gr00016 Ramsey County: District Court An Inventory of Its Klas (Judge Mary Louise) Files at the Minnesota Historical Society Finding aid prepared by Minnesota Historical Society

St. Paul, MN.

Government Records

Finding aid encoded by Cheri Thies,October 2009. Finding aid written in English. OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Minnesota. District Court (Ramsey County). Klas (Judge Mary Louise) files. 1974-2000 (bulk 1986-2000). Materials in English. Files of Mary Louise Klas (1930- ), first woman to graduate cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law (1960) and first woman appointed to the Ramsey County District Court Bench (October 1986-June 2000). She served in the Family Court from 1988 to her 2000 retirement. Klas was a strong advocate for women and children in cases involving divorce, child support, protection orders and other issues of family law and domestic violence. 21.0 cu. ft. (21 boxes). See Detailed Description for shelf locations. SCOPE AND CONTENTS

The committee files include documentation of her service on court committees dealing with bail and sentencing, calendar, and child support enforcement; district judges meetings; and on Minnesota Supreme Court task forces on gender fairness in the courts and parental cooperation. The Minnesota State Bar Association records include materials on family law, legal assistance to the disadvantaged, and mock trials.

Topics of major interest in the subject files include divorce, domestic abuse, judicial administration, women in the legal profession and on the bench, and sexual abuse. The files also include Klas' personal correspondence and speeches and sets of files on the Minnesota District Judges Association, National Association of Women Judges, Ramsey County Bar Association, Warren E. Burger Inn of Court, and William Mitchell College of Law.

The family law files deal mainly with child support issues; the judicial education files mainly cover new judges orientation and family law institutes and curriculum committee.

ARRANGEMENT

The collection is organized into the following sections:

Committee Files Minnesota State Bar Association Files Subject Files Family Law Files Judicial Education Files CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Domestic relations -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Justice, Administration of -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Law -- Study and teaching -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Legal assistance to the poor -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Mock trials -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Sentences (Criminal procedure) -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Sex discrimination in criminal justice administration -- Minnesota. Women's rights -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Women judges -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Women lawyers -- Minnesota -- Ramsey County. Persons: Klas, Mary Louise. Organizations: Minnesota. Family Court (Ramsey County) Minnesota. Supreme Court. Minnesota District Judges Association. Minnesota State Bar Association. National Association for Women Judges (U.S.). Ramsey County Bar Association. Warren E. Burger Inn of Court (Saint Paul, Minn.). William Mitchell College of Law. Document Types: Speeches. Occupations: Judges -- Minnesota. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota. District Court (Ramsey County). Klas (Judge Mary Louise) Files. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 2008-38

Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 006959930

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Committee Files 119.G.2.10F Bail and Sentencing, 1988-1998. 2 folders. Calendar Committee, November 1988-August 1993, October 1994-April 1995. 4 folders. Calendar Block Study Committee, 1991-1992. 2 folders.

Klas chaired this committee which examined the individual calendar or "bloc" system to determine whether the court should change from a master calendaring system to an individual system for criminal and civil cases.

