This Law Firm Publication by Fredrickson & Byron P.A. discusses Minnesota's recently signed law which prohibits private employers from requesting an employment applicant's criminal history until after the applicant has either obtained an interview or a conditional offer of employment. The new law will include certain exceptions for employers who have a statutory duty to conduct a criminal background check, but the majority of private employers will be subject to the new law when it becomes effective on January 1, 2014. The new law may render many employers' current employment applications unlawful.