Members of Minnesota’s legal community gathered on February 5 to celebrate the 2025 Attorneys of the Year, an annual list compiled by Minnesota Lawyer, at an event in Minneapolis. Mitchell Hamline alumni made up nearly a quarter of all honorees on this year’s list.
“This honor recognizes the work of so many incredible alums,” said Barbara Klas ’91, director of annual philanthropy and engagement. “I am so proud of our talented and impactful graduates who lead with distinction and make a difference for both their communities and the legal profession.”
In total, 23 alumni from different practice areas and industries were named to the list. Two alumni, Teresa Nelson ’96 and Kevin C. Riach ’08, were recognized twice for separate projects.
Attorneys of the Year aims to recognize practitioners for their work securing successful case or business results, providing excellent legal services, demonstrating leadership, participating in newsworthy events in the legal community, and performing significant public service. The list below contains only those honorees that are Mitchell Hamline alumni, with the full list of 2025 honorees available online.
2025 Attorneys of the Year
Groups
- Minnesota Legislature Quorum Lawsuits
- Lauren Bethke ’13 of the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office
- State of Minnesota v. Schierholz and Associates, Inc., and Paul Milton Schierholz
- Alethea M. Huyser ’08 of Fredrikson & Byron and Kevin C. Riach ’08 of The Law Firm of Kevin C. Riach
- Wilson Law Group Immigration Litigation Impact Team
- Gabriela Anderson ’23, Cameron Giebink ’21, and David Wilson ’97 of Wilson Law Group
Nonprofit & Government
- Cooper v. USA Powerlifting
- Matt Frank ’91 of Premo Frank
- St. Paul City Attorney’s Office
- Alex Dumke ’06, Dave Hunt ’93, Jessica McConaughey ’95, and Lyndsey Olson ’03
Outstanding Service to the Profession
- Samuel Edmunds ’07, Sieben Edmunds Miller
Personal Injury Verdicts and Settlements
- $5.4M Verdict for the Wrongful Death of 87-year-old Nursing Home Patient
- Kara Rahimi ’08 of Ciresi Conlin
- Jane Doe v. Thomas Incantalupo
- Kate Hockin ’18 and David Pagel ’21 of Hall Law
Pro Bono
- Carolyn Cadem ’13, Cadem Law Group
- Goyette et al. v. City of Minneapolis et al.
- Teresa Nelson ’96 of ACLU of Minnesota and Kevin C. Riach ’08 of The Law Firm of Kevin C. Riach
- Ramsey Kettle v. Otter Tail County et al.
- Teresa Nelson ’96 of ACLU of Minnesota; Sheila Niaz ’20 and Gabe Ramirez-Hernandez ’20 of Norton Rose Fulbright
Teams of Two
- Exposing Minnesota DWI Breath Test Systemic Flaws
- Charles Ramsay ’95 of Ramsay Law Firm
- In re the Trust Agreement of Doris M. Vos and Linus T. Vos
- Sarah Jewell ’11 of River Valley Law
- Investigation and Public Report regarding Mayo Clinic’s Charity Care and Debt-Collection Practices
- Sara Noel ’04 of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
- State v. Jorden Borders
- Mary Russell ’13 of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office