Civil Team, 1995-1996. Communications Committee, 1995-1998. Court Security Committee, 1988-1997. Criminal Calendar Subcommittee, November 1986-1992. 5 folders. Criminal Courts Study Commission: Final Report, December 28, 1990. DHS Commissioner's Committee on Child Support Enforcement, 1992-1996. 1992-August 1993. 7 folders. 119.G.3.1B August 1993-1996. 18 folders. District Judges meetings, October 1986-2000. October 1986-1993. 12 folders. 119.G.3.2F 1994-2000. 10 folders. Minnesota Supreme Court Task Force for Gender Fairness in the Courts, Final Report, September 1989. A Judge's Guide to Gender Fair Court Proceedings, 1993. Gender Fairness Task Force Implementation Committee (Minnesota Supreme Court), 1988-June 1996. 8 folders. Parental Cooperation Task Force (Minnesota Supreme Court) files, 1988-2000. Minutes, August 1998-July 1999. 3 folders. 119.G.3.3B Minutes, 1999-2000. 3 folders. Final report, January 2000. Procedures and Forms Committee, July, November 1997. 2 folders. Sentencing Standards Ad Hoc Committee, 1992-1994. Minnesota State Bar Association 119.G.3.3B General information, 1989-1994. 3 folders. Committee for Children working symposium, 1990. Family Law Task Force, 1989-1995. 1989-1990. 20 folders. 119.G.3.4F 1990-1995. 5 folders. Legal Assistance to the Disadvantaged, 1985-1997. Family Law: A Survey of the Unmet Need for Low Income Legal Assistance, February 1989. Minutes, 1985-1997. 11 folders. Judges Subcommittee, 1993-1995. 3 folders. Pro Bono Education Subcommittee, 1989-1995. 2 folders. Public Attorneys Subcommittee, 1991-1993. 2 folders. Maintenance Guidelines Committee, 1991-1993. 2 folders. Mock Trial programs, 1990-1995. 2 folders. Subject Files 119.G.3.5B Administrative law judge, 1989. American Bar Association: Family Law, 1985-1994. Cartoons, ca. 1974-1999. 5 folders.

Clipped mainly from the New Yorker; concern family law, divorce, differences between the sexes, etc.

Child protection, child welfare, 1987-1990. Children's Safety Center, 1993-1994. Community Corrections Department, 1986-1995. Correspondence, jurors, 1993-1998. Correspondence, personal, 1973-2000. 8 folders. Court reporter issues, 1986-1997. Courthouse renovation, 1991-1995. Criminal cases, grand jury instructions, 1990-1995. District court law clerks, 1986-1988. Divorce Camp IV-VII, 1993-1996. 5 folders. 119.G.3.6F Divorce Camp VII-IX, 1996-1998. 3 folders. Domestic abuse, 1980-2000. Assault in the fifth degree, 1987-1992. Assault 5-48 hour hold, 1990-1993. Battered Women Legal Advocacy Project, 1987-1991. 2 folders.

Includes Nothing More, Nothing Less (newsletter), 1994-1997.

Battered Women's Syndrome, 1983-1996. Child custody, 1989-1993. Clippings, 1987-1999. 13 folders. Collaborating to STOP Violence Against Women, Grantees Conference, July 1995. Conference of Chief Judges on Domestic Abuse Forms and Procedures, 1990-1993. Contempt of court, 1988-1992. Correspondence, 1989-1999. 1989-1991. 3 folders. 119.G.3.7B 1992-1999. 9 folders. Dick Leonard's speeches, 1984. Handouts, 1993. 3 folders. Domestic abuse as a human rights violation, 1990-1995. 2 folders. Domestic Abuse Project, 1990-1994. Domestic Abuse Project, Research Update, 1989-1993. Domestic Abuse Workgroup minutes, 1988-1997. 1988-1994. 8 folders. 119.G.3.8F 1995-1997. 4 folders. Domestic assault settlement conferences, 1990-1991. Domestic relations practice, questions and answers, 1991. Domestic Violence: The Crucial Role of the Judge in Criminal Court Cases, 1991. Domestic violence laws, 1991-1999. Domestic violence report, 1991-1999. Domestic violence risk assessment, 1997. Enforcement of the Domestic abuse Act in Minnesota: A Preliminary Study, 1988. Family court, 1987-1992. 7 folders. Family Violence: Improving Court Practice, 1990. Family Violence Network, 1988-1993. Fifth Annual Conference on Abuse and Victimization in Life-Span Perspective, March 1989. First Judicial District Conference on Domestic Violence, October 10, 1997. Forms, undated. 2 folders. Gilliland, George, 1992-1999. Guidelines for Domestic Abuse Proceedings, 1988-1993. Higher Education Center Against Violence and Abuse, 1995. Judicial Training on Domestic Violence, March 11, 1998. 119.G.3.9B The Justice System's Response to Domestic Assault Cases: A Guide for Policy Development, 1985. Louisiana code, 1993-1994. Mediation, 1988-1989. Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women, 1988-1994. 2 folders. Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Violence, 1995. Minnesota Conference on Family Violence and the Courts, November 1993. 3 folders. Minnesota Education Association/Minnesota Federation of Teachers Conference, 1994. Minnesota Family Violence Issue Package, 1988. Minnesota STOP Violence Against Women Implementation Plan, FY1996. Orders for protection, statistics, 1988-1992. 2 folders. Bench Book for Orders of Protection and Injunctions Against Harassment in Domestic Violence Cases, September 1996. Publications, undated, 1980-1998. 10 folders. Responses, Inc., 1988-1990.

