Working With Lori
She understands that ethics and values are the key to leadership
and government service…and instills a positive work ethic for all around
her.
There are good reasons why Lori Swanson was nominated for the
military’s Pro Patria Award by Assistant Attorney General Blaine
Markuson and Assistant Attorney General James
Haase. Jim is a Lt. Col. In the U.S. Marines and Blaine is a
Major in the U.S. Army.
Lori adheres to the highest standards of law, and her moral fiber
fits the environment of a public law office. Bill
Kuretsky, who served over thirty five years with four
Attorneys General, says that Lori leads by example: “Lori always exhibited
strong principles and a strong sense of ethical propriety.” Bill’s
comments are echoed by John Stanoch, a
former Chief Deputy Attorney General who also served as a District Court Judge
for eight years: “Lori Swanson has a strong work ethic and there never has
been any doubt about her total and principled commitment to serving the public
interest and the citizens of Minnesota. I was proud to work with Lori
Swanson and appreciate her service as Attorney General.”, says John.
Bill
Amberg, who served as an Assistant Attorney General,
observes: “Lori puts the people of the state before any personal or
political interest….there are few public servants who have the integrity, the
wisdom, or the enthusiasm of Lori Swanson.” Dan
Lipschultz, a former Assistant Attorney General now with a major
Minneapolis law firm, observes: “The Attorney General’s Office is a
prestigious place to work for attorneys, and it continues to be held in high
regard because of the strong leadership of Lori Swanson.”
Graduating at the top of her class and having served as Solicitor
General prior to being elected Attorney General, Lori’s legal skills command
respect from those who work with her Lori. Bill
Kuretsky describes Lori as an exceptionally hard working Attorney
General and “one of the smartest people with whom I worked.”
Corey
Gordon;, a Deputy Attorney General now with a Minneapolis trial
firm, previously was employed in New York at one of the largest trial law firms
in the world. He describes Lori as follows: “Lori Swanson is one of
the most impressive attorneys I have met. She is incredibly quick.
She is extremely respectful of others. She understands the importance of
propriety in the practice of law. She is an incredibly talented lawyer.”
John Stanoch
observes: “Lori knows the way. She goes the way. She sets the
way. Lori is a working Attorney General who will argue cases in court and
write briefs to support her arguments.” Jim Neher, who
served under five Attorneys General, notes: “Lori is a lawyer’s lawyer,
and she clearly enjoys probing each attorney to make sure that the state is
being competently represented.”
Lori likes to shepherd young lawyers through the legal
process. Former Assistant Attorney General Donald Heeman
is a trial lawyer with a large Minneapolis law firm. He describes Lori’s
mentorship as outstanding, providing the intelligence, the drive, and the
professionalism that gave him direction as a young lawyer. “I believe my
experience in working for Lori was a key part of my foundation as an attorney at
this firm.” Says Don, “I was personally surprised at the amount of “face
time” Lori was willing to spend with young lawyers…She clearly likes to coach
the talented, young lawyers and give them space to develop their skills.”
Corey Gordon
observes: “…Lori is tolerant of others, and provides whatever personal
sacrifice is necessary to assist others when they need help. Too many
lawyers know too much about too little. Lori gets them to think beyond the
narrow confines and recognize the public policy implications of the decisions
they make.” Kevin Zhao, now a
third year student at Harvard Law School, worked for Lori for two years after
graduating from the University of Minnesota: “My work with Lori in part
inspired me to pursue a career in law…She has a great sense of humor and a
terrific work ethic…She leads by example and inspires young people to better
themselves and to pursue careers in public service.”
Lori’s leadership is energetic, having a “managing by walking
around” style. David
Schneider notes: “She has the type of enthusiasm that inspires
others to serve in public office. Once hired as an Assistant Attorney
General, I had the opportunity to observe her give the office leadership that
commands the respect of her staff. While a few people seem confused by her
dedication to a “purpose driven” office, the vast majority understood her sense
of mission and were stimulated by it.” John Stanoch
notes: “Lori doesn’t administer personnel. She leads people.”
According to Brian Bergson,
who once served as communication director before getting married and returning
to the private sector: “Lori rewards those who work hard and play by the
rules. She is impatient with those who shirk their duties or engage in
“kiss up, kick down” demeanor. Lori remembers her roots.” Lori is
known to close files where the facts do not support the allegations made by the
Office. “Too many times an attorney will fall in love with a case and not
take the time to step back and reassess the merits of the case,” says Ken
Peterson, a former Deputy Attorney General now with a Washington
D.C. law firm. “One of the most difficult things to discuss
with an attorney is the closing of a file because the facts do not merit further
prosecution.” Jim Neher, with
over 35 years of experience with the Attorney General’s office, describes
Lori: "I found Lori to always be very friendly and extremely courteous of
others. She cares about her colleagues and is willing to express her
concern through frequent meetings, including division meetings, luncheons, and
the like."
Lori has a strong commitment to the citizen. Lori’s office
gets about 800 citizen calls and 100 or more citizen letters per day. She
will personally review and prepare responses to about 25 of the letters each
day. Believing that government is the servant of the people,
Lori requires attorneys to respond to constituents and tries to get the
responses out within 10 days of receipt. Chuck Mottl
served his entire career in the Attorney General’s Office, starting with
Attorney General Doug Head in 1970. Chuck was the manager of the Education
Division and also headed up the Citizens’ Response Operation. He met with
Lori up to three times a week reviewing thousands of letters. He describes
the experience as follows: “I always enjoyed my conferences with
Lori. She is an extremely hard worker who is incredibly bright. She
was quick to make suggestions on the edits, and she was very alert to pick up
trends in commercial, environmental or criminal activity. I found her to
be an absolute delight to work with on this important project.” “A number
of the former staffers complained about having to respond to the citizen.
They couldn’t adjust to the idea of a government agency that is responsive to
people,” says Assistant Attorney General Donald Heeman,
now an attorney at a major law firm in downtown Minneapolis. Mr. Heeman
adds: “Communication with the public goes both ways. It helps the
citizens but also helps the government lawyer remember that their work has an
effect on the daily lives of the people of Minnesota.” As noted by
Chuck
Mottl: “Our work in this area demonstrated to the public that
the office is a “People’s office” and that it is part of “government of the
people, by the people, and for the people.”
In short, Lori Swanson fulfills the expectation of Mark Twain on
leadership: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you
can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you
can, as long as ever you can.”
