Seeking Nominations for the Public Law Section Attorney Awards

The Minnesota State Bar Association-Public Law Section (PLS) invites nominations for awards honoring attorneys and judges engaged in public service and in the public practice of law. Through these awards the PLS celebrates our commitment to public service and the public practice of law. These awards are also used to recognize attorneys and judges who have distinguished themselves by their significant and outstanding contributions to public service and the public practice of law. Nominations are due Friday, April 10, 2020. Please contact the chair of the Awards Committee or any executive council member of the PLS for further information about the awards. A nominee does not need to be a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association to be eligible for an award. The awards include:

1. Rosalie E. Wahl Judicial Award of Excellence This award is named for former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Wahl whose work as a Justice encompassed the attributes of the award. Justice Wahl was highly regarded, not only for her work as a judge but also for her dedication to and tireless efforts on projects improving the justice system.

The PLS seeks to honor appellate, federal court, state district court, or administrative law judges in Minnesota who not only have high ideals, personal character and judicial competence, but also have gone beyond the ordinary call of duty, participating in projects focused on improving the quality of justice or the justice system. Nominated judges must have been on the bench for at least five years.

2. Julius E. Gernes Prosecutor Award of Excellence* This award is intended to recognize the work and dedication of an outstanding public attorney working in the State of Minnesota as a County/City Attorney and/or as a criminal prosecutor at the federal, state, or local level. The award is named in memory of the late Julius E. Gernes, former Winona County Attorney and Chief Prosecutor who was well known and highly regarded by county attorneys throughout Minnesota and whose professional achievements as a public attorney encompass the attributes of this award. For example, Mr. Gernes was active in the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, taught and mentored other prosecutors and was a skilled trial attorney. Nominees should demonstrate some of these same attributes.

3. William E. McGee Public Defender Award of Excellence* The William E. McGee Public Defender Award of Excellence is intended to recognize the work and dedication of an outstanding public attorney working in the State of Minnesota as a public defender at the federal, state, or local level. The award is named in memory of the late William E. McGee, former public defender, to recognize his contributions and commitment to the fair, nondiscriminatory administration of justice and representation of citizens of limited means. The award would also recognize his extraordinary leadership, initiative and innovation in the performance of his duties as Hennepin County’s Chief Public Defender.

4. Public Attorney Awards of Excellence* There are two Public Attorney Awards of Excellence. These awards are the primary method of recognizing the work and dedication of outstanding public sector attorneys. Awards are given annually with the goal of including award recipients from diverse areas of public practice. Recipients are selected from the following areas:

-Civil Law: Public Law Office Counsel: This award is given to attorneys practicing civil law in the State of Minnesota in a public law office at the federal, state or local level;

-In-house Agency Counsel: This award is given to public attorneys practicing in the State of Minnesota in a variety of public settings including lawyers with such titles as hearing officials, staff attorneys, legal analysts, law clerks, or holding nonlegal government leadership positions such as commissioners, managers and council members.

5. Douglas K. Amdahl Public Attorney Career Achievement Award This award is intended to recognize retired or retiring public attorneys who have had distinguished careers as public attorneys, have made many significant contributions to public service and are recognized as models of the dedication and commitment of public attorneys. This award may be given to more than one recipient per year.

6. P. Kenneth Kohnstamm Pro Bono Attorney Award of Excellence This award is intended to recognize an outstanding public attorney (or public law office) who has engaged in activities that show dedication and commitment to provide volunteer services to underserved communities. The award is named after P. Kenneth Kohnstamm, the first recipient of the award in 2006. Mr. Kohnstamm exemplified the principles set out in professional responsibility Rule 6.1 by providing legal services without fee to those unable to pay and voluntarily contributing financial support to organizations that provide legal services to persons of limited means. PLS’s own model pro bono policy for public lawyers is based on the work Mr. Kohnstamm spearheaded at the Attorney General’s Office. With the Pro Bono Attorney Award of Excellence, we seek to honor attorneys who exemplify the principles of professional conduct rule 6.1:

Rule 6.1 of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct provides in part that: Every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay. A lawyer should aspire to render at least 50 hours of pro bono publico legal services per year. In fulfilling this responsibility, the lawyer should:

(a) provide a substantial majority of the 50 hours of legal services without fee or expectation of fee . . . .

In addition, a lawyer should voluntarily contribute financial support to organizations that provide legal services to persons of limited means.

