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COMMUNITY QUEST You are receiving this message because AAML, AFCC-MN, and the Family Law League have all come together to support a major initiative for our community. Community Quest is a unique growth opportunity for members of the family law community in Minnesota to develop and deepen intercultural competence - both personally and professionally. We believe that ongoing growth and skill development can better support our ability to navigate conflicts and unintended impact, and to proactively create an even more inclusive professional environment for people who work in this field. You may have heard a bit about Community Quest from members of our Pilot Group, or at Divorce Camp. Registration is now open, and we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. If you're ready to register, CLICK HERE  Keep reading to learn more...  What is the Quest? To help ensure our community of family law professionals in Minnesota is welcoming, respectful, and safe for practitioners from different disciplines, cultures, and perspectives. To support introspection and self-awareness within individuals and organizations in our professional community, and to encourage awareness of how our own actions, attitudes and beliefs affect others and affect our community overall To continue to develop individual and institutional skills to engage curiosity about ourselves and others to be more intentional and effective our work with one another as well as with our clients To promote ongoing exploration of ways to improve our collective ability to bridge difference, and to enhance a sense of dignity and belonging within the family law community. Who should participate? You! Particularly if you are: Invested in helping make our professional community better Curious about how to be more effective at bridging differences of all kinds Ready to learn more about yourself and how you show up for others Eager to build new skills to support better outcomes with people who have experiences and perspectives that are different than yours. Why is this program different than other DEI things I've done? Here's what members of the pilot group have to say: “After so many trainings/presentations I left with the feeling of wow that's amazing and insightful, but now what? What can/should I do to change me/things? This didn't leave me that way, I had actions to do.”  “This has something to offer no matter where you are in your journey. It has actionable content. It gives you ways to advance your skills no matter where you are in your skill building.” “Because sometimes it’s rare to have an opportunity to be genuinely part of the solution.” “We have done work around implicit and explicit bias, and this takes us to the next level – a deeper dive, another way to understand, a new perspective on your implicit bias.” What is the commitment? Short answer: You complete the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), and participate in a confidential 1-on-1 debrief to review the results and discuss strategies for ongoing development, about 1 hour Option to join a Peer Accountability Learning group (PAL) to support individual learning and application, varies Participate in four 1/2-day experiential learning seminars, about 16 hours What is it going to cost me? Short answer: $310.00, and about 17 hours of your time That's it. This covers the cost of the IDI and the one-on-one confidential debrief. AAML, AFCC-MN, Family Law League and Our Family Wizard have all made generous contributions to cover all other program costs. This curriculum has been offered by another sponsoring agency, and has been approved for 11 general CLE credits, and 4.5 Elimination of Bias credits. We are also investigating the process to be approved for continuing education credits for mental health providers. Dates to Remember #1: November 22,2024, 8am-12:30pm Foundations of Intercultural Competence This workshop will introduce participants to cultural self-awareness frameworks and models to deeply explore the complexity of their identity and the ways that can have unintentional impacts on intercultural competence and inclusion and belonging goals. #2: January 10, 2025, 8am-12:30 pm Intercultural Communication Tools to Support Belonging and Inclusion Having tools to be curious and rebound across cultural differences is vital to effectively engage and communicate in multicultural settings. Participants will gain intercultural communication tools and practices to approach challenging topics. Additionally, participants will learn how to take responsibility when intentions do not equal the intended impact. February 7, 2025, 9-10am (Virtual) Launch of Intercultural Development Plan Peer Accountability and Learning (PALs) 60 minute virtual session to formally set up trios, quad to work through their Intercultural Development Plan (IDP) that is received during their IDI debrief. #3: March 7, 2025, 8am-12:30 pm Intercultural Conflict Dimensions and Styles Participants will gain a deeper understanding of judgments made in their culture and how those differences may manifest in other cultures, within and across racial and national groups. Additionally, stereotyping and bias will be addressed. #4: April 25, 2025, 8am-12:30 pm Power, Privilege, and Adaptation Participants will explore concepts of power and privilege to more deeply understand how their lived experience may implicitly perpetuate dominant cultural values at the individual and systems levels of racial equity. Additionally, participants will better understand the impact of assimilation and the distinction of adaptation. On behalf of AAML, AFCC-MN, Family Law League, and our community as a whole, we ask you to join us in Community Quest to help ensure our family law community continues to do the work of co-creating a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment for everyone who practices in this area. Registration closes on Friday October 18, 11:59 pm. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER  for Community Quest CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION  about the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)

