Are you running out of room to store your old records or wondering how long you need to keep them? Is the suggestion that records need to be kept for seven years just an urban legend? We'll answer these and other questions about record retention this week with our guest, Moss & Barnett shareholder Terese West. The legal issues that drive records retention guidelines include the many statutes of limitation and court rules that provide stiff sanctions for failing to preserve information when needed for a lawsuit. We'll also cover the important role that a written record retention policy can play for a business.

Moss & Barnett salutes Minnesota's first responders, as we feature the "Wills for Heroes" program this week on Minnesota Law, Presented by Moss & Barnett. The "Wills for Heroes" program was launched by the Minnesota State Bar Association in 2007 and provides first responders and their spouse/domestic partner with a volunteer attorney to assist in preparing wills and other estate planning documents at no charge. The program is now part of the Minnesota Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc. and is one of just 21 similar lawyer volunteer programs in the nation. Susan Link, an attorney in private practice with Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP, and Tom Rauenhorst, a banker with J.P. Morgan and the Chair of the MSBA's Probate & Trust Section, will be with us to explain who the program serves and how it works.

The Internet highway continues to strengthen its position over businesses on main streets and in shopping centers, and electronic payment systems are integral to that growth. Tom Sheran will join us this week to discuss the antitrust law issues that have become a major legal focal point for e-commerce. We'll cover the implications of credit card regulation for online purchases, whether "bricks and mortar" retailers can implement agreements to prevent the internet sale of goods on display in their stores, and the battle over the pricing of e-books and other media.

Our federal Constitution continues to make news, especially with the recent arguments in the Supreme Court over the health care law. We’ll be talking about American constitutional law on Saturday, using the recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Anna Nicole Smith bankruptcy case as the starting point for our discussion. Jim Rubenstein, a distinguished bankruptcy and creditors remedies attorney and a Moss & Barnett shareholder, will join us for a discussion of the separation of powers and the historical value placed on bankruptcy by the United States Constitution.

The rights and responsibilities of parents under Minnesota Law are once again in flux, as the Minnesota Legislature is working this session on possible changes to child custody and parenting rights, as well as child support payments. Jim Vedder, of Moss & Barnett’s Family Law Practice Area, will join our program to review the current laws and the impact of the proposed new laws on children and their parents dealing with divorce and post-divorce issues. These issues are always challenging and often heartbreaking. Jim Vedder brings his expertise to our program to help sort it all out.

April 15 is just a few days away, but there’s another tax filing deadline this month that looms large for many Minnesotans: April 30 is the last day for filing appeals to property tax assessments. Many property owners received an unpleasant surprise with this year’s notice of assessment – appraised values went up, and taxes went with them – even though property values have been declining. Our program this week will discuss how to contest and appeal property tax assessments, and what’s involved in bringing a legal challenge to the value placed on your property.