In addition, the Minnesota State Bar Association has adopted Professional Aspiration standards which encourage attorneys to provide at least fifty (50) hours of pro bono legal services per year. The American Bar Association has adopted a similar standard. 7. PUBLIC LAWYER DIVERSITY AWARD This award recognizes outstanding effort and dedication by a public lawyer or office or organization of public lawyers in Minnesota who has had a demonstrated impact on (i) improving the employment opportunities for lawyers from groups historically under-represented because of race, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental disability or sexual orientation or (ii) eliminating bias based on race, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental disability and sexual orientation in employment of lawyers. Nominees must have achieved success by influencing individuals from groups described in the preceding sentence to pursue careers as lawyers; by increasing advancement opportunities for lawyers from those groups; by improving the cultural competence and climate of public law offices; and/or by other effort tangibly promoting diversity in the legal profession.

Nominations should indicate which award should be considered.

* Persons nominated for the Julius E. Gernes, the William E. McGee, or Public Attorney Awards of Excellence must have at least 5 years of experience as a public attorney. They must have engaged in activities that show dedication and commitment to public service and the public practice of law. Nominees may also distinguish themselves by making significant contributions that aid in the operation of government or the practice of law and/or by demonstrating extraordinary leadership, initiative, or innovation in the performance of their duties.

A nomination should consist of the following: 1) Nominee’s full name, employer, address and telephone number; 2) Nominator’s name, employer, address and telephone number; 3) Attach a short narrative statement (not to exceed two pages) explaining how you know the nominee and describing the nominee’s qualifications for the award; and 4) Nominee’s resume, if available.

Nominations must be submitted no later than Friday, April 10, 2020. Please submit nominations to Abby Ward via email ([email protected]), fax or mail (email with attachments in MSWord is preferred):

Abby Ward MSBA 600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 380 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-278-6307 [email protected]

Previous Recipients of the Rosalie E. Wahl Judicial Award of Excellence 2019 Hon. Tammi Fredrickson 2018 Hon. Manuel Cervantes 2017 Hon. Donovan Frank 2016 Hon. Gregg E. Johnson 2015 Hon. Waldemar B. Senyk 2014 Hon. Thomas J. Kalitowski 2013 Hon. J. Thomas Mott 2012 Hon. Kathleen Gearin 2011 Hon. Harriet Lansing 2010 Hon. John Rodenberg 2009 Hon David S. Doty 2008 Hon. Russell A. Anderson 2007 Hon. John P. Smith 2006 Hon. Ann Montgomery 2005 Hon. Allan W. Klein 2004 Hon. John R. Tunheim 2003 Hon. Joanne Smith 2002 Hon. Renee L. Worke 2001 Hon. George A. Beck 2000 Hon. J. Earl Cudd 1999 Hon. Leslie May Metzen 1998 Hon Kenneth F. Fitzpatrick 1997 Hon. George H. Hoey

Previous Recipients of the Julius E. Gernes Prosecutor Award of Excellence 2018 John Choi 2017 Julie Allyn and Steven Schleicher 2016 Raymond O. Cantu 2015 Karen S. Mara 2014 G. Paul Beaumaster 2013 William Klumpp, Jr. 2012 Eric Leonard 2011 Mark S. Rubin 2010 Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office Domestic Assault Team 2009 Gail Baez 2008 Jeffrey R. Edblad 2007 Susan E. Gaertner 2006 Cary William Schmies 2005 Steve Redding 2004 Kathryn A. Santelmann 2003 Larry M. Collins 2002 Al Zdrazil 2001 Alan J. Harris 1999 James C. Backstrom 1998 Dianne A. Ward 1997 John R. Speakman 1996 Conrad I. Freeberg

Previous Recipients of the William E. McGee Public Defender Award of Excellence 2019 Chelma Guzman-Wiegert 2017 Daniel Lew 2016 Jeanette Boerner 2014 William M. Ward 2013 Michael F. Cromett 2012 Connie Iversen and Patrick Valentini 2011 Daniel Sadowski 2010 Patrick Kittridge 2009 Lisa Kristine McNaughton 2008 F. Richard Gallo, Jr. 2007 Noreen C. Phillips 2006 Daniel M. Scott 2005 Brad Colbert 2004 Paul G. Thompson 2003 Richard G. Carlson 2002 Ronald Greenley 2001 Cynthia T. Daley 2000 Larry Hammerling 1999 Manley Zimmerman 1998 Harry Newby, Jr. 1997 Candace Rasmussen 1996 Fred Friedman