Dear AFCC-MN Members: Our neighbors to the East at  AFCC-Wisconsin  have graciously invited us to join a webinar that they are having on June 27th. Please see below for details. Thanks! What might be learned through comparing two divorce movies released 40 years apart? AFCC Wisconsin will host a free webinar on June 27, 2024 from 12 Noon to 1:30 PM CDT entitled Child Custody Cases Drama Then & Now: AFCC Takes on Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Marriage Story (2019). Kramer vs. Kramer became an iconic story of divorce with children and an inspiration for family law "no fault" reforms. Marriage Story is arguably a Kramer vs. Kramer remake, The drama of both center on what happens to a young child whose parents respect each other as parents— until they feel drawn into a litigated custody battle. Join us for a panel discussion on the enduring lure of litigation and challenges of parental hostilities. The panelists are prominent AFCC members: Shely Polak, Ph.D, Peter Salem, MA, Chioma Ajoku, JD, Ph.D., ABPP, Don Saposnek, Ph.D, Andrew Schepard, JD, and Carlton Stansbury, JD Moderator for this webinar will be Alexandra Crampton, Ph.D.,an Associate Professor of Social and Cultural Studies at Marquette University and AFCC Wisconsin Board Member. This event will start with brief movie synopses for those new or rusty on Kramer vs. Kramer and Marriage Story details, and then will open to panel discussion by 3 AFCC members whose careers were forged during the Kramer vs. Kramer era and 3 whose careers are arguably more of a Marriage Story era. Participants are encouraged to download and read this article for movie synopsis in the context of analyzing real cases and how today's parents may resist invitation to avoid competition and litigation. For more information about the session and the panelists, visit the AFCC WI website at this special webinar post. This is a free webinar hosted by AFCC-WI and is open to all AFCC members. Registration is required however and you may do so at this link. You will receive your personalized link via email.

AFCC-MN Community, In accordance with the by-laws and traditions of AFCC-MN, below you will find the candidates for the open Board of Director positions, as well as the position of President-Elect. I am happy to report that these names, which were put forth by current President-Elect Carlo Faccini and the Nominating Committee, were presented to the current Board of Directors at the May meeting and were unanimously approved by the Board. These names will now be put forth for a general membership vote at the Chapter Annual Conference on July 25th: New Directors: Carrie Crockford, MA LMFT The Honorable Jason T. Hutchison Courtney Latcham, Esq. Bethany Hurd, Esq. Amy Krupinski, Esq. (to a two-year term) President-Elect: Racheal Howitz A special thanks to Deb Link, Peggy Cottrell, and Jim Street who are at the end of their two terms. We appreciate their commitment to serving on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors and Annual Conference Planning Committee hope to see many of you in person at the Annual Conference in July. We anticipate an exciting and educational day to learn and connect. If you have not registered yet, here is the link again https://www.afccmn.org/2024-annual-conference. Also, while I do hope to see many of you in person, we do have a remote option as well. AFCC-MN Chapter President Zak Chesson

AFCC-MN Members, It is with both sadness and excitement that I share the following message with you all. Our President-Elect, Racheal Howitz, is stepping down from her position. Racheal is expecting a child in late May and understandably wants to focus her attention on her family. While we were looking forward to Racheal’s term as President, we are not losing her completely. Racheal will continue to be an active member of AFCC-MN and continue to serve on committees. We wish Racheal and her family the best. This news obviously necessitates some changes at the Board level. On April 17th, the Executive Committee met to discuss next steps, pursuant to our Chapter bylaws. The Executive Committee recommended to the full Board of Directors that our current Secretary, Carlo Faccini, fulfill the remainder of Racheal’s term and then assume the Presidency at the AFCC-MN Annual Conference in July. The BOD approved Carlo’s nomination unanimously. Of course, Carlo’s move to President-Elect necessitated that the Secretary position be filled. The Executive Committee recommended to the BOD that current Board Member, Kate Stevens, be elevated to fulfill the rest of Carlo’s term as Secretary. The BOD approved Kate’s nomination unanimously. While that leaves an open BOD position to be filled, the BOD determined that the position will remain vacant until the next slate of nominations is presented to membership at the Annual Conference in July. I would like to thank the Board of Directors for addressing these matters in a thoughtful and efficient manner. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Regards, Zak Chesson President, AFCC-MN

AFCC-MN Members, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge members of both the Values Committee and the Education Committee who planned and presented a wonderful breakout session at the 2024 Family Law Institute. Debra Bulluck, Racheal Howitz, Erin Guyette, Carol Hornbeck, Kate Stevens, Mary Madden, and Jim Street all provided great input and ideas into a very well received session titled: An Interactive Approach to Confronting Bias and Conflict in Family Court Matters. Lambers Fisher provided an informative presentation before the panel discussion. To dispel any potential rumors that may be circulating out there, Jim’s role as a ”heckler” and my role as an “intervenor” were all planned ahead of time to illustrate the message of the complex topic. Please do not get upset with Jim for his award worthy performance. Both the Values and Education Committees are determined to continue to provide opportunities for trainings on challenging topics not only for our members but also the greater Family Law Community. Regards, Zak Chesson President, AFCC-MN

Coping with Transition: Individual, Family, and Beyond Boston, Massachusetts June 5-8, 2024 Link to portal/registration: https://www.afccnet.org/61stannualconference

Dear AFCC-MN community, Jeff Krenner, the husband of our Chapter’s Vice-President, Eileen Krenner, was recently diagnosed with cancer. Below is a link to Jeff’s CaringBridge site with more detailed information. Please keep the family in mind and support them however you can. Jeff | CaringBridge

