ATTORNEYS

2016
Congratulations
Edward Cassidy
Named 2016 Attorney of the Year
Minnesota Lawyer
Fredrikson & Byron congratulates our own
colleague and all of the 2016 honorees.
 Congratulations to our
2016 Attorneys of the Year:
Robert Bennett & Paul Dworak
and the entire Sagehorn Litigation Team

“If freedom of speech is taken away,

then dumb and silent we may be led,
like sheep to the slaughter.”
-George Washington
ATTORNEYS
2016
 Outstanding Service
to the Profession

44
Justice
Christopher
Dietzen

4 5 6 8 9 10
Imran Ali Appeals Self Help Clinic Virginia Bell Blair Edward John J.
Buccicone Cassidy Choi
46
Loretta
Frederick

12 13 14 16 17
Celeste Culberth and John Dornik Susan E. Halo Electronics Richard
Leslie Lienemann Ellingstad Trial Team Hendrickson 47
Professor Eric
S. Janus

18 20 22 24
Latino Legal
Experience Team
Paul McEllistrem and
Andy Rorvig
Cathryn
Middlebrook
Reese Frederickson and
Michelle Skubitz
48
Lawyers
Concerned
For Lawyers

25 26 28 30 32
Petters Bankruptcy Reid Sagehorn Jacqueline David Daniel Koewler and
Team Litigation Team M. Schuh Schultz Charles Ramsay 50
J. Patrick
Plunkett

34 35 36 38 40
Philip
Sieff
Richard
Ruohonen,
Julie Allyn and
Steve Schleicher
Winthrop & Weinstine’s
Affordable Housing Team
Robin
Wolpert
51
Charles Slane Justice Esther
Photographs were taken by Bill Klotz at the Commodore Bar and Restaurant in St. Paul. Tomljanovich
 IMRAN ALI:
Helped lead fight against
human trafficking
Imran Ali is uncomfortable talking about himself. And
he absolutely hates taking credit for spearheading Wash-
ington County’s fight against sex trafficking.
“For every good case that I have, and for every good
thing that I do, it means that I have a good police officer,
a good detective and a good police agency that is finding
that victim and recovering them,” Ali says.
Besides that, he points out, it was Washington County
Attorney Pete Orput who decided his major crimes divi-
sion needed to put sex trafficking high on its priority list,
and Orput who chose Ali to take charge of those efforts.
Ali tends to see crime through a victim’s eyes. To him,
the young women ensnared by sex traffickers are victims,
not criminals. It’s an approach he calls “compassionate
prosecution.”
The emphasis no longer is on prosecuting women but
instead is on those who use coercion, manipulation and
violence to traffic in human beings.
Ali does credit himself for one important observation:
Sex trafficking has shifted to an online and social media
phenomenon.
His office tracked 74,273 sex solicitations on Backpage.
com in the Twin Cities metro last year. “That tells you it’s
a problem,” Ali said.
In 2016, the first year of its initiative, Washington
County launched 16 sex-trafficking prosecutions, Ali said;
in 2015, it had none. Washington County also found and
offered services to more than 45 sex-trafficking victims,
Ali said.
Ali is now busy expanding those efforts. He is help-
ing the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota gear up its
fight against sex trafficking during the 2018 Super Bowl
in Minneapolis. He also is working with the St. Paul Po-
lice Department’s Gerald D. Vick Human Trafficking Task
Force to develop a regionally coordinated, victim-cen-
tered approach to human trafficking.
“It is our neighbors, our children — it truly shows no
bounds, Ali said. “I think it is a big misconception when
people think that this is the underbelly and that they have
no connection to it. It is all over the place. It’s everywhere.”
—Kevin Featherly

2016

4 2016 Attorneys of the Year

LEFT TO RIGHT: Liz Reppe, George H. Norris,
Katie Barrett Wiik, Erik Hansen, Jennifer
Young, Dean Eyler and Liz Kramer.
APPEALS SELF-HELP CLINIC:
According to the state office of court ad-
ministration, almost a quarter of appellate
filings in Minnesota during 2015 involved
at least one pro se party. That’s a lot of peo-
ple who appealed cases with no more than
lay knowledge of the law, which can lead to
backed-up court dockets among other issues.
A group of attorneys and other legal pro-
fessionals founded the Appeals Self-Help
Clinic in early 2016 to provide a resource
that helps pro se appellants be better pre-
pared when their day in court arrives. Only
the second of its kind in the United States,
the clinic helps pro se parties identify the
standard of review, find the correct forms
for various filings and meet filing deadlines.
“It originated out of some needs we saw
here,” said state law librarian Liz Reppe.
“Many of the people we have coming
in are trying to tackle appeals
without an attorney.”
The law library in
Access
to justice
2013 started a clinic for people appealing make the clinic work most efficiently.
denials of unemployment insurance, most “This was a goal I had when I first came
of whom are unrepresented. to the state law library because there’s al-
most nothing out there for people to get
free assistance with an appeal,” said Reppe.
“Even for people able to navigate a fami-
ly law case in district court, appeals are a
whole other ballgame.”
The Appeals Self-Help Clinic held 70
consultations with pro se parties during the
2016 first nine months of last year. According to
feedback surveys, more than two-thirds of
clinic users believed they couldn’t afford a
lawyer, and almost half are on some sort of
“But we still had people coming in who public assistance.
were struggling with family law appeals, mis- “[My] client was happy when he walked
demeanors and civil litigation,” said Reppe. out of the clinic,” wrote Robin Wolpert of Sa-
Reppe and Erik Hansen, then chair of pientia Law Group, who volunteered at the
the governing council for the Minnesota clinic last year. “He felt like he had access to
State Bar Association’s Appellate Section, justice and that justice was possible. He was
put together a group of attorneys to out- empowered.”
line the strategies and materials that would —Dan Heilman
2016 Attorneys of the Year 5
 VIRGINIA BELL:
Shepherds solo law
practice incubator
Twin Cities attorney Virginia “Ginny” Bell has had a
long-running interest in history, having once worked in
the history museum field.
Bell has made some history herself. She recently com-
pleted a stint as the inaugural director and interim direc-
tor of the nonprofit Collaborative Community Law Ini-
tiative, shepherding the Twin Cities’ first and, so far, only
solo practice incubator from concept to reality.
“Ginny has been tirelessly committed to encouraging
new law graduates who want to start their own commu-
nity-based, culturally sensitive solo and small law firm
practices with an eye toward closing the ‘justice gap’ in
Minnesota,” said Karin Ciano, whom Bell recruited to
manage CCLI’s mentors and volunteers and now is the
organization’s acting executive director.
The CCLI, incorporated in 2013, provides mentorship,
education and resources in a collaborative setting to recent
Mitchell Hamline School of Law graduates who are devel-
oping community-based, low-bono law practices geared
toward helping underserved clients. Bell, who spent most
of her career working for the Maslon firm, joined the col-
laborative in 2014.
“Ginny has created a pathway for incubator partici-
pants to start solo practices; she has developed excellent
relationships with CCLI sponsors, partners, and low-bono
referral sources, and has secured CCLI a space in St. Paul,”
Ciano said. The collaborative’s first participants launched
their law practices this past November.
Working for CCLI gave her the chance “to meet newer
lawyers and law students considering a community-based
practice serving the underserved,” said Bell. “It also al-
lowed me to meet and work with the many seasoned law-
yers in our community who are committed to increasing
access to legal services and mentoring the next generation
of lawyers. I enjoy the opportunity to work with people
who are making a positive difference in the lives of others
and the life of our community.”  
While the CCLI is unique to the Twin Cities, legal prac-
tice incubators are common in the U.S. There are more than
60 existing or planned incubator programs in 33 states and
four countries, according to a 2016 American Bar Associ-
ation survey.
Since finishing her stint at CCLI, Bell has turned her
attention to a variety of community volunteer activities,
including the Volunteer Lawyers Network.
—Scott Carlson

2016

6 2016 Attorneys of the Year

Custom Framed
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carefully selected to complement any décor. JOHN CHOI:
Spearheaded signifi
cant
sentencing reform
The 2016 Drug Reform
torney John Choi successfully Act that Ramsey County
At-
lature has been called pushed through the
one of the most significant Legis-
sota sentencing reform Minne-
measures in decades.
The changes aim
to steer addicts toward
rather than jail, and treatment
put a premium on
pin” drug dealers. prosecuting “king-
Choi is careful to
achievement with share credit for that
fellow members of
County Attorneys
Association’s executive the Minnesota

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Choi’s favorite part board.
savings from prison-bedof the bill is his initiative to send
communities for occupancy reductions
addiction treatment back into
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citing thing about is the most ex-
the bill
most passionate about, for me and the thing that I was

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” Choi said.
There’s more — other
prevalent in 2016’s reasons why his name was so
headlines.
Choi made huge waves
second-degree manslaugh in November when he
charge of a firearm ter and felony dangerous filed
charges against St. dis-
officer Jeronimo Yanez. Anthony police
lunchroom manager The officer killed St.
Philando Castile during Paul school
in June, adding fuel a traffic stop
to an already raging
U.S. race relations. fire of unsettled
In July, he dropped
criminal charges against
diocese of St. Paul the Arch-
and Minneapolis related
ing sex-abuse allegations. to longstand-
December 2015 civil In doing so, Choi
settlement, thus requiringamended a
op Bernard Hebda Archbish-
to admit the Catholic
covering up sex-abuse Church’s
cases going back decades. role in
Choi in 2016 also continued
ficking and violence the fight against sex
against traf-
He initiated an ongoing women.
tion that his office review of every rape
either allega-
lice never investigated declined to prosecute or that po-
.
sex-assault case that Further, he plans to review every

EDWARD
reached hospitals,
ported to police. but never got re-
“In the most serious
thirds of victims are crimes that reach our
office, two-

CASSIDY:
women,” Choi said.
problems and think “I get to see these
about them as a part
by doing those things, of my job. So just
you start developing
passions.”
Showed capital —Kevin Featherly
conviction was a
‘house of cards’
Even by standards of Southern justice gone awry, the
case of Louisiana death row inmate Michael Wearry is
unusual. On March 8, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court high-
lighted that reality when it not only reversed Wearry’s death
sentence but also tossed out the conviction for the under-
lying crime — the brutal 1988 slaying of a teenage pizza 2016
delivery driver. And did it without hearing oral arguments.
“Beyond a doubt,” the court said in a per curiam deci-
sion, “the newly reviewed evidence suffices to undermine
confidence in Wearry’s conviction. The State’s trial evi-

VIRGINIA BELL:
dence resembles a house of cards, built on the jury cred-
iting [an informant’s] account rather than Wearry’s alibi.”
From the outset, it was clear that that the snitch’s story
was problematic. For one, at first he claimed that Wearry
had confessed to shooting the victim and even told him
where he’d dumped the body. In reality, the victim had been
beaten to death and run over with a car. The body was re-

law covered in a different location than the snitch alleged.

