Program Chairs:

Megan L. Sprecher
Legal Action of Wisconsin Inc
Madison

Elizabeth Stinebaugh
Legal Action of Wisconsin Inc
Racine

Presenters:

Evangeline Dhawan
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
St. Paul

Megan Galasso
Guyton Thuente, P.A.
St. Paul

Susan Jorgensen
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
St. Paul

Mai Neng Moua
Mai N. Moua Law Office
Minneapolis

Fue Thao
Ramsey County Attorney’s Office
St. Paul

Annabelle Vang
Kowalski Family Law LLC
Madison

Chia Youyee Vang, Ph.D.
Professor of History and Director, Hmong Diaspora Studies Program
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Hon. Adam C. Yang
Ramsey County District Court
St. Paul

8:30 a.m. : Hmong History

This presentation will explore who the Hmong people are and their social and political experiences in historical context. It will highlight their entanglement in larger political and military confrontations during the 19th and 20th centuries that resulted in their eventual forced migration to the Western Hemisphere in the late 1970s. We will also discuss their settlement patterns in the United States.

Chia Youyee Vang, Ph.D.

10:00 a.m. : Break

10:15 a.m. : Contemporary Hmong Cultural Practices and Language Experiences

This presentation examines Hmong social structure and aspects of Hmong cultural practices and language experiences that have been maintained in the U.S. context. It also considers the challenges that the increasingly diverse Hmong American population confront as they navigate systems and institutions to create community and a sense of belonging.

Chia Youyee Vang, Ph.D.

11:15 a.m. : Southeast Asian Immigration and Deportation Issues

A look at who is at risk of being deported, as well as types of crimes that commonly trigger deportation.

Susan Jorgensen, Mai Neng Moua

12:05 p.m. : Lunch

1:05 p.m. : Representing Hmong Clients in Family Law

• Cultural marriages and divorce
• Clan mediation
• Effects of Shamanism

Annabelle Vang

1:45 p.m. : Break

2:00 p.m. : Criminal Proceedings Involving Immigrants

Moderator: Evangeline Dhawan
Megan Galasso, Fue Thao, Hon. Adam C. Yang

2:45 p.m. :  You Can’t Change What You Can’t See: Can the Rules of Professional Conduct Improve Our Vision and Help Us Overcome Implicit Bias Through Cultural Competency?

As lawyers we are a public citizen with a special responsibility for the quality of justice. We have a duty to cultivate knowledge and employ that knowledge in the reform of the law. We also have a duty of competency. In this presentation, we will explore whether our duty of competency includes cultural competency and learn about some specific examples of cultural competency. We will also explore how our other duties under the Rules can help us improve our vision, to help us see what has been unseen, and change what needs to be changed. Please join me as we examine our role as a public citizen with a special responsibility for.

Aviva M. Kaiser

3:50 p.m. : Program Concludes

Following program start times, webcast replay schedule will vary slightly from above listed times.

• Receive an overview of Hmong culture and language
• Discuss the most common legal needs of Hmong clients
• Know what to consider when using an interpreter
• Receive practical advice for working with Hmong clients
• Understand why cultural competency is crucial to complying with ethics rules
• Serve a more diverse clientele

• Public Interest Law Section members
• Public interest attorneys
• Family law attorneys
• Immigration lawyers
• Criminal attorneys
• Any attorney interested in learning about Hmong culture

Public Interest Law Section Discount

Members of the Public Interest Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin members can attend the May 21 live program for just $150. Regular tuitions apply to all other attendees and dates of attendance.

The Public Interest Law Section has limited scholarships available to section members. To apply or ask questions, please contact Section Coordinator Craig Jolly at cjolly@wisbar.org.