Attorneys of the Year: William Lubov

In 2018, two clients of William Lubov were released from Minnesota’s sexual offender program decades after completing their criminal sentences. These were rare victories for patients in the controversial program that for years has been a political football few politicians or courts have wanted to touch.

Each of these clients had completed all aspects of their treatment and had almost universal support of their treatment teams, and either case should be considered a landmark decision.  The full weight of the Attorney General’s Office was brought to bear in an effort to oppose the discharge of one of the clients and the provisional discharge of the other client. The litigation over several years involved hearings at the Department of Human Services, Supreme Court Appeal Panels, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.

Lubov has represented individuals in commitment proceedings for more than 35 years.  In cases involving sex offenders, only recently have court challenges opened a path for their provisional discharge or release.  “Until the last few years, you could not get a judge to listen to any of these arguments because of the political ramifications,” said Lubov.

Civil commitment defense has been a “really valuable addition” to his skill set as a civil law, medical malpractice and personal injury litigator. Lubov has come a long way from his prior career as a musician and inductee into the Minnesota Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “I’m on the court room stage now,” he said.