Shepherds solo
Additionally, the state withheld police reports that cast
doubt on the veracity and motivations of the informant

practice incubator
who had admitted that he had a personal beef with Wear- Reprinted with permission
ry and “wanted to make sure he gets the needle.” of Minnesota Lawyer
©2016
For Edward Cassidy, a veteran Minneapolis litigator at
Bell has had a
Virginia “Ginny”
Fredrikson & Byron who led Wearry’s pro bono defense
Twin Cities attorney once worked in team, the seven-year journey was punctuated by more
in history, having than a few demoralizing setbacks in Louisiana state courts.
long-running interest Wearry remains under indictment and, Cassidy says, a
field.
the history museum history herself. She
recently com- second trial will likely begin within six months.
Bell has made some
“In terms of the fact witnesses and the experts, our case
and interim direc-
inaugural director will look a lot like our post-conviction case,” says Cassidy,
pleted a stint as the y Law Ini- who notes that state has locked up another jailhouse infor-
Collaborative Communitso far, only

11 x 17 framed: $299
tor of the nonprofit first and,
mant for the second trial. “His story is shaky, too. He’s al-
g the Twin Cities’ ready agreed he’s perjured himself,” says Cassidy.
tiative, shepherdin from concept to reality. Regardless of the outcome, it won’t be Cassidy’s last
solo practice incubator g
committed to encouragin
trip to the Bayou State. He was recently certified by the
“Ginny has been tirelessly to start their own commu-
Louisiana Board of Public Defense to handle capital cases
and has signed on to represent another death row inmate.
who want
new law graduates small law firm —Mike Mosedale
sensitive solo and
nity-based, culturally the ‘justice gap’ in
eye toward closing
practices with an to

finish size is 16” by 22”

Bell recruited
Karin Ciano, whom and now is the
Minnesota,” said and volunteers
manage CCLI’s mentors
executive director. mentorship,
organization’s acting d in 2013, provides 2016
The CCLI, incorporate a collaborative setting to recent
in
education and resources of Law graduates who are devel-
School
Mitchell Hamline law practices geared
-based, low-bono spent most
oping community d clients. Bell, who
toward helping underservethe Maslon firm, joined the col-
Reprinted with permission of Minnesota Lawyer ©2016

for
of her career working
laborative in 2014. a pathway for incubator partici-
“Ginny has created developed excellent
practices; she has
pants to start solo and low-bono
CCLI sponsors, partners, in St. Paul,”
relationships with a space
has secured CCLI
referral sources, and e’s first participant
s launched
Ciano said. The collaborativ
this past November. “to meet newer
their law practices
gave her the chance
Working for CCLI -based
considering a communityalso al-
lawyers and law students Bell. “It
underserved,” said
practice serving the many seasoned law-
and work with the
lowed me to meet who are committed
to increasing
yers in our community the next generation
and mentoring
access to legal services opportunity to work with people
the
of lawyers. I enjoy in the lives of others
positive difference
who are making a
community.”  
and the life of our Cities, legal prac-
unique to the Twin
While the CCLI is There are more than
common in the U.S.
tice incubators are in 33 states and
incubator programs
60 existing or planned to a 2016 American
Bar Associ-
four countries, according
ation survey. has turned her
stint at CCLI, Bell
Since finishing her activities,
of community volunteer
attention to a variety Lawyers Network.
including the Volunteer —Scott Carlson

2016
To order call:
Wood Plaque: $299
Sheila Bennett
©2016
of Minnesota Lawyer
Reprinted with permission

finish size is 11.5” by 16.5”

612.584.1544

m i n nlawyer.com
 BLAIR
BUCCICONE:
Finds a way to help
wayward vets
Prosecutors are known for being tough on crime. But
in Minnesota legal circles, Assistant Anoka County Attor-
ney C. Blair Buccicone has gained notice for extending a
helping hand to wayward veterans.
Five years ago, Buccicone proposed that Anoka Coun-
ty create a Veteran’s Treatment Court, which is supported
by a partnership of governmental and community agen-
cies to help law-troubled vets address chemical dependen-
cy, mental health, housing and social issues.  Buccicone
won the support of the county attorney’s office, the dis-
trict judiciary, the social services department and public
defenders to launch the special court.
Since the court’s creation, Buccicone has coordinated
a formal training program for the tribunal and in the last
year helped win a $300,000 federal grant for the Treat-
ment Court, said Anoka County District Court Judge
Jenny Jasper, who nominated him for Minnesota Lawyer’s
2016 Attorneys of the Year.
Buccicone, a native of Rochester, Minnesota, comes
from a long line of family members who have served in
the U.S. military. “I was raised to respect the sacrifice that
comes with agreeing to put your life on the line for your
country,” he said.
At the same time, Buccicone saw the toll that military
service took on his family, noting his father and brother
both suffered symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Veterans are jewels in our community; sometimes
jewels get buried under things that are burdensome to re-
move,” Buccicone said. “I decided to help with the work
making them shine.  We can help them while increasing
the safety in the community.”
To date, the Veterans Treatment Court has been a
big success. “Among our graduates, 70 percent were re-
cidivists upon entry [into the court program],” said Buc-
cicone, who graduated from William Mitchell College of
Law in 2005 and has been practicing ever since. “Of our
approximately 30 graduates, we only have one recidivist.”
Buccicone said, “The success stories in my job are where
you help victims heal by finding the correct balance be-
tween punitive measures and rehabilitative opportunities.”
—Scott Carlson

2016

8 2016 Attorneys of the Year

 EDWARD
CASSIDY:
Showed capital
conviction was a
‘house of cards’
Even by standards of Southern justice gone awry, the
case of Louisiana death row inmate Michael Wearry is
unusual. On March 8, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court high-
lighted that reality when it not only reversed Wearry’s death
sentence but also tossed out the conviction for the under-
lying crime — the brutal 1988 slaying of a teenage pizza
delivery driver. And did it without hearing oral arguments.
“Beyond a doubt,” the court said in a per curiam deci-
sion, “the newly reviewed evidence suffices to undermine
confidence in Wearry’s conviction. The State’s trial evi-
dence resembles a house of cards, built on the jury cred-
iting [an informant’s] account rather than Wearry’s alibi.”
From the outset, it was clear that that the snitch’s story
was problematic. For one, at first he claimed that Wearry
had confessed to shooting the victim and even told him
where he’d dumped the body. In reality, the victim had been
beaten to death and run over with a car. The body was re-
covered in a different location than the snitch alleged.
Additionally, the state withheld police reports that cast
doubt on the veracity and motivations of the informant
who had admitted that he had a personal beef with Wear-
ry and “wanted to make sure he gets the needle.”
For Edward Cassidy, a veteran Minneapolis litigator at
Fredrikson & Byron who led Wearry’s pro bono defense
team, the seven-year journey was punctuated by more
than a few demoralizing setbacks in Louisiana state courts.
Wearry remains under indictment and, Cassidy says, a
second trial will likely begin within six months.
“In terms of the fact witnesses and the experts, our case
will look a lot like our post-conviction case,” says Cassidy,
who notes that state has locked up another jailhouse infor-
mant for the second trial. “His story is shaky, too. He’s al-
ready agreed he’s perjured himself,” says Cassidy.
Regardless of the outcome, it won’t be Cassidy’s last
trip to the Bayou State. He was recently certified by the
Louisiana Board of Public Defense to handle capital cases
and has signed on to represent another death row inmate.
—Mike Mosedale

2016

2016 Attorneys of the Year 9

 JOHN CHOI:
Spearheaded significant
sentencing reform
The 2016 Drug Reform Act that Ramsey County At-
torney John Choi successfully pushed through the Legis-
lature has been called one of the most significant Minne-
sota sentencing reform measures in decades.
The changes aim to steer addicts toward treatment
rather than jail, and put a premium on prosecuting “king-
pin” drug dealers. Choi is careful to share credit for that
achievement with fellow members of the Minnesota
County Attorneys Association’s executive board.
Choi’s favorite part of the bill is his initiative to send
savings from prison-bed occupancy reductions back into
communities for addiction treatment programs, drug
courts and the like, he said. “I think that is the most ex-
citing thing about the bill for me and the thing that I was
most passionate about,” Choi said.
There’s more — other reasons why his name was so
prevalent in 2016’s headlines.
Choi made huge waves in November when he filed
second-degree manslaughter and felony dangerous dis-
charge of a firearm charges against St. Anthony police
officer Jeronimo Yanez. The officer killed St. Paul school
lunchroom manager Philando Castile during a traffic stop
in June, adding fuel to an already raging fire of unsettled
U.S. race relations.
In July, he dropped criminal charges against the Arch-
diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis related to longstand-
ing sex-abuse allegations. In doing so, Choi amended a
December 2015 civil settlement, thus requiring Archbish-
op Bernard Hebda to admit the Catholic Church’s role in
covering up sex-abuse cases going back decades.
Choi in 2016 also continued the fight against sex traf-
ficking and violence against women.
He initiated an ongoing review of every rape allega-
tion that his office either declined to prosecute or that
police never investigated. Further, he plans to review ev-
ery sex-assault case that reached hospitals, but never got
reported to police.
“In the most serious crimes that reach our office, two-
thirds of victims are women,” Choi said. “I get to see these
problems and think about them as a part of my job. So
just by doing those things, you start developing passions.”
—Kevin Featherly

2016

10 2016 Attorneys of the Year

 Congratulations, Susan!

