LGN Sponsors Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Gala

LGN was proud to sponsor Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s Black Tie and Hard Hat Gala this past weekend and clearly, LGNers Jess Lindeen, Amos Briggs, Kevin Matzek, and Eura Chang were thrilled to attend (photobooth & all!) We have the privilege of representing Twin Cities Habitat at the Capitol and supporting their work to meaningfully address Minnesota’s racial homeownership gap and advance Black homeownership. As part of this work, Twin Cities Habitat advocated for a new $100 million First Generation Down Payment Assistance Program that will begin this summer.

LGN Prepares Care Package for National Guard Service Members

Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P. associate attorney Catherine Peterson and her unit were thrilled to receive a care package, which included popcorn, from LGN.

LGN was proud to prepare a care package for Catherine, a Captain in the National Guard, and her fellow Service Members, who are currently mobilized with the North Dakota Army National Guard. CPT Peterson and her company command team, CPT Caleb Hamilton and 1SG David Dreher, are displaying a Certificate of Appreciation for LGN in front of their unit popcorn machine.

Special thanks to LGN Senior Counsel, Maureen Kane Berg, and the LGN Wellness Committee, for spearheading this effort.

Class Act Competes in Lawyer League Co-Ed Softball Season

Class Act is Lockridge Grindal Nauen’s softball team that participates in the Hennepin County Bar Association’s Annual Lawyer League.  Law firms come together from across the Twin Cities to play and build camaraderie in the local legal community all summer long. Class Act is off to a hot 2-0 start!

LGN Sponsors Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation TopGolf Fore a Cure Event

LGN was proud to sponsor the Crohn’s & Colitis TopGolf Fore a Cure event on Monday. LGN Associate Paul Buchel is a member of the Young Professionals Board which assists the Foundation in its work.

Since its founding in 1967, the Foundation has played a role in every major breakthrough in IBD research and has invested more than $400 million into finding the causes, treatments, and cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

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!

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.

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. 

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.

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