22nd Annual MLBA Conference

9:30-10:00 – Welcome and Poetry Reading – Room 25

• Conference Co-Chair Lee Novelli (she/her) will welcome conference attendees, and local artist Donte Collins (they/them) will center the space with a poetry reading. Donte’s poetry will be available for purchase before and during the conference.

10:00-11:00 – Keynote Speaker: Sasha Issenberg – Room 25

• Monica Meyer (she/they/any), former Executive Director of OutFront Minnesota and local marriage equality advocate, will facilitate a conversation with author Sasha Issenberg (he/him) about his most recent book, The Engagement: America’s Quarter-Century Struggle over Same-Sex Marriage. The Engagement will be available for purchase and signing before and during the conference.

11:00-11:15 –Break

11:15-12:15 – Plenary Panel: Triumphs and Challenges in Accessing Trans Healthcare – Room 25

• Conference Co-Chair Nicole Schladt (she/her) will moderate a panel discussion related to triumphs and challenges related to trans healthcare across the country, and particularly in Minnesota, featuring Christy Hall (she/her) from Gender Justice, Jacki Trelawney (she/her) from Family Tree Clinic, Phil Duran (he/him) from Rainbow Health, and Dr. T. Anansi Wilson (they/them) from the Center for the Study of Black Life and the Law at Mitchell Hamline.

12:15-1:00 – Lunch and Award Presentation – Room 25

• The MLBA is honored to award the 2023 Equality & Justice Award to Dr. T. Anansi Wilson (they/them) and the 2023 Student Leadership Award to Fionna Ek (they/them) during a short lunch presentation.

1:00-2:00 – Judge’s Roundtable – Room 25

• This session will include a panel of four LGBTQ+ Minnesota judges speaking about their experiences on the Bench. The Judge’s Roundtable will feature Judge Christian Sande (he/him), Judge David Piper (he/him), Judge Melissa Houghtaling (she/her), and Associate Justice Margaret H. Chutich (she/her).

2:00-2:10 – Break

2:10-3:10 – Choose one CLE:

• Ten Years After Same-Sex Marriage in Minnesota: What Has Changed for Queer Families? – Mary Pat Byrn (she/her) – Room 30
• Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty – Joan Bibelhausen (she/her) – Room 40

3:10-3:20 – Break

3:20-4:20 – Choose one CLE:

• Family Formation and Reproductive Benefits in Employer Group Health Plans – Kathi Wright (she/her) – Room 30
• Mental Health Parity and LGBTQ Health – Derek C. Waller (he/him) – Room 40

4:20-4:30 – Closing

4:30-7:00 – Social Hour at Town Hall

• Please join the MLBA for a hosted Social Hour celebrating the end of the 2023 Conference immediately following the final CLE presentations. Town Hall is located at 1430 South Washington Avenue, walking distance from the University of Minnesota School of Law.