SUSAN ELLINGSTAD, Attorney of the Year

Leading the firm’s employment law practice, Susan Ellingstad represents

large and small business and governmental clients in federal, state and
administrative employment actions in Minnesota and throughout the
country. She specializes in employment discrimination, harassment, wage
and hour violations, non-compete agreements, and complex class actions.

From the Courtroom to the Capitol®

Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P.
100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 2200
Minneapolis, MN 55401
LOC K L AW . COM
Follow us on Twitter @locklaw
 Celeste E. Culberth and Leslie L. Lienemann.
CELESTE CULBERTH AND
LESLIE LIENEMANN:
$3.5 million for employee/shareholder dispute
St. Paul employment attorneys Leslie
Lienemann and Celeste Culberth overcame
numerous hurdles to win a $3.5 million set-
tlement for former banker Steven Habberstad.
Habberstad sued six current and former
relatives, claiming that they forced him out
of the family business because he is gay.
“This was an employment case and a share-
holder dispute in one,” said longtime employ-
ment lawyer Sheila Engelmeier of Engelmeier
& Umanah, Minneapolis. “There aren’t that
many people that have expertise in both areas.”
Habberstad and his family owned parts
of Farmers and Merchants State Bank of
Blooming Prairie, Citizens State Bank
of Hayfield, and their holding company,
Country Bankers, Inc. Leinemann, Cul-
12 2016 Attorneys of the Year
berth and Iowa attorney Mark Sherinian either discriminatory motive or ill will,”
won a verdict that proved sexual orienta- Lienemann explained. “We had a number
tion discrimination and retaliation. of different defendants acting in concert,
and each time you add another person, you
add another burden on the plaintiff ’s side.”
The attorneys used email and circum-
stantial evidence to prove that the de-
fendants changed draft minutes of board
meetings over time to hide their plans to
fire Steven Habberstad, Culberth said. They
2016 also won 21 years of front pay of $100,000
plus interest per year for Habberstad.
“Getting front pay for 21 years is not
“In both the breach of fiduciary duty just unusual, it’s unheard
claim and in the Minnesota Human Rights of,” Lienemann said.
Act claim, we have to show bad motive, — Nancy Crotti
 JOHN DORNIK:
After 13 years, persistence
leads to settlement
John Dornik, a 2016 Minnesota Attorney of the Year
says, “I just didn’t give up. I was committed to these girls
and their father.”
He’s talking about a family whose story started with
a tragic airplane crash in the Superior National Forest in
2003. The two preschool-age girls suffered extensive in-
juries and burns. Their mother and uncle, the pilot, were
killed. It was front-page news. Damian Fowler wrote “Fall-
ing Through Clouds” about it.
The case finally was concluded in fall 2016.
Thomas “Toby” Pearson, the father, wrote in his Attor-
ney of the Year nomination that he hired Dornik — “the
best lawyer for the job” — when he was faced with having
to file a claim against his brother-in-law’s estate as well as
deal with a federal lawsuit by an insurance company seek-
ing a declaratory judgment to deny coverage to the family
as third-party victims of the plane crash.
“Working with persistence and patience under the
bright spotlight, John excelled, but what separates John
was his commitment to justice that lasted until the final
outcome — 13 years later. His commitment to this case
lasted even while he transitioned to a different law firm,”
Pearson added.
Dornik carried the case through a knot of litigation,
deftly managed insurance compensation negotiations and
ultimately achieved a settlement with a complex estate,
Pearson said.
Dornik said he took the case and persisted with it be-
cause it didn’t seem right to him that the risk was these
little girls’ because they “came down on the wrong side of
some law” that protected an insurance company.
Dornik said a federal judge ruled the court wasn’t go-
ing to decide on coverage, so the matter would have gone
to a jury. The insurance company decided not to go to tri-
al. Determining settlement amounts and negotiating with
the pilot’s estate took 10 more years.
Dornik is now with Siegel Brill, P.A., and teaches prod-
ucts liability at the University of Minnesota Law School.
—Betsy Carlson

2016

2016 Attorneys of the Year 13

 SUSAN
ELLINGSTAD:
Massive FedEx driver
MDL case was gratifying
After working as one of three lead attorneys since 2005
in employment lawsuits over the classification of 20,000
FedEx drivers in 42 states, 2016 Minnesota Attorney of
the Year Susan E. Ellingstad says it is gratifying to bring
“real relief ” to the drivers who were called contractors but
treated as employees.
Some 40 lawsuits settled for more than $500 million
in 2015 and 2016 after 11 years of litigation in federal and
state trial and appellate courts across the country, nomi-
nators Richard A. Lockridge and Charles N. Nauen wrote.
Business expenses, including having to buy delivery
trucks, were pushed onto drivers, Ellingstad says, and some
had financial hardships and even faced bankruptcies over that.
“You feel good about doing the case every time you talk
to a driver; and we got [them] some substantial amounts
in settlements,” she says.
Ellingstad led a team that prosecuted the multidistrict
litigation matter, reviewing millions of documents, taking
and defending hundreds of depositions and arguing mo-
tions in state and federal courts throughout the country,
Nauen and Lockridge stated.
The remaining settlements, totaling $240 million, were
completed over four weeks in early 2016 when Ellingstad
and her co-leads mediated 20 different state class actions
under varying statutory and common law theories. The set-
tlements have been given preliminary approval and await
final hearing in March in Indiana federal court.
Ellingstad says she appreciated the opportunity to step
into a leadership role in such a massive case when she was
a young attorney. She enjoyed the organizing involved and
drew satisfaction from brief writing and litigating on such
a massive scale.
She leads Lockridge Grindal Nauen’s employment law
practice, representing large and small business and govern-
mental clients in federal, state and administrative employ-
ment actions on both defense and plaintiff sides in Minne-
sota and throughout the country.
She also writes and lectures frequently on the Fair
Labor Standards Act and other employment law issues,
conducts training seminars for businesses and counsels
employers in the areas of compliance, performance man-
agement and disability compensation issues.
—Betsy Carlson

2016

14 2016 Attorneys of the Year

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Culberth & Lienemann Larkin Hoffman Robins Kaplan
Engelmeier & Umanah Lindquist & Vennum Siegel Brill
Fish & Richardson Lockridge Grindal Nauen Stinson Leonard Street
Fredrikson & Byron Maslon Winthrop & Weinstine

2016 Attorneys of the Year 15

 LEFT TO RIGHT: Michael Kane, William
(Bill) Woodford and John Dragseth.
HALO ELECTRONICS TRIAL TEAM:
Punitive damages for bad-faith infringement
A team of three lawyers from Fish &
Richardson won an unusual patent-in-
fringement case in the U.S. Supreme Court
last June on behalf of its client, Halo Elec-
tronics. The case was notable because it led
to changes in the standard for awarding pu-
nitive damages in patent cases.
Halo sued Pulse Electronics for infring-
ing Halo’s design patents for surface-mount
transformers, a common electronic com-
ponent in computer networks. The team of
lawyers won a jury verdict in 2012 that Pulse
willfully infringed three Halo patents, that
the patents were valid and awarding past
damages. The district court also permanently
enjoined Pulse, but set aside the jury’s finding
that the infringement was willful, meaning
Halo could not seek punitive damages.
But lawyers William Woodford, Michael
Kane and John Dragseth were undeterred.
“The jury had found that (Pulse) were sub-
jectively willful infringers, but the court took
16 2016 Attorneys of the Year
that away because they had a defense at trial
that basically wasn’t a sham,” said Woodford.
“The law made it difficult to obtain punitive
damages from even the worst infringers.”
The Fish team convinced the Supreme
2016
Court to grant certiorari to review the will-
ful infringement issue. It then argued that
the so-called Seagate test for willful in-
fringement made it hard for patent owners
to show they are entitled to enhanced dam-
ages by insulating the worst patent infring-
ers if they can manage basically any defense
at trial. They also argued that judges should
have discretion to decide when to award
enhanced damages.
The Supreme Court found for Halo in
a unanimous opinion authored by Chief
Justice John Roberts. As a result, the court
agreed with Halo’s contention that district
court judges should be able to enhance
damages against infringers that act in
subjective bad faith at the time of their in-
fringement, whether or not they’re able to
mount a defense during litigation.
“The case has been heavily cited, and it
impacts cases where someone had knowl-
edge of a patent before it was filed,” said
Woodford. “It used to be that getting pu-
nitive damages in a patent case was very
difficult. It’s not easy now, but it’s certainly
more available.”
— Dan Heilman
 RICHARD
HENDRICKSON:
Helps others overcome
workplace violence
For nearly 14 years, Osseo attorney Richard Hendrick-
son has been quietly offering moral support and assistance
to lawyers who have directly suffered workplace violence.
Hendrickson’s charitable outreach was sparked by his
own brush with death: On Sept. 29, 2003, a disturbed par-
ty to a conservatorship case shot him at point blank range
in the neck on the 17th floor of the Hennepin County
Government Center. Hendrickson’s client was murdered
in the attack, but he survived.
“The shooter was my client’s cousin.” Hendrickson re-
called. ”I was extremely lucky.  Thanks to the staff at the
Government Center, the paramedics and the fantastic folks
at HCMC (Hennepin County Medical Center), I lived.  And
I was not a quadriplegic. I could walk, I could drive a car, I
could hug, I could dance.  I was able to move forward.”
“If one is lucky enough to have gotten through that, life
ahead can be good,” Hendrickson continued. “You proba-
bly have PTSD.  But you can get through it!  Like me, you
have support from all who care.”
Grateful for all the physical and moral support from the
Minnesota State Bar Association and other attorneys follow-
ing his attack, Hendrickson, since his recovery, has been re-
turning the favor, serving in Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.
“Rick has quietly reached out to many Minnesota law-
yers over the years who have suffered greatly because of
violent trauma or attacks on them by dangerous individ-
uals,” Todd C. Scott, a vice president at Minnesota Law-
yers Mutual Insurance Co, said in his Attorney of the Year
nomination of Hendrickson.
“Most recently, Rick has been helping the lawyers of
a St. Paul firm deal with their survivor’s guilt after a staff
member was shot and killed last April by a client of the
firm,” Scott added.
Hendrickson, a graduate of William Mitchell College
of Law, began his solo practice in 1980 and has also served
as a mediator since 1990. He primarily represents individ-
uals and small businesses. Through the years, Hendrick-
son has willingly shared with other attorneys his knowl-
edge about estate planning guardianships, civil litigation,
probate and business development, Scott said.
Hendrickson said the 2003 shooting gave him a new
perspective on life. “With wisdom gained from 35 years of
experience, I help clients understand the long-term signif-
icance of the current litigation.  No matter how traumatic
their current matter is; this too shall pass. Life continues.”
—Scott Carlson

