Profile

Legal services provided

A Child Focused Practice, I limit my practice to those that help Minnesota families in positive ways:

• Adoption
• Collaborative Practice Divorce
• Wills, Estate and Trusts

Education

College of St. Catherine, B.A. 1996
 
William Mitchell College of Law, J.D. 2000
 
While attending law school in the evenings, Anne was a full time Judicial Law Clerk for various Judges at Ramsey County District Court:

• The Honorable Bertrand Poritsky
• The Honorable Roland Faricy and
• The Honorable John B. Van de North, Jr.

Also during law school Anne argued three times at the Minnesota Court of Appeals as a Certified Student Attorney (maiden name Anne Huntley).  Anne was invited to clerk for a Judge at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. After studying for the bar exam, Anne began her Judicial Clerkship forThe Honorable Gordon Shumaker

Professional License

Juris Doctor, 2000

Professional Activities and Memberships

International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
 
Collaborative Law Institute, Minnesota

• Task Force on Protocols
• Outreach Committee
• Public Education Committee
• Training Committee
• Facilitator of New Multi-Regional Multidisciplinary Group

Meetings with collaboratively trained professionals --including mental health professionals, financial specialists and attorneys-- to determine best ways to efficiently assist clients in the difficult transitions of their lives.

Minnesota State Bar Association

• Professionalism Committee
• Family Law Section
• Juvenile and the Law Section

Hennepin County Bar Association

• Family Law Section
• Juvenile and the Law Section

Minnesota Women Lawyers

Why I no longer provide litigation services

As I progressed as a trial lawyer in a large litigation focused law firm, I grew frustrated with the impression that what was in the best interest of most clients was to resolve the matter outside the traditional litigation model. Even my institutional (business) clients suffered a loss of employee productivity, moral, goodwill and even reputation in society during the litigation process. These losses were rarely recaptured through the proceeds of a successful suit. Worse, when suits were not successful, the litigation process only added salt to the wounds by increasing the losses sustained and adding in extensive attorney's fees. I began many days thinking that the only 'victors' in litigation were the lawyers whose fees were paid.

The thought of continuing in that environment with that world view became dreadful. I hired a job coach to help me find a new focus. All I knew was that I loved nothing more in the world than being my kid's mom. I wished I was proud to be a lawyer.

Finally, it dawned on me, I could do something that felt more helpful to my clients by changing the very services I provided. I decided to help other families grow through an Adoption practice.
Looking for other ways to help children and families I came upon the Collaborative Process. I am thrilled to be a part of this group of professionals who put their clients' real interests above all else. Even when it does not look "traditional" or seem to make economic sense to most lawyers to do so. The Collaborative Process allows attorneys to disconnect from traditional litigation process by letting the client's true goals and needs emerge and take the forefront. Full and complete disclosure is agreed to as a matter of course, rather than something sought to be avoided through adversarial positioning.

The parties do not complete the Collaborative Process until they have an agreement they can live with. The same can rarely be said when parties look to a disinterested judge to dispense justice. Too often the litigation process yields a clear loser and a 'winner' who spent an awful lot of money to get a result that might not be as a good of a result that could have been achieved much quicker and much cheaper through an alternative process. And the result would be one that they themselves selected, focusing on the unique characteristics of their lives.

Through this way of practicing law, I am helping children and families. I am proud to be a Collaborative Attorney.

Because I believe so strongly in this process, and in providing my clients with real choices and real alternatives, I offer a 1-2 hour initial consultation regarding the Collaborative Process when you make a charitable contribution to a child focused non-profit entity such as The Adoption Option Committee, The Gift of Adoption Fund, Youth Services Bureau, or simply bring along a bag of children's toys to be delivered to a local women's shelter.