Concerning corporate programs to end abuse.

Second District, 1991-1998. Bench meeting, April 5, 1991. Judges training, 1995. Mediation-domestic violence training, 1997-1998. Violence Coordinating Council, 1998. 119.G.3.10F State Violence Against Women Planning Committee, 1995-1996. 3 folders. St. Paul Intervention Project, 1986-1997. Silent Witness National Initiative, 1993-2000. Statistics, 1991. Victim/witness office, 1991. Video, 1990-1993. Violence Against Women Act, 1993-1995. Violence Against Women Act, State Implementation Act, June 1995. Violence Prevention Advisory Task Force, Final Report, January 1995. Wellstone, Sheila, 1993-1997. 2 folders. Employee benefits, 1986-1987. Fast Track Drug Committee, 1989-1992. Gender Equity and the Law Court Watch Program, 1994. Hmong restitution, 1996-1998. Human Services Department: Annual performance reports, July 15, 1994. Humanities and the professions, 1990-1997. Implied consent, 1994. 119.G.4.1B Judicial administration, 1988-1994. 8 folders. Judicial branch-personnel plan, revised September 1987. Judicial leave, 1992-1993. Judicial meetings correspondence, 1989-1991. 2 folders. Judicial protection, 1989-1996. Juror utilization, 1993-1995. Minnesota Conference of Chief Judges, 1989-1993. Minnesota Department of Corrections, 1987-1997. 2 folders. Minnesota District Judges' Association, 1988-1997. Fall Conference, Minnesota Judicial Response to Domestic Violence, September 1989. Fall Conference, Judicial Response to Non-stranger Rape, September 1994. Family Law Committee, 1988-1997. 7 folders. Minnesota Family Law Journal, 1983-1996. 3 folders. Minnesota Judicial System, Legislative Report, June 1996. Minnesota Women's Consortium, 1991-1996. Minnesota Women Lawyers, Inc., 1986-1997. National Association of Women Judges, 1986-1997. Minnesota chapter, 1986-1991. Child Support Committee, 1987-1989. 119.G.4.2F Family Violence Task Force, 1996-1997. General information, 1986-1997. 2 folders. Post-nuptial contract bill, 1993-1994. Project Remand, 1986-1990. Prostitution, 1993. Ramsey County Bar Association, 1977-1998. General information, 1985-1998. Bench and Bar benefits-auction programs, 1977-1993. 2 folders. Bench and Bar benefits, 1983-1993. 3 folders. Committee on Gender Issues, 1990-1995. Court Rules Committee, 1990-1991. Ramsey County Barrister (newsletter), 1984-1989. Ramsey County Board: Children's waiting room, 1994-1997. Ramsey County Family Violence Initiative, 1990-1996. 2 folders. Ramsey County Judges Association, 1986. Ramsey County Women Judges Association, 1987-1994. Second District arbitration, 1985. Sentencing cases, 1982-1995. Sex offenders treatment, 1996-1998. 3 folders. Sexual abuse, 1988-1994. 2 folders. 119.G.4.3B Sexual harassment in the workplace, 1991-1995. Speeches, Klas, 1989-1993. 4 folders. St. Paul Ramsey County Children's Initiative, 1994-1997. Suburban courts, 1986-1987. Suburban Criminal Calendar Committee, 1990-1991. Summary: Jury trial, 1993-1994. Supreme Court, 1989-1993. General information, 1989-1992. Race Bias Task Force, 1992-1993. Report of Extra Judicial Compensation, 1992-1993. Time standards, 1984-1990. Traffic, 1989-1992. Trial notes-criminal, 1987. Warren E. Burger Inn of Court, 1990-1994. General information, 1990-1991. 