2016

2016 Attorneys of the Year 17

 FRONT: Ann M. Anaya. SECOND ROW: Nelson Peralta, Judge
Ann D. Montgomery, Judge Peter M. Reyes; THIRD ROW: Tara C.
Norgard, Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan, Lola Velazquez-Aguilu, William
J. Otteson; FOURTH ROW: Bryan Browning, Geraldo Alcazar

LATINO LEGAL EXPERIENCE:

Highlights accomplishments of Hispanic lawyers
A battery of dedicated judges and attor-
neys paid overdue tribute to the role of His-
panic professionals in Minnesota law last
year with the Latino Legal Experience, a
traveling exhibition focused on the accom-
plishments and bright future of the Latino
community.
The project built off the success of pre-
vious exhibitions that showcased the legal
experience of the African American, Native
American and Asian American communities
in Minnesota and of women lawyers in Min-
nesota. Along with numerous public- and
private-sector attorneys, help in organizing
the project came from Judges Ann D. Mont-
gomery, Jeffrey M. Bryan and Peter M. Reyes.
The 20 banners composing the exhi-
bition have been displayed at the St. Paul
Federal Courthouse and will be moving to
the other federal courthouses in Minneso-
ta, along with state courthouses, colleges,
museums, churches, community centers,
schools and other venues.
“Part of the goal is to educate the pub-
lic about the legal struggles of the Hispanic
community,” said Lola Velazquez-Aguilu,
2016
an assistant U.S. attorney who helped orga-
nize the project. “Our goal was also to high-
light that there’s a lot that Hispanic lawyers
have accomplished in Minnesota.”
To kick off the project, organizers host-
ed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Soto-
mayor and arranged for the transportation
to the event of more than 100 Latino stu-
dents along with their teachers and parents.
Ten students who submitted essays, po-
ems or artwork were awarded scholarships.
The project also included a 25-minute
video that told the stories of 18 prominent
Latino lawyers and judges in Minnesota.
“One of the great things to come out of
the project was some amazing relationships
we developed with educators throughout
the state,” said Velazquez-Aguilu, noting
that 20 students of Northfield teacher Ruben
Alvarez alone submitted essays for consider-
ation. “Those relationships have provided a
venue for the Hispanic bar and the federal
bar association to build on what we’ve done
through mentorship and
other opportunities.”
—Dan Heilman

18 2016 Attorneys of the Year

Congratulations
to our remarkable 2016 Attorneys
of the Year
colleagues. Adam Ballinger
Mark Enslin
Kirstin Kanski
Douglas Kelley*
Your dedication, diligence, and professionalism are truly admirable.
Your recognition as Attorneys of the Year for the notable work on the Mark Larsen
Petters Bankruptcy cases is hard-earned and well-deserved. James Lodoen
Thanks for making us proud. Michael Olafson
George Singer
Jeffrey Smith
Daryle Uphoff

Denver Minneapolis Sioux Falls lindquist.com

*Partner at Kelley, Wolter & Scott
 Andrew Rorvig and Paul McEllistrem.
PAUL MCELLISTREM
AND ANDREW RORVIG
Employer liable for negligent hiring, supervision
Veteran personal injury lawyer Paul
McEllistrem knew he had a good case on
his hands when Marlene Gronholz walked
into his office. She had a pretty horrific sto-
ry to tell.
Gronholz, an elderly widow who lived
alone, needed some work done in her yard
and contacted AAA Labor, which assigned
the task to one of its newest hires — Danny
Ray Fuston, recently discharged from an
Oklahoma prison.
When Gronholz invited Fuston into her
home for lunch, he hit Gronholz on the head
with a cookie jar, slashed her throat with a
knife and left her for dead. Then he stole
Gronholz’s car and went to a Twins game.
Astonishingly, Gronholz survived.
Even more amazing, much of the assault
had been recorded on Gronholz’s elabo-
rate home security system. Fuston pleaded
guilty to second-degree attempted murder
and was sentenced to 20 years.
But it took a jury to resolve the civil case
20 2016 Attorneys of the Year
against AAA Labor. “I couldn’t believe they “We couldn’t say, ‘You have to do a back-
would risk taking this case to trial. In my 24 ground check.’ Instead, we said, ‘You don’t
years of doing this, I’d never been that sure send a guy who is on the first day of the job,
I’d win,” said McEllistrem. a guy you don’t know anything about, to the
house of a little old lady who is all by her-
self,’” McEllistrem explains.
The jury rejected the vicarious liability
claim against AAA, concluding that Fus-
ton’s actions were not reasonably foresee-
able. But it awarded Gronholz a whopping
$5.58 million for negligent hiring and neg-
2016 ligent supervision.
The actual payout wasn’t quite that big,
McEllistrem acknowledged.
McEllistrem acknowledged there were While the jury was in deliberations,
some big legal obstacles, beginning with the two sides agreed to a high-low agree-
the fact that he could point to no Minne- ment. The settlement was less than the ju-
sota law that would have required even a ry’s award, McEllistrem says, but still the
cursory background check on Fuston. As largest in the 30-year history of the firm
a result, McEllistrem and Andrew Rorvig – and a career highpoint
had to give the jury a more nuanced take for both lawyers.
on AAA’s duty to Gronholz. —Mike Mosedale
 Congratulations
LesLie Lienemann and CeLeste CuLberth
2016 attorneys of the year
award presented for success in the case of habberstad, et al. v. Country bankers, inc., et al.,
in which the steele County District Court found that defendants discriminated against
the plaintiff because of his sexual orientation, retaliated against him and breached
fiduciary duties owed to him. the court awarded approximately $5M in past and future
damages, attorney fees and costs.
We thank our client, stephen habberstad, and our past and present clients for giving us
the opportunity to effect change through the practice of law, which is our passion. We
are tenacious advocates for our clients, seeking to break historical barriers that stand in
the way of equal opportunity.
Ms. lienemann and Ms. Culberth focus on employment law, anti-bullying in schools
and civil rights litigation. Ms. Culberth is also a successful and respected mediator of
employment disputes.

Culberth & lienemann, llP

minnesota emPloyment law attorneys
www.Clslawyers.Com
 CATHRYN
MIDDLEBROOK:
Challenging the test-
refusal criminal statute
In her more than 30 years as a defense attorney, Cath-
ryn Middlebrook has become one of Minnesota’s leading
public defenders.
The first woman to become chief appellate public de-
fender, Middlebrook played a pivotal role this past year
in a case where the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled the
state’s test-refusal statute unconstitutional as applied to
defendants’ refusals to submit to warrantless blood draws.
“Middlebrook had a leading role in that issue, and was
instrumental in the result in State v. Trahan,” said Rachel
Bond, an assistant public defender in the Office of the
Minnesota Appellate Public Defender. Bond’s comment
came in her nomination of Middlebrook for Minnesota
Lawyer’s 2016 Attorneys of the Year.
For her part, Middlebrook was gratified by the high
court’s ruling in Trahan, noting the high-profile case took
three years to litigate. “That’s perseverance,” she said. (The
constitutionality of Minnesota’s test-refusal statute has
been the subject of extensive litigation in criminal cases
in recent years.)
Another highlight in 2016 for Middlebrook: Her work
on the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines commission’s
that resulted in what she called “much overdue” changes
to the guidelines for drug sentences. Following the Com-
mission’s work, the Legislature passed the Drug Sentenc-
ing Reform Act.
Appointed in 2013, Middlebrook oversees a staff of
38 attorneys. Although the office’s manager since 2001,
Middlebrook still personally represents clients in district
and appellate courts across the state, including assisting
district public defenders with various pretrial issues. 
Besides being a public defender, Middlebrook has
been an adjunct law professor for more than 20 years at
the University of Minnesota, William Mitchell and Ham-
line (now merged as Mitchell Hamline) law schools where
she has directed a variety of legal clinics.
“Growing up I was taught both a strong work ethic and
a powerful appreciation for justice and fairness,” said Mid-
dlebrook, a U of M Law School graduate.
—Scott Carlson

2016

22 2016 Attorneys of the Year

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARRY MARCUS
 Michelle Skubitz and Reese Frederickson.

