Rebecca Egge Moos – Bassford Remele

For 33 years Rebecca Egge Moos has been an invaluable asset to Minnesota’s legal community, particularly for her leadership, professionalism, ethics and legal acumen.

She is a woman of many firsts. Fresh out of law school in 1977, Moos was the first woman lawyer hired by Bassford Remele. In 1996, she became the first woman to serve as president of the Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association. In 2001, she was the first woman from Minnesota to be inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, and four years later, was the first woman elected chief executive officer of her law firm.

Dakota County District Court Judge Kathryn Messerich, once a colleague of Moos, said that “with grace and good humor” Moos worked through a time when their mutual clients didn’t really believe that women could effectively try cases.

“She paved the way for many women who fortunately will not have to deal with the presumption that their gender would make them less than effective advocates,” said Messerich.

Moos has long been a leader in bar associations and professional organizations as well. In addition to her work with MDLA, she was president of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, chaired and vice-chaired the Fourth District Ethics Committee for many years, and led the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Commission on Multidisciplinary Practice. She continues to be active in state and federal bar associations and serves on the MSBA’s Jury Instruction Subcommittee and the University of Minnesota Law School’s Board of Directors. Her awards include the Defense Research Institute’s Exceptional Performance Citation and the MSBA’s President’s Award, which she received twice.

“When Moos decides to do something, she gives it her all and does it with enthusiasm,” said University of Minnesota Law School Dean David Wippman. “She has developed an outstanding career and gives back to the profession with great integrity and accomplishment.”

Moos said that her firm has always strongly encouraged participation in professional organizations, so early on she realized the value of these activities.

“I found that engaging in collegial gatherings with other lawyers was a lot of fun and gave me chances to learn things never found in books,” she said. “I just love the legal profession and these activities give a broader perspective than is possible in connection with work on a specific case.”

As a lawyer focusing on professional liability, licensing and the defense of pharmaceutical companies, Moos is known among her colleagues as someone who practices law at the highest level.

“Moos is simply an institution in Minnesota law,” said Minneapolis lawyer William Sieben. “She tries cases throughout Minnesota. She gives back to the profession and to the community in general.”

For her part, Moos said that what she enjoys the most about her career is helping clients through the challenges of litigation.

“The process can be very difficult,” she said. “And I really like the analysis of complex factual and legal issues.”