News Item
Emily Eschweiler to direct Minnesota boards on attorney licensing, continuing education, and certification

Posted: Thursday, February 16, 2017

The Minnesota Supreme Court has appointed Emily J. Eschweiler to lead the administration and operations of the three boards that oversee the Supreme Court’s attorney regulatory functions. In this position, Eschweiler will serve as the director of the Board of Law Examiners, the Board of Continuing Legal Education (including the Office of Lawyer Registration), and the Board of Legal Certification. She has served as the assistant director and counsel for the three boards since 2011.
 
Eschweiler will replace Margaret Fuller Corneille, who was appointed director of the three boards overseeing attorney regulation in January 1987. Corneille announced her intention to retire in the fall of 2016, and the Minnesota Supreme Court conducted a nationwide job search to fill the position before ultimately selecting Eschweiler. Corneille’s retirement is effective April 4, 2017.
 
“For the past three decades, Minnesota’s legal community has benefitted from the dedicated leadership and strategic vision Peg Corneille has brought to these three boards,” said Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea. “While it is always hard to lose someone with such significant experience, the Supreme Court is extremely pleased that Emily Eschweiler has agreed to take over this important position. Emily has tremendous expertise in the work of these boards, and is committed to improving how these boards serve attorneys and the people of Minnesota.”
 
The Minnesota Supreme Court is responsible for the regulation of the practice of law in the state. The Supreme Court established the boards on attorney licensing, continuing education, and certification to help oversee this work:
 
The Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners administers the process to license attorneys to the practice of law in Minnesota. The Board is responsible for ensuring that those who are admitted to the bar in Minnesota have the necessary competence and character to justify the trust and confidence of clients, the public, and the legal profession. The Board accomplishes this task by administering the Minnesota bar examination twice each year and by investigating bar applicants’ character and fitness for admission. More information is available at www.ble.mn.gov.
 
The Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education oversees the administration of the Rules for Continuing Legal Education (CLE). Lawyers licensed in Minnesota are required to continue their legal education throughout their careers. The Board of Continuing Legal Education has two primary responsibilities: to accredit CLE courses in accordance with the Rules of the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education and to verify that lawyers on active status have complied with the CLE requirements, recommending suspension of lawyers who fail to do so. The Board also has oversight responsibilities for the Minnesota Supreme Court’s Lawyer Registration Office, which maintains the database of all Minnesota-licensed lawyers and processes annual registration statements and annual fee payments. More information is available at www.cle.mn.gov and www.lro.mn.gov.
 
The Minnesota State Board of Legal Certification oversees the process by which lawyers in Minnesota are certified as specialists. The certification process gives the public information about certain attorneys who have earned the right to call themselves specialists in certain fields of law. More information is available at www.blc.mn.gov.
 
Eschweiler began working for the three boards as a staff attorney in 2006. Prior to joining the boards, she practiced law in the areas of commercial litigation, insurance defense, and corporate transactions. Eschweiler earned her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.
 
As director, Eschweiler will provide consultation and advice to the boards, direct and supervise personnel, develop annual budgets for each board and office, oversee the Minnesota Bar Examination, direct the process by which CLE courses are accredited, oversee the annual registration of attorneys, and monitor the process by which attorneys are certified as specialists in Minnesota, among other responsibilities.