REESE FREDERICKSON AND

MICHELLE SKUBITZ:
High-profile case stayed strictly legal
Bloomington criminal defense attorney 2016, pleaded guilty to two counts of felo- frequently made front-page news and
Marsh Halberg believes trials can favor big- ny sexual assault, and received the 30-year some victims appeared on television.
city lawyers in private practice. He nomi- Frederickson and Skubitz could have lit-
nated for Attorney of the Year Pine County prison term prosecutors had sought. igated the case in the media, but kept it
prosecutors Reese Frederickson and Mi- Unlike a typical state case, this one strictly legal, Halberg said.
chelle Skubitz, who opposed him and part- “There were State Department policy
ner David Risk in a high-profile case. issues and extradition treaties and interna-
Fugitive cult leader Victor Barnard tional law,” said Halberg, who has known the
faced 59 first- and third-degree assault prosecutors for years. “That was certainly a
charges for years of raping teenage girls challenge for both sides. … There’s as much
placed in his care by members of his Riv- good lawyering going on
er Road Fellowship. After being charged in 2016 in the outskirts of the state
Pine County in 2014, Barnard fled to Bra- as in the metro.”
zil and fought extradition. He returned in —Nancy Crotti

24 2016 Attorneys of the Year

CLOCKWISE: Michael Olafson, Kirstin Kanski, Jeffrey
Smith, James Lodoen, Adam Ballinger and Mark Enslin.
NOT PICTURED: George Singer and Mark Larsen. Douglas Kelley and
Daryle Uphoff.

PETTERS PONZI SCHEME TEAM: An eight-year odyssey

It’s been many years since disgraced
Minnesota businessman Tom Petters has
been a fixture in the headlines. But the le-
gal proceedings resulting from his Ponzi
scheme and related cases are only now
winding down.
Petters was found guilty in 2009 of
orchestrating a nearly $3.8 billion Ponzi
scheme. That preceded a flurry of litigation
that involved numerous local and national
firms, with Lindquist & Vennum leading the
way. A Chapter 11 Plan of Liquidation was
approved by bankruptcy judges last spring.
“Getting the liquidation planned con-
firmed was the last major piece,” said
Lindquist attorney James Lodoen. “The
representatives of the liquidating trust have
involved other lawyers in pursuing some
litigation, and we’ve helped them.”
Working with Lodoen on
the eight-year legal odyssey
were attorneys Daryle
Uphoff, George Singer,
Michael Olafson, Mark Larsen, Kirstin Kans-
ki, Jeff Smith, Adam Ballinger, Mark Enslin
and Douglas Kelley. A former assistant U.S.
attorney, Kelley played a key role, serving as
the court-appointed receiver and, with Lind-
quist’s help, filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy cas-
es for Petters Company Inc., Petters Group
Worldwide and eight affiliated entities.
2016
“We stepped into this mess at a time
when basically all the officers had resigned
and weren’t talking,” said Lodoen. “There
weren’t a lot of people available. We worked
with PriceWaterhouseCoopers to sort
through it and get our arms around the fac-
tual background. From there we developed
a plan about how assets could be sold and
claims could be pursued.”
As the Chapter 11 trustee for the bank-
ruptcy cases, Kelley and Lindquist also filed
Chapter 11 petitions for Polaroid Corp., which
Petters owned, and nine affiliated entities.
“It was gratifying to quickly move Po-
laroid’s assets and intellectual property and
get that cash in the door,” said Lodoen. “We
then converted Polaroid to a Chapter 7 and
another trustee was appointed to liquidate
that cash and get it to creditors.”
As gratifying as the outcome was for the
attorneys involved, Lodoen said the team is
ready for the Petters case to wind down.
“It was a big part of our lives for eight
years, but there’s always another case
around the corner,” he said. “You just move
on to the next thing.”
—Dan Heilman

2016 Attorneys of the Year 25

 Robert Bennett and Paul Dworak.
REID SAGEHORN LITIGATION TEAM:
First Amendment violation nets $425,000 settlement
Three years ago, an anonymous user
at a website called “Rogers Confessions”
posed an indelicate question to 17-year old
Reid Sagehorn. Was it really true that Sage-
horn — at the time, a junior at Rogers High
School — had made out with a certain fe-
male gym teacher?
In a moment of snark, Sagehorn tweet-
ed out, “Actually, yeah.” With those two
words, Sagehorn inadvertently ignited a
public furor over school discipline and stu-
dent speech in the social media age.
School officials cracked down. A five-day
suspension turned into a 10-day suspension
and, when Sagehorn’s parents and support-
ers complained, the push-back intensified.
At a press conference, the local police chief
averred that Sagehorn might be charged
with criminal defamation over his “obscene”
tweet. Believing he had no choice, Sagehorn
wound up withdrawing from the district.
Observing was Ron Rosenbaum, the
26 2016 Attorneys of the Year
lawyer and talk radio veteran, a regular on
KFAN-100.3 FM. On air, Rosenbaum made
no secret that he was appalled by the chief ’s
remarks and the school district’s hardball
disciplinary approach.
As it turned out, Curt Sagehorn – Reid’s
father – was a KFAN listener. He contacted
2016
Rosenbaum, who promptly recruited veter-
an criminal defense ace Joe Friedberg and
Robert Bennett, known for collecting big
settlements in police brutality cases. Bennett
Ron Rosenbaum
and Joe Friedberg.
then brought on Paul Dworak, his associate.
Sagehorn sued the school district, the
high school principal, the police chief and
the school liaison officer in federal court for
trampling on Sagehorn’s First Amendment
rights. After losing summary judgment, the
school district and police department cried
uncle. Admitting no wrongdoing, they
agreed to a total payout of $425,000.
“I think they realized that they were just
going to be spending an awful lot of money
losing money,” explained Bennett. Because
it was a Section 1983 action, Sagehorn, if he
were to prevail on the merits, would be en-
titled to attorney fees of up to $650 an hour.
The victory for the ad hoc legal team came
with a sad postscript. About six months af-
ter the case concluded, Rosenbaum suffered
a recurrence of multiple
myeloma and died at the
age of 68.
—Mike Moesdale
 Attorneys of the Year
YOU INSPIRE US! Halo Electronics Trial Team
John Dragseth
Michael Kane
William Woodford
Your professional accomplishments,
hard work, and commitment to Fish
makes you an integral part of our
firm. Thank you.

fr.com
 JACQUELINE
SCHUH:
Wages legal fight
for veterans
Every year, St. Cloud attorney Jacqueline Schuh han-
dles several pro bono cases and has a special heart for as-
sisting veterans.
This past year, Schuh’s work resulted in winning a high-
ly publicized medical benefits case for 84-year-old Richard
Staab, a Korean War-era veteran who suffered a heart attack
in 2010.
Assisted by the Veteran’s Service Legal Office in Washing-
ton, D.C., Schuh took Staab’s case to a special federal appeals
court, which ruled that the Veterans Affairs Department
should not have denied payment of $48,000 in emergency
expenses and that Staab should be fully reimbursed.
“The victory on behalf of Mr. Staab is so significant
because it paves the way for not only him, but hundreds
of thousands of other veterans to get reimbursement for
unfairly denied benefits,” Sheila Engelmeier, a colleague of
Schuh’s at Engelmeier & Umanah, said in nominating her
as a 2016 Minnesota Attorney of the Year. “What makes
Jackie stand out is her creativity and problem solving,
along with her willingness to tackle issues for veterans
who otherwise would have no voice.”
Schuh said she knew taking the Staab case, when she
was working the Gray Plant Mooty law firm, might be a
protracted “David vs. Goliath” fight. But she noted, “Some-
times you just have to try.”
Schuh has a special heart for veterans, having had a 20-
year military career. She entered the Minnesota National
Guard while she was still in law school and then served in
both the Army Guard and Air Guard. Her active duty in-
cluded Desert Storm, Operation Noble Eagle and Opera-
tion Iraqi Freedom. Over those years, Schuh was a prosecu-
tor, defense counsel, military judge, environmental counsel,
adviser to the chief of staff, and adviser to commanders. 
In addition to 30 years of legal practice, Schuh has
served in several charitable organizations including as
board member at St. Benedict’s Community and past
president of the Stearns Benton Bar Association. “This is a
way I can give back to others,” Schuh said. “I truly believe
what you give comes back to you a hundred-fold.”
—Scott Carlson

2016

28 2016 Attorneys of the Year

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2016 Attorneys of the Year 29

 DAVID SCHULTZ:
Dubious conviction;
man walks free
While he was a student at Stanford Law School, David
Schultz had his professional future mapped out. Once he
passed the bar, he would become a public defender and
“fight for justice.”
“That’s what innately appealed to me,” says Schultz.
“But then I started to realize the reality of a public de-
fender’s existence, which is very difficult emotionally and
psychically.”
Instead, Schultz wound up spending 11 years in the
Minnesota Attorney General’s office, working under for-
mer Attorney General Skip Humphrey and his chief dep-
uty at the time, U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim. “I
loved every minute of it and I always thought I was mak-
ing a contribution,” recalls Schultz, now a partner at the
Minneapolis firm of Maslon.
Schultz decided he wanted to become involved with
the Minnesota Innocence Project. About six years ago, Ju-
lie Jonas, the project’s legal director, recruited Schultz to
represent Terry Lynn Olson.
In 2003, the Wright County Sheriff ’s Department re-
opened its investigation in the death of a 21-year old man,
Jeffrey Hammill, whose body had been discovered along-
side a rural highway in 1979.
At the time, Hammill’s death was not ruled a homicide.
The original lead investigator thought Hammill had prob-
ably been struck by a passing vehicle as he walked down a
dark stretch of road. But after the case was reopened, inves-
tigators leaned on one of Olson’s former co-workers, Dale
Todd, who fingered Olson and a third man, Ron Michaels.
The case against Michaels collapsed when, during his
trial, Todd dramatically recanted on the stand. Olson wasn’t
so fortunate. At Olson’s trial, Todd recanted his recantation,
while a parade of jailhouse informants testified that Olson,
while behind bars, had confessed to his involvement. In
2007, Olson was convicted of second-degree murder.
After working the case for five years, Schultz had a
breakthrough in federal court last July, when U.S. Magis-
trate Judge Steven Rau opened the door to an evidentiary
hearing on an actual innocence claim.
But Schultz never got to try the case he’d spent years
toiling over. After Rau issued his report, Wright County
prosecutors offered a deal: Drop the appeal and Olson can
walk, with no probation or conditions. In September, af-
ter serving 11 years of a presumptive 17-year prison term,
Olson was a free man.
—Mike Mosedale

2016

30 2016 Attorneys of the Year

 AFFORDABLE HOUSING TEAM
JEFFREY KOERSELMAN, JOHN NOLDE, JOHN STERN
2016 ATTORNEYS OF THE YEAR
Minnesota Lawyer

WINTHROP & WEINSTINE, P.A.

