Read the full text of some of our award-winning and favorite articles from recent issues of Minnesota Law & Politics.
Martin Luther King Jr. in My Living RoomWant to know what world leaders are really like? We ask those who have spent time in their orbits.
Meet the Modern Family: Mommy and Daddy (Divorced); Child; Parenting ConsultantLawyers are starting to serve in this new role to help angry ex-spouses make smart family decisions
Getting People to Listen to RealityA new volunteer resolution program is going a long way toward unclogging family court
Harry Sieben Still Knows Your RightsAnd he wants you to know them as well
Should Judges Make Jokes?Stephen Aldrich did and courtroom-monitoring group WATCH took offense. For good reason?
Like Winnie, Andy Brehm Grins When He Fights (Transcript)The Winston Churchill Society of Minnesota, a new conservative group, held its first meeting in August with more than 250 people in attendance, including keynote speaker Gov. Tim Pawlenty. It was a powerful reminder in the age of Obama that the right is alive and well in the Twin Cities. The group was founded by attorney Andy Brehm, who wants to stop the shouting and start exchanging ideas. Below we present some of his.
Rising Stars of Minnesota LawThese bright young lawyers are on their way up: Kristine Boylan
, Stephen Ling, Nicholas May, Joani Moberg, Ann O’Reilly, Steven Sitek
Lawsuits of the Year 2009It’s been a busy year in Minnesota courts, with angry folks bringing all kinds of problems to the judges. Our courts have seen folks ranging from the strippers at the King of Diamonds Gentlemen’s Club to a cast of real-life characters just about as interesting (and, often, as weird) as the inter-orbital bar scene folks in Star Wars. Not to mention that some significant law has been made.
The Good News 2009The year stunk. Capitalism faltered, we all got poorer, cheats and thieves in high places came out of the woodwork, and the Timberwolves hovered near the bottom of the league. But not all is wrong in our world. A few things to cheer about ...
David Moskal’s Final DaysAfter serving time for defrauding clients, David Moskal moved to Colorado and tried to rebuild his personal injury practice. Things went downhill from there
In MemoriamWe remember Minnesota's leaders in law and politics who passed away this year
Collin’s ChallengeThere are reasons why Rep. Peterson doesn’t hold town hall meetings. The logistics are tough. And the constituents are … unpredictable
My Afghanistan JournalRetired Minnesota judge Bernard Boland recounts six months of boots on the ground
BriefsPit bull attacks and deadly gas leaks make for a race that Chris Dahlberg will never forget; Best Band Names in Minnesota; Lawyer Bob Fox’s life in table tennis; The Freedom Club stands at the forefront of local conservative fundraising
Turkeys of the Year 2009Unfaithful politicians, cops gone wild and morons with microphones.
Irrational BehaviorHow the state gets it wrong when assessing criminals with bipolar disorder
The Lean, Green Dancing MachineBalance is no issue for Eliza Clark
Yes Sir, Yes Sir, Three Bags Full (of Pizza)Colleen Doran juggles business law and coal-fired pizza at Black Sheep
The Art of Being an AttorneyChris Carlson focuses a Hollywood lens on lawyering
Hiding Cookies in Gen Olson’s DeskWho knew the legislature was so full of hijinks?
LettersLetters to the editor
Advice to the New Republican Party Head Tony SuttonChuck Slocum understands a thing or two about being down: He took over the reins of the Republican Party after Watergate
Little Big ManMatt Little has seen the world change—with a little help from himself
Protecting the ProtectorsWith Wills for Heroes, Susan Link helps lifesavers breathe easier
The Case Against TortureThe Reverend Peg Chemberlin speaks her mind
What Is Life Worth?Susan M. Holden faced the daunting task of compensating 35W bridge collapse
For Women OnlyJuris Divas challenges the old boys’ network
How the DFL Got Its Groove BackThe party was wobbly not long ago; now it has sizeable majorities in both the state Senate and House. How did that happen?
