MINNEAPOLIS
Thursday, December 18, 2025
9:00 AM - 12:15 PM | Check-In: 8:30 AM
Minnesota CLE Conference Center
600 Nicollet Mall # 370
3rd Floor, City Center
Minneapolis, MN 55402
How do we maintain professionalism and create healthier workplace cultures in environments where difficult behavior and incivility undermine both individual wellbeing and professional standards? This seminar discusses the toxic behavior that exists within the legal profession, providing classifications of behavior and statistical data that can be extrapolated to define the scope of the problem. It explores the ethics and professional responsibility rules that govern the practice and how some of these behaviors fall through the cracks. Then it dives into personal coping strategies and proactive prevention through institutional means that give pathways to improving civility in the profession.
Topics include:
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
CHECK-IN & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
9:00 – 9:05 a.m.
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
9:05 – 10:05 a.m.
The Silent Epidemic: Confronting Bullying in the Legal Profession
This presentation is based on a study conducted in Illinois that revealed eye-opening statistics on bullying within the legal profession, and Director Susan Humiston’s column in the October 2025 issue of Bench & Bar. Karin Ciano will share takeaways from the study’s findings and recommendations, including how to identify bullying behavior, why bullying behavior often goes unreported, and what can be done to respond to bullying – with a focus on how bullying behavior can run afoul of Minnesota’s ethics rules. The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility aims to encourage Minnesota lawyers to think about ways we can confront this issue together and find solutions to the problem.
– Karin K. Ciano
10:05 – 10:10 a.m.
BREAK
10:10 – 11:10 a.m.
How to Deal with Difficult People – Don’t Let the Jerks Get You Down
Bad behavior is often part and parcel of legal disputes and processes. This session looks at behavior that negatively impacts our profession, discusses some reasons lawyers and others might resort to jerkish behavior, discusses the ethical rules around behaving badly and offers tips for addressing bad behavior.
– Chad A. Snyder
11:10 – 11:15 a.m.
BREAK
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Professionalism in the Practice of Law: Advancing Civility Through Mentoring
This session will explore the important role of civility in the practice of law and advancing civility through mentoring. Civility amongst counsel is paramount in our increasingly adversarial litigation practice, and it is critical that counsel maintain decorum and general “manners” while still representing clients zealously. Emphasis will be placed in discussing the mentoring of young lawyers to maintain and advance civility in our Minnesota practice community.
– Brian N. Johnson & Lawrence R. McDonough
LIVE IN-PERSON
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Minnesota CLE Conference Center
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 370
Seventh Street & Nicollet Mall, Third Floor City Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
ONLINE REPLAYS
Monday, January 5, 2026
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Attend online
A moderator will be available to answer questions by email.
$155 MSBA members / $155 paralegals / $175 standard rate
Other discounts that may apply:
Scholarships available!
Need-based scholarships are available for in-person and online seminars. For further information or to obtain a scholarship application, contact us at 800-759-8840 or customerservice@minncle.org.
Minnesota CLE is applying to the Minnesota State Board of CLE for 3.0 ethics credits. The maximum number of total credits attendees may claim for this program is 3.0 credits.