Congratulations on your achievements and selection
as “Attorneys of the Year.” We thank you for your
tireless service and dedication to clients, and for your
remarkable work in facilitating the development or
rehabilitation of affordable housing.

Capella Tower | Suite 3500 | 225 South Sixth Street | Minneapolis, MN 55402
Main: (612) 604-6400 | www.winthrop.com | A Professional Association
 Charles Ramsay and Daniel Koewler.
DANIEL KOEWLER
AND CHARLES RAMSAY:
Changed the legal landscape of DWI criminal defense
Two attorneys who don’t even drink
alcohol have been named 2016 Minneso-
ta Attorneys of the Year for their efforts to
protect the constitutional rights of those
accused of driving while intoxicated and
for their work to make prosecutions more
accurate and scientifically sound.
Charles Ramsay and Daniel Koewler of
the Ramsay Law Firm have radically and
fundamentally changed the legal landscape
of criminal defense, wrote attorney Sharon
Osborn, who nominated them.
Through successful court cases, they have
forced the state crime lab to make significant
improvements in procedures and reporting
methods regarding DWI testing, and they
have seen the Minnesota Supreme Court
strike down unconstitutional laws on refus-
ing blood and urine DWI tests, she wrote.
Now warrants are necessary for blood
and urine tests.
Osborn also noted they have revolu-
32 2016 Attorneys of the Year
tionized the use of science in courtrooms He started the coursework in 2009 and has
because they both have “tirelessly educat- completed about 200 hours of studies.
ed themselves” on metrology (the science Ramsay says he became involved in
of weights and measures, including cali- DWI work soon after he graduated from
bration and traceability). They share their law school. A friend of a friend came to him
knowledge in seminars, CLE programs, on-
facing a DWI charge. That’s when Ramsay
line and individually with other attorneys.
decided he “needed to step up” and protect
not only the defendants’ civil rights but also
their livelihoods and their families.
“I think, ‘What’s best for citizens in
terms of our civil rights?’ All of our civ-
il rights,” he says. “Sometimes in our zeal
to make the roads safer, some of us decide
2016
that the goal should be obtained at all costs,
with laws that overreach.
“But I think we can rid the roads of the
Ramsay was named a “forensic law- scourge of the drunk driver without trash-
yer-scientist” this year by the chemistry ing the constitutions. The two are not mu-
and law division of the American Chemical tually exclusive.”
Society, a nonprofit chartered by Congress. —Betsy Carlson
 Exceptional Trial Attorneys

David T. Schultz
2016 Attorney of the Year

David’s leadership, dedication to clients, commitment

to pro bono service, and tireless work to ensure justice
is served are qualities we hold dear at Maslon. His
extraordinary work on behalf of the Innocence Project
of Minnesota obtained early release of a wrongfully
convicted man after serving more than a decade in prison.
We are extremely proud of all of David’s achievements
and congratulate him on his well-deserved recognition as
a Minnesota Lawyer 2016 Attorney of the Year.

Steven L. Schleicher
2016 Attorney of the Year

Steve has recently joined Maslon’s Litigation Group

following exemplary service as the Deputy Criminal Chief
of the Special Prosecutions Section with the U.S. Attorney’s
Office. His remarkable work on the prosecution team that
resolved the Jacob Wetterling case helped bring both
justice and closure to the circumstances surrounding
the tragedy. We are extremely proud to welcome Steve
to the firm and congratulate him on his recognition as a
Minnesota Lawyer 2016 Attorney of the Year.

MASLON LLP | 612.672.8200 | MASLON.COM

 PHILIP SIEFF:
Groundbreaking result
in methadone case
Having handled more than 75 wrongful death cases
in his career, cases large and small, high-profile and un-
known, Philip Sieff obtained a first of its kind ruling this
year — that a methadone clinic had to protect the public
from its improper treatment practices.
After this court ruling, death claims went forward
against the clinic, Pinnacle Recovery Services of Brainerd,
and its CEO and prescribing physician, Dr. John Stroemer.
The plaintiffs were the families of two young men killed in
a traffic collision caused by a patient of the clinic and doc-
tor who was driving under the influence of methadone.
Sieff, investigation department supervising attorney at
Robins Kaplan LLP, has handled cases such as the I-35W
bridge collapse and the Red Lake High School shootings,
which reflected some of the most disturbing and harmful
trends affecting America such as infrastructure neglect
and gun violence, said Kate Lutes, communications and
event specialist at Robins Kaplan.
“Personally, all my cases have the same priority to me,
whether a famous or well-known case or the methadone
case. All have equal importance. Some of my most satisfy-
ing cases the public will never know about but they helped
people to move on (with their lives),” Sieff said.
He said he practices personal injury law because he
was raised to respect the rights of others, to fight back
against the rich and powerful and to look out for the good
of society. He believes every person in our country has a
right to equal access to the courts and to justice.
In the methadone case, the clinic agreed to be adjudi-
cated negligent after more than two years of litigation and
two weeks before trial. Under a Miller-Shugart settlement
arrangement, the families agreed to collect judgments only
from the liability insurers for the clinic and the doctor.
Both insurers initially denied coverage and after fur-
ther action, the court ruled that one insurance company
didn’t have to provide coverage and the other one did, Sieff
says. There was a negotiated settlement.
—Betsy Carlson

2016

34 2016 Attorneys of the Year

Richard Ruohonen and Charles Slane.
RICHARD RUOHONEN
AND CHARLES SLANE:
$6 million verdict after two trials
For veteran personal injury lawyer Rich
Ruohonen, the biggest and most rewarding
case of his career has also been the most disap-
pointing at times – “a roller coaster ride” with
so many twists and turns, Ruohonen jokes, it
probably shaved a few years off his life.
It began in 2008 with a report that a
3-year-old boy had been violently assaulted
over a lengthy period of time – and possi-
bly raped – by a disturbed 9-year-old at a
New Horizon’s day care center.
In 2011, Ruohonen, a partner at the
Bloomington-based TSR Injury Law, sued out
the case, which went to trial for the first time
in the winter of 2015. Because of the intense
pretrial motion practice, scores of depositions
and expert testimony, Ruohonen brought his
TSR colleague Chuck Slane in as co-counsel.
When the verdict came back, the
duo was jubilant. The award:
an eye-popping $13.5
million.
Deep disappointment followed swiftly.
After the verdict, the presiding judge
stayed the judgment and, in rare post-ver-
dict order, sent the parties back to medi-
ation. After that didn’t go anywhere, she
promptly granted the defense motion for a
new trial. In a blistering memorandum, she
2016
wrote that Ruohonen’s opening statement original award restored or, in the alternative, a
“tainted” and “poisoned” the jury against limited retrial on previously barred claims for
the defendant.
“It was one of the worst days of my life,”
says Ruohonen, who disputes the judge’s
characterization of his courtroom perfor-
mance. “You fight for six or seven years,
everyone says the case isn’t worth anything,
and you crush them at trial, only to have
someone take it all away.”
At the second trial, according to Ruo-
honen, the defense shifted from vigorous
denials that the boy had been sexually as-
saulted to a more oblique strategy of ques-
tioning what happened. In the end, a jury
came back with a $6 million award — less
than half the first but, Ruohonen says, still
the second-largest award of his career.
While that judgment has been paid, the
fight is not over. In January, Ruohonen and
Slane took their case to the Minnesota Court
of Appeals, where they are seeking to get the
punitive damages and future lost earnings.
—Mike Mosedale
2016 Attorneys of the Year 35
 Julie Allyn and Steve Schleicher.
JULIE ALLYN
AND STEVE SCHLEICHER:
The Wetterling family finds some peace
It was the case that changed Minneso-
ta: Jacob Wetterling’s 1989 disappearance
near his St. Joseph home. When local law
enforcement couldn’t convict Danny Hein-
rich on sexual assault and murder charges,
the U.S. Attorney’s Office made it a federal
child pornography case.
Steve Schleicher and Julie Allyn worked
that case for a year before Heinrich agreed
on Aug. 20, 2016, to reveal where he bur-
ied Jacob. Federal prosecutors determined
Heinrich should show law enforcement the
site. That meant transferring Heinrich into
FBI custody — normally a multi-day pro-
cess requiring high-level approvals.
“Steve and Julie stayed up all night
36 2016 Attorneys of the Year
working on the paperwork and bugging
the people in Washington,” said Minneso-
ta U.S. Attorney Andy Luger. “They got it
done in half a day.”
2016
Schleicher and Allyn knew when to
push and when to exercise restraint, added
former prosecutor and colleague John Mar-
ti. They put Heinrich in the position where
he could finally come forward and give the
Wetterling family some peace, said Marti,
now with Dorsey & Whitney.
“The resolution in this case didn’t
just happen. Fully committed, highly
motivated professionals like Steve and
Julie make it happen,” added Luger.
“Having lived with them through this case
for one solid year, I could not think of
anyone more deserving
of this award.”
—Nancy Crotti
JUSTICE ESTHER
TOMLJANOVICH
2016