Robert’s Rules of OrderRobert Weinstine on the civility of yesteryear
What Would Floyd B. Do?Once upon a time, another high-profile Minnesota governor was faced with a huge deficit, dwindling revenues and difficult choices. Here's how he responded
No Direction HomeWhat's behind the shocking number of homeless students in the Twin Cities, and what's being done about it
Not Your Ordinary JoeHow Joe Friedberg wins friends and influences people
Becoming Nadine StrossenBefore heading east to run the ACLU, she was a Minneapolis attorney with two secretaries and endless idealism
The Right Is RightWhy positive GOP solutions will win the day over DFL pessimism
Ice ManBrian Schoenborn runs a hockey empire out of his St. Cloud office
Sweat SuitsGreg Jackson of the Wolves and Kevin Warren of the Vikings keep the game inside the lines
Sports Turkeys2009 has been a terrific year for idiocy in the world of sports, as we verify for you below
Breaking Legs in Mondale HallU of M Law School students take to the stage
Ham and Spice and Everything NiceA Spam Bloody Mary? Robins Kaplan served one up for a good cause
Rolling on the RiverJanelle Kendall and family rock Stearns County
The Dwight StuffDwight Opperman went West as a young man, and the rest is history
Dwight Opperman: The Q&ADwight on trading wines with Warren Burger, breaking bread with Larry King, and offering an exhausted Bill Clinton a place to crash
Why They Love Him in IowaDwight Opperman's enduring affection for Drake Law School
The Politics of TelevisionMeet our state's top TV political beat reporters. Not a Ted Baxter in the bunch
Pulling the Welcome WagonLora Mitchell Friedemann breaks new ground in Minnesota's IP world
Where There’s Smoke, There’s Russ MeltonHe makes business boom at Meagher & Geer
Claims AdjustersThe folks at Schwegman create a new way of sorting patent portfolios
Steve Bergerson’s Back PagesBefore becoming one of Minnesota's top intellectual property lawyers, he wanted to be Keith Moon
Bringing a Little Oslo to FargoRon McLean is North Dakota's Norwegian consul
When Tom Daschle CallsState Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry represents South Dakota's 5th District
Prairie JusticeSave for a stint in Tehran, William Dittrick has been Omaha all the way
Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation NumbersThe headline above is the 1996 winner of the Diagram Prize, awarded annually in Britain to the book with the oddest title of the year. Some of the past winners include the following titles (remember, these are real books):
CORRECTIONA Well-Aged Firm We Missed
Time to Eschew ObfuscationBy Judge Jon Stafsholt of the District Court for the 8th Judicial District of Minnesota
Lebedoff on Orwell and WaughBook Review—The Same Man: George Orwell & Evelyn Waugh in Love and War
I’m 55, Successful and Financially Solvent. Now What?What late-career lawyers do to make their third act count
One Moment at a TimeFred McGrath, who facilitates personal development seminars and workshops for attorneys writes here on how attorneys can live more fully in the present moment.
Oh, The Things They’ve SeenA look back at Minnesota law and politics through the ages as experienced by Mel Heckt, Ward Lewis and the late Wille Radde Tuvey
In With the OldA look back at 13 Minnesota firms that have seen the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries
The 50 Largest Law Firms Our yearly look at the numbers behind the firms with survey results from public employers of lawyers.
Guilty Until Proven Innocent How a horrifying, unfounded accusation nearly ruined Ali Sid Abdilahi
Because It’s My Goddamn Law FirmThe inside story on the Heins Mills & Olson compensation dispute
Conversation with Governor Tim PawlentyWhat happens when you bump into the governor at a San Francisco airport?
Minnesota's Legal Hall of FameAfter much consideration and plenty of debate, we decided on the 100 most influential attorneys in state history—a
Super Lawyers list for the ages, if you will.
The GOP Pep RallyOne of our state's finest poets finds himself in the middle of the Republican convention and discovers it's no place for grown-ups.
Attorneys Under AttackArmed fugitives, kidnappers and gun-wielding courtroom rivals face off with lawyers.
I Am Canada (and So Can You)The joys and problems of a Minnesota expatriate.
All Seriousness InsideBuy our publisher's new book or I lose my job
The Influence of Minnesota’s JusticesWhen our state supreme court decides an issue, other states listen
