ONLINE
Thursday, May 29, 2025 - Friday, May 30, 2025
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
The 2025 Institute Offers A Great Lineup Packed with New Content!
Don’t Miss These 2025 Institute Highlights!
The 2025 Workers’ Compensation Also Provides –
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
CHECK-IN & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
9:00 – 9:10 a.m.
Welcome & Introduction
– Caroline Bell Beckman & Nicholas J. Micheletti, 2025 Institute Co-Chairs
9:10 – 10:10 a.m.
Going to Trial – How to Prep, Put on a Persuasive Case, and Preserve the Record for a Potential Appeal
This year’s conference kicks off with a panel of lawyers and OAH judges moderated by a judge from the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals. They will share lessons gleaned from countless trials, focusing on trial prep, the advocacy choices that resonate most effectively, pitfalls to avoid, and how to make a record for possible appeal. Walk away with insights on what to replicate and what to steer clear of as you prepare to win your workers’ compensation cases.
– Honorable Stephen R. Daly, Honorable Radd Kulseth, Kelly B. Lambert & Scott F. Puklich
– Honorable Kathryn Hipp Carlson (moderator)
10:10 – 10:20 a.m.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
10:20 – 10:30 a.m.
BREAK
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
The Year’s Most Significant Workers’ Compensation Cases
Jeff Jacobs is back to deliver his highly rated, annual case review! Jeff packs this session with practical insights about significant workers’ compensation cases decided over the past 12 months by the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals.
– Jeffrey W. Jacobs
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
How the New Trump Administration’s Federal Priorities May Affect Workers’ Compensation at the State Level
– Karen M. Charlson
12:00 – 12:10 p.m.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
12:10 – 1:15 p.m.
LUNCH BREAK (on your own)
1:15 – 2:15 p.m.
BREAKOUT SESSION A
101
An IME Roadmap – A Practical Discussion of Timing, Foundation, Challenges and Impact
– Samuel A. Heacox & Craig B. Nichols
102
Intercultural Competence – The Inside Work to Mitigate and Eliminate Bias
Repeated at #202
1.0 elimination of bias credit applied for
In FY24, 63% of OAH employees voluntarily participated in 16 hours of training on recognizing intercultural differences, adapting actions to meet others’ needs, the existence of biases, and promoting accessible, fair, and just OAH hearings and other processes. This experiential session explores OAH’s project and theory of change, and offers two tools to boost culturally competent communication, empathy, and understanding in the legal setting.
– Joayne Larson & Honorable Jenny Starr
103
MSA or Zero Allocation – Big New Reporting Changes and Practical Insights into Other Key Questions
A practical dive into pivotal matters regarding Medicare Set-Asides (MSAs), including: What are the changes for MSA reporting in 2025? Should there be an MSA or a zero allocation? What’s a realistic expectation regarding timing for obtaining an MSA? What documentation and information are needed for an MSA? And more.
– Katie L. Hammers & Benjamin J. Harper
2:15 – 2:30 p.m.
BREAK
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
BREAKOUT SESSION B
201
How to Button Up Your Stipulations for Settlement
The objective: airtight stipulations that work as intended and stand up under scrutiny. Join employee and employer counsel as they discuss what’s required under Minnesota workers’ compensation law and the language, process, and strategies to get you to that result. They’ll highlight must-have provisions, drafting clarity, potential procedural requirements you might be missing, and more.
– Amanda M. Furth & Whitney L. Teel
202
Intercultural Competence – The Inside Work to Mitigate and Eliminate Bias
Repeat of #102
1.0 elimination of bias credit applied for
– Joayne Larson & Honorable Jenny Starr
203
Dos and Don’ts for Successfully Managing Intervenors, Including Non-Responsive and Late Intervenors
– Lucas V. Cragg & Maxwell Riebel
3:30 – 3:45 p.m.
BREAK
3:45 – 4:45 p.m.
Mediations – What Works and What Gets in the Way
A panel of mediators – including an OAH judge and workers’ compensation attorneys – will discuss the best techniques to effectively prepare for and represent your clients’ interests at mediation. What are best practices in preparing your client or client representative for mediation? What is the right information to tell the mediator? Should you disclose your bottom line? What happens when a mediator discovers that one side has made an error in the assessment of their case such that the petitioner has undervalued the case, or the insurer has overvalued it?
– Honorable Kristina Lund, Michael L. Opack & Molly Tyroler
– Caroline Bell Beckman (moderator)
– Nicholas J. Micheletti (moderator)
4:45 – 5:45 p.m.
INSTITUTE RECEPTION
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
9:00 – 9:05 a.m.
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
9:05 – 10:10 a.m.
Repetitive Stress Injuries to the Knee or Shoulder – Assessing Causation and Treatment Options
Dr. Klapach is an orthopaedic surgeon whose expertise encompasses advanced arthroscopic techniques as well as complex reconstructive surgery in the knee and shoulder. She is the Senior Medical Director of the Orthopedic Service Line at Allina Health Hospital System and holds an 18-year tenure as the Team Physician/CMO for the Minnesota United MLS Soccer team. She will discuss diagnosis and treatment of wear-and-tear injuries to knees and shoulders potentially sustained in the workplace. Topics will include common wear-and-tear injuries, how doctors assess causation – whether the injury is work-related or the result of the normal aging process, and treatment options.
– Aimee S. Klapach, MD
10:10 – 10:15 a.m.
BREAK
10:15 – 11:20 a.m.
The Anatomy of a Back Injury Claim
Professor Emeritus Samuel Hodge – a nationally recognized educator and prolific author renowned for his expertise in both legal and medical analysis – delves into the complex structure and function of the spine, common injuries and diseases that affect it, and the medical and legal challenges surrounding back surgery. Through clear anatomical explanations with real-world examples, workers’ compensation attorneys and judges will gain a deeper, more practical understanding of spinal injuries, equipping them to better evaluate, present, and decide these complex claims.
– Samuel D. Hodge, Jr., Professor Emeritus, Temple University, Philadelphia
11:20 – 11:25 a.m.
BREAK
11:25 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
What Is Enough Medical Proof?
A panel with varied perspectives discusses what is enough medical proof to support or defend a claim. Do you always need a report? When is a record review enough? When can you rely on just the treatment notes? What roles do/should the costs of exams play?
– Jennifer M. Fitzgerald, Honorable Sandra J. Grove & Timothy P. Jung
The learning continues even when the Institute is over! Following the Institute, all attendees may view the following 2 live webcasts for free! Instructions for how to register will be distributed at the Institute.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Taylor Swift Is a Genius – Even About Legal Ethics
1.0 ethics credit applied for
– Stuart Teicher, Esq.; The CLE Performer
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Why Athletes Cheat…and the Lessons About Lawyer Mental Health
1.0 mental health/substance use credit applied for
– Stuart Teicher, Esq.; The CLE Performer
LIVE IN-PERSON
Tuesday & Wednesday, April 29-30, 2025
Minnesota CLE Conference Center
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 370
Seventh Street & Nicollet Mall, Third Floor City Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
ONLINE REPLAY
Thursday & Friday, May 29-30, 2025
Attend online
Online replay includes all plenary and breakout sessions. A moderator will be available to answer questions by email.
$445 MSBA members / $445 paralegals / $495 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 9.0 CLE credits, including 1.0 elimination of bias credit for attendees of session #102 and for the repeat of that session at #202. The maximum number of total credits attendees may claim for this program is 9.0 credits.