CONGRATULATIONS!
OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE PROFESSION
 LEFT TO RIGHT: John Nolde, John Stern
and Jeffrey Koerselman.
WINTHROP & WEINSTINE’S
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TEAM
Leaders in using housing tax credits creatively
Winthrop & Weinstine has been on
the forefront of affordable housing law for
three decades, ever since the low-income
housing tax credit (LIHTC) was enacted
by Congress.
“Our firm did the first tax credit deal
in Minnesota,” attorney John Nolde, who
works in this area with Winthrop col-
leagues Jeffrey Koerselman and John Stern.
“We were involved from the start in figur-
ing out how the program worked — while
it was still a temporary program. It’s be-
come much sophisticated as the tax credit
industry has matured.”
Winthrop has closed more than 1,300
LIHTC, state and federal historic tax credit
and affordable housing transactions, and
added three new attorneys to the practice
in the past year for 27 members total on the
affordable housing team.
“It’s become a more national practice
over the past 10 years,” said Koerselman.
38 2016 Attorneys of the Year
“We’ve been able to become thought lead- Snelling in Minneapolis, thanks to a com-
ers locally and nationally when it comes to bination of nearly $10 million of tax credit
how these deals are actually done.” equity from three different types of federal
The practice has expanded its exper- and state tax credits, nearly $11 million of
tax-exempt bonds and numerous grants
and loans.
The team also served as lead counsel
for the Pillsbury A-Mill Project developer
and investors, and helped make the devel-
opment financially feasible by helping with
acquisition, securing historic tax credits,
2016 securing low-income housing tax credits
and getting necessary permits.
“The Pillsbury A-Mill project has
been exciting to watch as they come up
tise in real estate development and finance with creative re-uses for that space,” said
transactions involving numerous areas. Nolde. “To see it repurposed into 250
That wide-ranging expertise helped the units of affordable housing as well as a
group have an especially notable year in source for hydro-elec-
2016. Among other accomplishments, tric power is unique and
it made possible an affordable-housing exciting.”
community for homeless veterans at Fort —Dan Heilman
CONGRATULATIONS
MITCHELL HAMLINE ATTORNEYS OF THE YEAR
Thank you alumni, for your contributions to the legal profession.

Justice Esther Virginia Bell ’83 (WMCL)

Tomljanovich ’55 (WMCL)
Recipient of the Outstanding
Service to the Profession Award
Honored for her work with the
recently launched Collaborative
Community Law Initiative

Loretta Frederick ’78 (WMCL)

Recipient of the Outstanding
Service to the Profession Award

Eric Janus
Recipient of the INDIVIDUALS
Outstanding Imran Ali ’05 (HUSL), Washington County Attorney’s Office
Service to the Virginia Bell ’83 (WMCL), Collaborative Community Law Initiative
Edward Cassidy ’81 (HUSL), Fredrikson & Byron PA
Profession Award
John Choi* ’95 (HUSL), Ramsey County
Richard L. Hendrickson ’80 (WMCL), Richard L. Hendrickson PA
Philip Sieff* ’85 (HUSL), Robins Kaplan LLP

GROUPS
Appeals Self Help Clinic, including Liz Reppe ’95 (HUSL) and Jennifer Young ’09 (WMCL)
Latino Legal Experience Team, including Judge Peter M. Reyes* ’97 (WMCL)
Petters Bankruptcy Team, including Mark Enslin ’04 (HUSL) and Kirstin Kanski ’05 (WMCL)

PARTNERS
Celeste Culberth* ’92 (HUSL) and Leslie Lienemann* ’92 (HUSL), Culberth & Lienemann LLP
Paul McEllistrem ’94 (WMCL) and Andy Rorvig ’05 (WMCL),
McEllistrem, Fargione, Landy, Rorvig & Eken PA
Reese Frederickson ’06 (WMCL) and Michelle Skubitz ’96 (HUSL), Pine County Attorney’s Office
Charles Ramsay* ’95 (WMCL), Ramsay Law Firm PLLC
Richard Ruohonen* ’96 (HUSL) and Charles Slane* ’96 (WMCL), TSR Injury Law
Steve Schleicher ’95 (WMCL), United States Attorney’s Office

* Denotes Circle of Excellence, an attorney who has been named

Attorney of the Year more than once
 ROBIN
WOLPERT:
An ‘all-in lawyer’
Robin Wolpert, 2016-2017 president of the Minneso-
ta State Bar Association, says she hopes to transform the
state bar association by focusing on the next generation of
lawyers and increasing diversity in the profession.
She calls herself an “all-in lawyer,” and says her num-
ber-one trait is grit, sheer determination.
Wolpert will undoubtedly use that trait to implement
her motto: “Making MSBA work for everyone, with no one
left out.”
Wolpert, of Sapientia Law Group, says the statement
means following the bar association’s strategic plan while
paying close attention to all constituencies, including new
lawyers who need a strong foundation for success, law stu-
dents who need support to ensure a good launch into the
field, members of minority and affinity bars whose interests
are sometimes underrepresented and attorneys outside the
Twin Cities whose concerns are her special responsibility as
the bar’s representative to Greater Minnesota.
She is working to build two-way bridges to the next gen-
eration and to diverse lawyers. Wolpert calls diversity inclu-
sion a business imperative. She talks of dispensing wisdom
to younger attorneys and law students while seeing through
their eyes to better understand their needs and to benefit
from their creativity and innovative outlooks.
“As long as we have strong bridges to our next genera-
tion lawyers and diverse lawyers, we will continue to dis-
rupt ourselves and generate the power we need to address
the issues that face us individually and as a profession,”
Wolpert says.
She has had a varied career and says she has loved what
she has done.
Wolpert clerked at the Minnesota Supreme Court;
served as a corporate counsel at 3M in the area of compli-
ance; was a partner at Greene Espel litigating in the areas
of constitutional law, government liability and white collar
crime; served as a prosecuting attorney; and, now, at Sapi-
entia she is as a legal strategist, litigator and appellate lawyer. 
Before she practiced law, she taught at the University of
South Carolina and Georgetown University. 
Wolpert also has master’s and Ph.D. degrees in polit-
ical science.
—Betsy Carlson

2016

40 2016 Attorneys of the Year

ROBINS KAPLAN LLP
CONGRATULATES
PHILIP SIEFF, KATHERINE
BARRETT WIIK, AND ALL OF THE
2016 ATTORNEYS OF THE YEAR

80 0 553 991 0
R O B I N SKA PL AN.CO M

B OSTO N
LOS A N GE LES
M I N N E A PO L I S
N A PLE S
N E W YO R K
SI LI CO N VA L L EY
 Recognition for
Outstanding
Service
2016

42 2016 Attorneys of the Year

Justice Christopher Dietzen Loretta Frederick
Professor Eric S. Janus Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
J. Patrick Plunkett Justice Esther Tomljanovich
Recognition for
Outstanding
Service
2016
 JUSTICE Recognition for
Outstanding
Service

CHRISTOPHER
2016

DIETZEN:
Grateful to have served
the appellate courts
Christopher Dietzen has written about 350 appellate
opinions as a judge on the Court of Appeals and a justice
on the Supreme Court.
That’s just one bullet point under his name. As the li-
aison to the Minnesota Supreme Court Civil Justice Re-
form Task Force, he brought us the rocket docket — an
expedited litigation track pilot project with proportionate
discovery and (usually) without continuances.
Dietzen has indelibly marked the legal profession, and
he is grateful for the opportunity.
“The work of the court was so meaningful. It was a gift
to be able to sit at the table, express opinions and partici-
pate in those decisions,” he said.
On the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commis-
sion, he had a big role in reforming some drug-related
prison sentences and at the same time giving prosecutors
more tools to go after dealers.
After years of having his work cut out for him, retire-
ment is a little bit like falling off a cliff because it is such
an abrupt change, Dietzen said. Nearing retirement age of
70, he wasn’t really ready to step down but he did not want
to run for election either, and he made it possible for Gov.
Mark Dayton to pick his replacement.
Retirement forced him to think about what he really
wants to do. He’ll stay with the guidelines commission and
will probably serve on the panels that evaluate the requests
for discharge from committed sex offenders. Legal aid direc-
tors are after him and the archdiocese may benefit from his
help. He’s planning to take the time to find just the right fit.
But he won’t “presume” to give advice about the court,
Dietzen said. “We have a great court and a strong tradition
in the bar of supporting judges and that’s very important
in maintaining an independent and impartial judiciary.”
In serving on the bench for 14 years, Dietzen has made
an outstanding service to the profession.
—Barbara L. Jones