Previous Recipients of the Public Attorney Award of Excellence: Attorney Working in a Government Agency 2017 David Orren 2016 Gregory N. Gray 2015 Elizabeth B. Hayes, Patricia A. Winget 2014 Katherine A. Engler 2013 Ann Stiehm Ahlstrom 2011 Debra Swaden 2009 Stephen A. Shakman 2008 Virginia Rae Bly 2007 Allen E. Giles 2006 Dennis Wade Erickson 2005 Gail M. Olson 2004 Kenneth A. Nickolai 2003 Richard A. Wexler 2001 Thomas W. Anderson 2000 Laura D. Kadwell 1999 Ann Russell 1998 Michael B. Johnson 1997 Julie M. Brunner

Previous Recipients of the Public Attorney Award of Excellence: Civil Attorney Working in a Public Law Office 2018 Nancy Norman Sommer 2017 Alison Lutterman 2016 Dan Klint 2015 Gregory G. Brooker 2014 Eric D. Larson 2013 John L. Kirwin 2012 Gregory J. Wiley 2011 Jocelyn F. Olson 2010 Anthony C. Palumbo and Robert E. Asleson 2009 Christie B. Eller and John T. Kelly 2008 Jay M. Heffern 2007 Kenneth E. Raschke, Jr. 2006 Douglas J. Gregor 2005 Joan D. Humes 2004 Toni Beitz 2003 Mark J. Ponsolle 2002 David R. Ornstein 2001 Robert A. Stanich 2000 John L. Kirwin and Desyl Peterson 1999 William P. Donohue 1998 Alan C. Williams 1997 Richard S. Slowes 1996 Beverly Jones Heydinger

Previous Recipients of the Douglas K. Amdahl Public Attorney Career Achievement Award 2019 Jeanette Behr, Peter J. McCall, Howard Orenstein, Inta Sellars, Sandra Togerson 2018 Terry Adkins, Andy Mitchell, and Wendy Willson Legge 2017 Margaret Cornielle, Peter Ginder, Thomas Grundhoefer, Hon. Ann Montgomery, Thomas Vasaly and Margaret Westin 2016 William A. Bierman, Jr, Jeanne K. Matross, Michele L. Timmons, Toni A. Beitz, Charles L. LeFevere, Thomas M. Scott 2015 Steven B. Liss, Robert D. Goodell, Virginia Rae Bly 2014 Frederick T. Friedman, Thomas A. Fitzpatrick, Stephen J. Bubul, Nancy McLean 2013 Steven C. Moon, Mary E. Miller 2012 John LeFevre, Judith Rehak, Richard Slowes 2011 Steven M. Gunn 2010 Hon. Lawrence Cohen, Jan Petersen 2009 David J. Kennedy 2008 Lane Ayres, Hon. Allen Oleisky, Jeanne Schleh 2007 Quy T. Dam, Karel Lee Moersfelder, Michael R. Dean 2006 James Lammers, Alan Mitchell 2005 Philip J. Olfelt 2004 Carl Conney, Wayne G. Johnson, Eldon G. Kaul, Clayton LeFevere 2003 William E. Falvey, William E. McGee, John D. Tierney 2002 Hon. Gary L. Crippen, LeRoy Jackson, Hon. Kenneth J. Maas 2001 Hon. Douglas K. Amdahl 2000 Hon. Doris Ohlsen Huspeni, Phillip B. Byrne 1999 Hon. A. M. Sandy Keith 1998 hon. Esther Tomljanovich, James N. Bradford, Floyd B. Olson 1997 Hon. Rosalie E. Wahl, Stanley G. Peskar, William R. Kennedy, Julius E. Gernes 1996 Earle T. Anderson, Jr., Robert R.W. Johnson, Hon. Jon L. Lunde, Lloyd J. Moosbrugger

Previous Recipients of the P. Kenneth Kohnstamm Pro Bono Attorney Award of Excellence 2019 Kim Buechel Mesun 2018 Patricia Beety 2013 Nancy McLean 2011 Beverly Jones Heydinger 2010 Ann E. Cohen and Gerald T. Hendrickson 2008 Kathie L. Battle-Sayles 2007 Patrick Burns 2006 P. Kenneth Kohnstamm Previous Recipients of the Diversity Award 2018 Department of Human Services, Appeals Division 2017 Alan Page 2016 Constance M. Tuck