8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
CHECK-IN & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST 

9:00 – 9:05 a.m.
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

9:05 – 9:20 a.m.
Course Overview
– Philip J. Ruce, Course Chair

9:20 – 10:10 a.m.
Tax Primer and Review of Tax Issues that Arise in Estate Planning
Tax issues to be discussed include:

• Federal and State Estate and Gift Tax 
• Portability
• Federal and State Trust 1041 Income Tax
• Grantor and Non-Grantor Trust Taxation
• And more!

– Daniel R. Donovan

10:10 – 11:00 a.m.
Estate Planning with Life Insurance – Benefits and Drawbacks
Life insurance plays a key role in many estate plans. It can resolve illiquidity issues, but also create additional challenges. This session will cover:

• The reasons for selecting permanent or term life insurance
• The problems life insurance policies solve and those they create
• The benefits and drawbacks of ILITs
• A description of Crummey Powers and why they matter
• The ins and outs of hanging Crummey Powers
• How life insurance fits into the broader estate plan 

– Cameron R. Kelly

11:00 – 11:15 a.m.
BREAK

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Maritalized Trusts – How They Work
A maritalized trust plan or a disclaimer-based trust plan can reduce tax liability by maximizing both spouse’s state marital deductions. This presentation will address: 

• Credit Shelter and Disclaimer Trusts
• QTIPs and Reverse QTIPS
• The benefits and drawbacks of adding assets to a marital trust compared to giving them to the spouse outright
• How to divide the shares
• Benefits of Inter Vivos Irrevocable Trusts over Subtrusts and Testamentary Trusts
• The most common mistakes in establishing martialized trusts and how to avoid them.

– Amanda N. Juelson

12:00 – 12:45 p.m.
LUNCH BREAK (on your own)

12:45 – 1:35 p.m.
IDGTS, GRATS, and SLATS – Oh My!
This session covers how these three trusts work and for each type of trust:

• What problems do they solve and why are they needed
• What is ideal use case for each type of trust
• Whether you should create a grantor or non-grantor trust
• What it means that a trust is “defective”
• Mechanics, key provisions, and required documents for each trust
• The most common mistakes and how to avoid them

– Matthew J. Shea & James R. Thomson

1:35 – 2:25 p.m.
How Do Qualified Retirement Accounts Fit into the Estate Plan?

• What are the rules for payment of an IRA to a trust?
• How can a retirement account be used efficiently to meet charitable goals?

– Bryan Jamison

2:25 – 2:35 p.m.
BREAK

2:35 – 3:25 p.m.
Funding Irrevocable Trusts
Trust funding is an essential step in estate planning. This presentation will cover:

• What happens when assets are gifted to an irrevocable trust
• How transfer to a trust impacts the asset’s cost basis
• Problems that arise during trust funding
• Challenges in titling assets
• Factors to consider when deciding whether to accumulate income in the trust or make payments to beneficiaries
• Scenarios that reveal various funding and tax outcomes

– Michael P. Sampson

3:25 – 3:30 p.m.
BREAK

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Panel Discussion of Estate Planning Scenarios: Applying Trust Planning Techniques to the Estates of High-Net-Worth Clients
– Rachel M. Dahl, Jennifer A. Ede & Diana L. Marianetti
– Philip J. Ruce (moderator)

LIVE IN-PERSON
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Minnesota CLE Conference Center
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 370
Seventh Street & Nicollet Mall, Third Floor City Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota

ONLINE REPLAYS
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Attend online
A moderator will be available to answer questions by email.

$295 MSBA members / $295 paralegals / $345 standard rate

Other discounts that may apply:

• Season Pass Discount
• New Lawyer Discount

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 6.0 standard CLE credits. The maximum number of total credits attendees may claim for this program is 6.0 credits.