is encouraged to contact either Jennifer Nodes at jnodes@eckberglammers.com or Emerald Gratz at emerald.gratz@state.mn.us. ------------------------------
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