2 folders. Annual meeting, 1993. Executive Committee, 1990-1994. Masters meeting, May 6, 1992. Membership rosters, 1991-1993. National information, 1991-1994. Nominating Committee, 1990-1993. Pupilage Group, 1991-1993. William Mitchell College of Law, 1988-2000. Alumni/ae Association Board Directory, 1992-1996. Alumni/ae Association, 1992-1995. 4 folders. Alumni/ae Association minutes, 1992-1995. Class of 1960, 1995. 119.G.4.4F Continuing Legal Education Program, 1993. Judicial interns, 1988-1993. Legal practicum, 1991-2000. 5 folders. Reports, 1993. Women on the Bench, 1993. Family Law 119.G.4.4F Catholic Charities, 1991-1993. Child support, 1986-1998. Administrative Process Work Group, November 16, 1993. Advisory Task Force on Visitation and Child Support Enforcement, January 27, 1997. Articles, 1990-1993. Assurance Program Report, January 1995. Correspondence, 1988-1998. 1988-1996. 8 folders. 119.G.4.5B 1997-1998. 2 folders. Contested Hearings in the Administrative Process Report, February 1995. The Cost of Traditional Parenting, Kathryn Rettig, 1993. The Cost of Raising Children, 1996. Department of Human Services: Child Support Enforcement Division reports, 1998. Essentials of Child Support Guidelines Development, 1986. Issues in Determining the Appropriate Level of Child Support for Self-Employed Individuals, July 1998. Klas: A Better Way to Calculate Family Support, Fall 1992. Klas: Setting Child Support: What's Fair to Children/What Can Minnesota Children Expect, Fall 1997. Michigan Bar Association Seminar, 1993. Minnesota Child Support Guidelines, Report to the Legislature, January 1994. National Child Support Enforcement Association, 1987-1989. Seminar, July 1998. Wellstone's Office, 1991-1997. Correspondence, 1997-1998. 2 folders. Cohabitation, 1993. Custody and visitation, 1989-1995. 4 folders. Dissolution and Custody Education Program, 1993-1994. Dissolution of marriage, 1995-1999. Divorce With Dignity Committee, 1993-1996. 1993-1994. 1 folder. 119.G.4.6F 1995-1996. 3 folders. Economic Consequences of Divorce in Minnesota, October 1990. Economic Impact of Divorce Study, 1991-1995. Guardian Ad Litem, 1987-1997. 4 folders. Guardian Ad Litem, Advisory Task Force, Final Report, February 1996. Harassment, 1990-1993. Hennepin County family law judges, 1988-1990. Income equivalence, 1990-1992. 6 folders. Income shares, 1990-1993. 2 folders. Issues in family law, 1986-1993. Issues clippings, 1989-1994. Legislation, 1990-1993. 119.G.4.7B Paternity: Dads Make A Difference, 1992-1999. Seminars, 1988-1990. Spousal maintenance, 1991-1995. Judicial Education 119.G.4.7B New judges orientations, 1993-1999. 16 folders. National Judicial College, 1986-1996. National Judicial Education on Domestic Violence Project [NJEDV], ca. 1995. National Judicial Child Support Curriculum Training, 1991-1992. Family Law Institutes, 1989-1999. 1989-April 1994. 5 folders. 119.G.4.8F July 1994-October 1996. 32 folders. 119.G.4.9B March 1997-September 1999. 30 folders. Family Law Curriculum Committee minutes and correspondence, 1992-2000. 1992-1994. 3 folders. 119.G.4.10F 1995-2000. 28 folders.