Early Minnesota Legal History

Richard P. Clem Continuing Legal Education
CLE Podcast: $20

Note: As with all Wisconsin on-demand CLE replays, credit for this course expired on December 31, 2010, and it is no longer eligible for Wisconsin CLE credit. Therefore, it is not eligible for credit in other states based upon Wisconsin approval.

This program has been re-done in 2011, and is available for 2011 credit at this link.

This CLE program was approved by the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners for 2.0 credits of Repeated On-Demand credit between the dates of September 8 and December 31, 2010. To view the Wisconsin course approval, click here. This program was originally presented on May 1, 2010, in St. Paul, Minnesota. This audio program runs approximately one hour 45 minutes. Click Here to View the Course Description

To participate in this online program for CLE credit, please follow the following steps:

  1. Download the written course materials. This is a PDF of eight pages: Course Materials (PDF)
  2. If you require a certificate of completion, download the course quiz: Course Quiz (PDF)
  3. Download and listen to the program. The program is available in both Real Player and MP3 format. The Real Player version consists of a single large file. The MP3 version is broken down into ten separate files.
  4. If you have any substantive questions regarding the program, please e-mail them to clem.law@usa.net.
  5. If you desire a certificate of completion, e-mail the quiz answers to me at clem.law@usa.net, or mail them with your payment to the address below.
  6. Make your payment of $20. You may mail your check to:
    Richard P. Clem
    P.O. Box 14957
    Minneapolis, MN 55414

    If you prefer, you may pay securely online by clicking the "Pay Now" button below. If you have a PayPal account, you will be given the option to sign in with your PayPal ID. If you do not have (or prefer not to use) your PayPal account, you may also pay with a credit card.

Upon receipt of your payment and quiz answers, I will e-mail you a certificate of completion in PDF format. Most certificates of completion will be e-mailed the same day, but please allow 2-3 business days to receive your certificate.

Program Description

Lawyers generally don't think of themselves as historians, but we frequently do the work of historians. We seek out historical events (which we call "precedents") and try to apply these historical lessons to current situations. Minnesota's legal history has a long pedigree, dating back to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. These antecedents give our laws a "chain of title" that is sometimes ignored. Some of the historical antecedents we'll look at are merely interesting "old cases" with little practical application. But others come under the heading of "venerable precedents", which can sometimes make an argument more compelling. And in a few cases, the law as it existed prior to statehood was arguably enshrined into the state constitution, in which case it takes on special significance.

The program is presented by Richard P. Clem. He has a B.A. in history from the University of Minnesota, and a J.D., cum laude, from Hamline University School of Law. He has been in private practice in the Twin Cities for over 20 years. His reported cases include: Asociacion Nacional de Pescadores a Pequena Escala o Artesanales de Colombia v. Dow Quimica de Colombia, 988 F.2d 559, rehearing denied, 5 F.3d 530 (5th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 1041 (1994); LaMott v. Apple Valley Health Care Center, 465 N.W.2d 585 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991); Abo el Ela v. State,468 N.W.2d 580 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991).

This program is eligible for CLE credit in the following jurisdictions. Please click on the state name below for further information and any limitations:

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Copyright 2010, Richard P. Clem Continuing Legal Education
PO Box 14957
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-378-7751