I have practiced law since 1996 in the area of wealth transfer (estate) planning and administration.

Prior to establishing my own law practice, I was a member of the estate planning group at Lindquist & Vennum P.L.L.P., and later at Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A. I also have previous experience as a financial associate with the Minneapolis-based wealth management firm of Lowry Hill.

My professional affiliations include memberships in the Minneapolis Estate Planning Council, the Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship, and the American, Minnesota State, and Hennepin County Bar Associations. I am past chair of the Hennepin County Bar Association Probate and Trust Law Section and have served as an officer since 2005. I have lectured on estate planning, estate administration, and related matters at the University of Minnesota and at numerous seminars, and have served as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota, Hamline University, and a local community college. I am a past board member of Sojourner Project, a battered women’s shelter serving the Western Twin Cities suburbs.

I reside in Prior Lake, Minnesota with my husband and six year old daughter, and enjoy participating in church activities, vocal music, most sports, reading, and cooking.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1996
• University of Minnesota Graduate School of Education, M.A. in Educational Policy and Administration, 1990
• University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, B.A. in Political Science, cum laude, 1985

Professional Associations & Memberships

• American Bar Association, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Probate and Trust Law Section, Elder Law Section
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • 2007-2008 Chair
  • 2006-2007 Vice Co-Chair
  • 2005-2006 Program Co-Chair
• Minneapolis Estate Planning Council
• Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship

Publications and Presentations

• Co-authored chapter on Will Contests in the Minnesota Estate Administration Manual, 2nd Edition (2002), 3rd Edition (2006), 4th Edition (2007), and 5th Edition (2008), and presented chapter at Minnesota Continuing Legal Education Conferences in 2002 and 2007.
• Developed and presented training on the Minnesota estate administration process to tribal court members of the Mille Lacs Bank of Ojibwe Tribal Court.
• Developed and presented seminar on “Estate Planning for Tribal Members” at the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Today's Woman Conference.
• Developed and presented seminar on “Basic Estate Administration for the Minnesota Paralegal” for the Institute of Paralegal Education.
• Developed and taught the Estate Planning section of an Agricultural Law Applied Economics course at the University of Minnesota.
• Developed and taught “The Law of Business Organizations” course at Hamline University.
• Developed and taught an American Government course at Maranatha College.
  

Recognition
Rising Star, 2004 and 2006 (Minnesota Law and Politics)