On Friday May 16th, over seventy people, mostly lawyers, attended a CLE entitled "Defending Dissent: Representing Acivists and Protesters at the Republican National Convention."

Carolina Lamas from the Neighborhood Justice Center offered Criminal Defense tips for beginners at the start of the day. Jordan Kushner highlighted certain concerns that may come up in reference to mass arrests that may occur during the RNC. Rachel Bengston outlined specific issues that might arise for non-citizens.

New York lawyer, Gideon Oliver shared his experience being on the street during the 2004 RNC and defending civil liberties during the legal aftermath. Los Angeles Attorney Carol Sobel told stories about the overreaction of the LA police department during the 2000 DNC.

Judge Mott, from Ramsey County Court gave a sneak preview of the court procedure during the week of the RNC. Finally, an activist panel, moderated by longtime protest lawyer Ken Tilsen, told the audience what they want from their lawyer-client relationship relative to their larger political message.

The CLE materials and a DVD of the presentations will be available for purchase. Please check back for availability or send an inquiry to info@nlgminnesota.org or use our online form here.

It was the warmest day of the year so far and the NLG-MN chapter is grateful so many concerned lawyers, law students and legal workers came to St. Thomas Law school to spend the day preparing for the Mass Defense needs in September.