Schedule: Monday, April 29, 2024 11:30: CHECK-IN BEGINS: Check-in and material pick-up.12:00: PROGRAM AND LUNCH: Welcome and Legislative Briefing. Boxed lunches and soda/water provided at no cost.12:45 to 4:00 PM: LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS (will be scheduled with your specific senator and representative as a constituent, as well as with House/Senate committee and caucus leaders).4:00 PM: RECEPTION: Optional off-site gathering at a location TBD. Location: We will meet in the beautifully renovated Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, in the L'Etoile du Nord Vault. (This is the same location as 2023.) Details: Additional logistics will be sent to registered attendees. We will provide handouts, a policy agenda and political briefing, lunch, and make appointments to meet with your legislators. There is no cost to attend, and all AFCC-MN members and other industry professionals are welcome! Thank you! Click here to register: https://bit.ly/AFCC2024

As many of you know, Mary Madden is retiring from the Bench. Please join us in celebration and recognition of her tireless and outstanding work. Please RSVP by using the link below. http://evite.me/hQ5v3bMvwq

To AFCC-MN Membership and all MN Family Law community persons and organizations: The murder of George Floyd and the devastation from COVID-19, especially in our most underserved communities, prompted AFCC-MN to create the Values Committee. The Values Committee strives to engage directly with our membership, community organizations, providers, and other stakeholders not only to offer education and resources but also to be educated ourselves. We aim to be partners, active listeners, and stewards when it comes to our engagement with marginalized communities. Since the creation of the Values Committee, AFCC-MN and our members have taken the opportunity not only to provide but also to participate in extensive trainings to learn about social injustices, history, and paths to racial equity. Progress does not end there. It is imperative that we all take the next step and put our knowledge, beliefs, and understanding into practice in a way that benefits both our members and the family law community at large. Unfortunately, the Minnesota family law community was confronted with a racist trope during a social event at the Annual AAML Divorce Camp. Subsequent to the event, AAML generated ideas and steps to address what occurred in a way that will bring benefit both to their membership and to future Divorce Camp attendees. While Divorce Camp is not an AFCC-MN event, a number of our members were present, and we want to take this time to address our membership in an intentional way, as AAML has done. The racist comments made during the social event serve as a reminder that we are not free from the toxic ideas that continue to plague our society. It serves our community strongest when we each take action in our allyship. Participating in training on why we should be an ally is important, but our responsibility does not end there. We also need to act. Because we want our organization to be truly inclusive and we want all members to feel as though we support them no matter their background, the ability to create meaningful change as an ally when situations/opportunities arise becomes even more crucial. This statement serves as a call to all to implement what we learn in trainings and to live our values. When you either hear or see something that is harming anyone in our community, we encourage you to say something about it. Be an in-the-moment advocate. Maintain the values that we established for our organization. With privilege comes responsibility. We strive for our members to be actively engaged if and when our clients, friends, colleagues, co-workers, and peers become the subject of words or actions that are antithetical to our ideals/values statement. We hope this message will serve as an opportunity to remind you to be a true ally, to move from being an observer to becoming an advocate, and to become an upstander - opposite of a bystander - and push back on comments/actions even if no one within earshot may be offended or hurt. In our commitment to providing resources and opportunities for education, AFCC-MN is pledging the following action steps: COMMITTEE NEXT STEPS: Annual Allyship Training - free of charge to all members. Creating a statement that will be shared prior to AFCC events which will reaffirm our commitment to our Values. Identify persons at each event who can be approached with problem/concerns. Co-sponsor training with AAML and/or other community organizations. List of available trainings and resources on our website.

On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, a group of MN practitioners together with the MSBA/HCBA/RCBA, will be hosting a Pro Bono Fair from noon until 5 p.m at the OurFamilyWizard office. The Fair is FREE! And, participants will have the opportunity to sign up for FREE CLE credits for trainings that involve OFPs/HRO, Third-Party Custody, Expungements, or Housing/Evictions. The trainings start at 12:30 p.m. and all trainings end at 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided, and there will be a social hour from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Here is a link to sign up for the Fair: https://www.mnbar.org/cle-events/tri-bar-event?EventID=6091 Get ready for Pro Bono Week! Our sponsors invite both new and current pro bono attorneys to join us for an in-person event celebrating pro bono and engaging new attorneys in areas of high-need in our community. We are thrilled to partner with Tubman, Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS), and Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) to offer free CLEs for incoming or returning volunteers from 12:30-4:00 pm, followed by a social hour from 4:00-5:00 pm for attendees and the broader community. At registration, you'll have the option to pick which training(s) you would like to attend. Come support your favorite organization, engage with others who value pro bono, and hear from Supreme Court Justice Thissen about the importance of pro bono. See you there! 12:30-4:00 pm - Tubman Safety Project OFP Training (Lunch included, participants in this training cannot attend another training) 12:30-1:30 pm - SMRLS 3rd Party Custody Training (Lunch included) 1:45-2:45 pm - VLN Criminal Expungement Training 3:00-4:00 pm - VLN Housing Training 4:00-5:00 pm - Social hour CLE Credits: 3.0-3.5 Standard CLE Credits depending upon courses selected Cost: FREE for all.