2016

44 2016 Attorneys of the Year

 LORETTA Recognition for
Outstanding
Service

FREDERICK:
2016

Advocacy
for battering survivors
for three decades
The most recent statistics, from 2015, show that more
than 10 million men and women are the object of domes-
tic violence every year. That number is so vast, and vio-
lence in the home so common, that it is difficult for some
of us to do more than wring our hands.
Thankfully, Loretta Frederick has been devoting her
considerable efforts toward the problem since the mid-
1980s, starting with the Battered Women’s Legal Advoca-
cy Project (begun at Southern Minnesota Regional Legal
Services), a statewide domestic violence resource center.
While there, she spent a year consulting with the U.S. Ma-
rine Corps on domestic violence.
Frederick is now a senior legal policy adviser at the Bat-
tered Women’s Justice Project, a national resource center.
The project provides training and assistance to civil
and criminal justice systems. Frederick’s focus is on train-
ing judges, practitioners and family court staff in the intri-
cacies of domestic violence cases.
Most of her work for the last several years has been
with family courts, which the project is improving for
battered spouses. “Judges and practitioners all around the
country say that child custody cases involving violence are
the most complex and challenging cases,” Frederick said.
Parents who use violence routinely take the position that
the violence has nothing to do with capacity and willing-
ness to be a good parent and many people don’t really know
what the violence means, if anything, to parenting, Freder-
ick said. “We have developed a framework for responding
to these cases to figure out what the issues in a case are so
that a decision-making structure [for parents] can reflect
the actual problems, not what we assume,” Frederick said.
The justice project uses a fact-based look at each
family in a concrete, evidence-based format, Frederick
said. It has trained about 15,000 people across the Unit-
ed States in the last five years, including in Hennepin
County, where the courts are working hard, she said.
The profession and society as a whole have learned what
an important issue battering is, and that’s because of the out-
standing service provided by people like Loretta Frederick.
— Barbara L. Jones

2016

46 2016 Attorneys of the Year

Recognition for
Outstanding
Service PROFESSOR
ERIC JANUS:
2016

Academic all-star
guides schools through
major transitions
Not everyone who receives an Outstanding Service to the
Profession Award may point to a large building on St. Paul’s
most important street as Exhibit A, but Eric Janus can.
That would be Mitchell Hamline School of Law, the
product of the merger of William Mitchell College of Law
and Hamline University School of Law, which started un-
der Janus’ watch.
The merger and the accreditation by the American Bar
Association of the school’s hybrid program are the pinna-
cles of Janus’ academic career, which began in 1984 when
he became the school’s clinical director. He stepped down
as dean in 2015 to return to teaching and scholarship.
Janus sees the hybrid program as returning to the roots
of William Mitchell College of Law, which started life of-
fering only evening classes. The program combines online
education with time at the school and is the first online JD
program approved by the ABA.
It was born when it became apparent that night class-
es weren’t meeting all the needs of putative students. The
faculty and administration started to think about reinvigo-
rating the mission and the idea of making the school acces-
sible online took root, Janus said. Now, the program has its
third entering class and the enrollment is at capacity.
The merger of the law schools was the work of a lot of
people over many years, with both institutions motivat-
ed by the synergy of strong similar complementary pro-
grams, Janus said.
Janus thought about the mission and what was dis-
tinctive about Mitchell — the school’s soul — in order
to strengthen the school’s reputation. “I was interested in
creating a culture of respect and integrity. The school re-
spects the profession and the students, and we understand
the students are transforming themselves. We’re not hold-
ing ourselves at a distance or being cynical about what we
we’re doing,” he said.
That’s also an apt description of Janus, who is now return-
ing to teaching and his other career passion — protecting the
legal rights of the mentally ill. In all these ways, Janus has
contributed an outstanding service to the legal profession.
—Barbara L. Jones

2016

2016 Attorneys of the Year 47

 Recognition for
Outstanding
FRONT, FROM LEFT: Annette Erbst, administrative assistant; Service
Diane Markel, case manager; Joan Bibelhausen, executive director.
2016
BACK: Daniel Payne, board chair; Chase Anderson, case manager.

LAWYERS CONCERNED FOR LAWYERS:

Peer-to-peer mentoring and support
Few were surprised last year when the
ABA/Hazelden Betty Ford study on attor-
ney substance abuse and mental illness
showed that the problem is deep and wide.
Twenty-one percent of licensed, employed
attorneys are “problem drinkers,” the study
showed. More than that, 28 percent, have
depression. Few were surprised because for
40 years, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
in Minnesota has paid attention.
LCL was incorporated in 1976 with a
mission to address alcohol abuse and has
since taken on other substance abuse and
mental health. Last year it opened more
than 400 new client files.
Its success and longevity largely are at-
tributable to its staff, which has done every-
thing it can to get the word out, said LCL
board chair Daniel Payne.
LCL has a staff of four but also a mem-
bership of more than 300, many of whom
are volunteers who provide thousands of
hours of peer-to-peer mentoring, support
and intervention if needed. Additionally, It doesn’t share your secrets or suggest that
lawyers and family members have access you snap out of it.
to up to four sessions of counseling at no It tries to mitigate the stigma and im-
charge. LCL’s outreach and educational of- plicit bias that attaches to these perceived
ferings result in new programming, like thecareer-killers. After the Hazelden/Betty
recent “Common Experiences” to provide Ford report, the stigmas of these conditions
support on key issues, such as resilience or
began to abate and “It became OK to seek
perfection, in a group setting. help,” said LCL executive director Joan Bi-
belhausen.
For some. Others still are afraid. “LCL
is interested in collaborating with anybody
to help reduce stigma,” Bibelhausen said.
People fear that getting treatment could
be used against them, so they don’t seek it
out. “I don’t hear about [getting treatment
2016 resulting in consequences]. I hear about the
fear of it happening,” she said.
LCL is available 24/7 at 1-866-525-6466
or 1-651-646-5590. It saves lives, careers
Here’s what LCL doesn’t do: report you and families, and that’s an
to the Lawyers Professional Responsibility outstanding service to the
Board or the Board on Judicial Standards, profession.
or monitor lawyers who are on probation. —Barbara L. Jones

48 2016 Attorneys of the Year

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 Recognition for
Outstanding

J. PATRICK
Service
2016

PLUNKETT:
Teaching to learn
Not all the lawyers in Minnesota are named Plunkett,
it just seems that way sometimes.
J. Patrick Plunkett is one of 25 past and present lawyers
from his extended family, starting with his grandfather
and great uncle.
He started his career as a messenger at the firm that
was Moore Costello and Hart, and had been there 40 years
when it closed in August 2012. He moved to Larkin Hoff-
man with several others from the firm.
Plunkett’s great contribution to the profession is the
more than 100 lectures and CLEs he’s presented on topics
involving corporations and individuals. He started teach-
ing as a result of a casual conversation at a Vikings game.
A fellow football fan said he was looking for someone to
teach corporate law, and Plunkett volunteered. He was all
of 26 years old.
Plunkett keeps his ear to the ground to discover un-
met needs. For example, “In 2014 there wasn’t anything
on church law so I did one,” he said. “I write all of them
myself, I still refer to them.”
Plunkett lives by advice he received from his father —
the best lawyers know what they don’t know. “I teach to
learn the material. That’s why I still do it. I do it for selfish
reasons—I’ll do a seminar on something I think I should
know,” he said.
But Plunkett also is proud of something 180 degrees
from the practice of law, and that is his needlepoint, for
which he won a blue ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair.
He started stitching to keep his hands busy so he could
quit smoking, continued with needlepoint and crewel un-
til his eyes got too weak for it, and now he’s at his work-
bench with a piece of wood and a planer.
For all the wisdom and knowledge Plunkett has passed
to lawyers, he should receive another blue ribbon, but will
have to settle for the Outstanding Service to the Profes-
sion award.
—Barbara L. Jones

2016

50 2016 Attorneys of the Year

 JUSTICE ESTHER
Recognition for
Outstanding
Service
2016

TOMLJANOVICH:
Blazed a trail
for women jurists
In 1991, the Minnesota Supreme Court became the
first state high court with a majority of women justices.
They were Justices Rosalie Wahl, Sandra Gardebring, M.
Jeanne Coyne and Esther Tomljanovich.
Tomljanovich does not shy away from being called the
first woman or one of the first women on the court or any
place else. “It was wonderful to be the first, it’s a wonderful
thing to look back on,” she said. “There’s no reason to ap-
point women [to the bench] if we do not bring something
different to the job,” she said.
“It’s been a wonderful treat to see women move for-
ward in the profession, if not exactly take their place.”
Tomljanovich was 19 years old when she came down
from the Range to attend the St. Paul College of Law. She
said she didn’t have a sound education but was loved by
her family and community, which gave her the security to
leave. “I didn’t have much to lose, nobody expected me to
succeed,” she recalls.
She graduated in 1955 as the only woman in her class,
then became the Revisor of Statutes, then a District Court
judge, then was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1990.
She worked hard for the rights of all women and partic-
ularly women prisoners. She worked on a variety of Su-
preme Court committees, including one on gender fair-
ness. Continuing to serve, she now sits on the board of
directors of Medica.
Tomljanovich approached events with common sense
and a commitment to picking only the important bat-
tles. Sometimes she blamed herself when discriminated
against. Remembering being told to wait in the cloakroom
of the St. Paul Athletic Club (for her husband to escort
her), she now says she was so embarrassed she didn’t tell
anyone about it for 15 years. “I thought I had committed
a terrible faux pas.”
Looking back, though, she says clubs like that were im-
portant and discrimination there, as everywhere, hurtful.
Advancing the careers of women lawyers and the fair ad-
ministration of the court system was Tomljanovich’s out-
standing service to the profession.
—Barbara L. Jones

2016

2016 Attorneys of the Year 51

 An Honor
Worth Noting
Larkin Hoffman is proud
to congratulate our
senior shareholder, J.
Patrick Plunkett, and
former shareholder and
Minnesota Supreme
Court Justice, Christopher
Dietzen, for their
recognition by Minnesota
Lawyer as “Attorneys
of the Year” for
“Outstanding Service to
the Profession.”

larkinhoffman.com

952.835.3800

@larkinlawfirm
 CONGRATULATIONS, LIZ KRAMER.
Thank you for your contributions to the MSBA Appellate Section
and your dedication to improving access to justice.
We applaud your creativity and passion. Congratulations to you
and to all the attorneys involved in the founding of the Appeals Self-Help Clinic.
You’re most deserving Attorneys of the Year.

ST INS ON LEONAR D STRE E T LLP \\ STI NSO N.CO M

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