Liz Kramer, Minnesota Attorney General’s Office

In one of her most significant recent cases, Liz Kramer, Solicitor General of Minnesota, was instrumental in negotiating a settlement of a case that otherwise could have cost the state more than $500 million.

In Tyler v. Hennepin County, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that when the value of a property seized is greater than the tax debt, the surplus is protected by the Takings Clause in the Fifth Amendment. As a result, class action lawsuits were filed against the state of Minnesota.

Over the last year, Kramer worked hard with Hennepin County and St. Louis County attorneys to negotiate a settlement of $109 million fully funded by the Minnesota Legislature.

For many reasons, Attorney General Keith Ellison dubs Kramer “first among highly gifted lawyers” in his office. She represents state agencies, and she’s a national authority on arbitration.

How did she land at the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office? 

Kramer went to Mount Holyoke College, majoring in politics and economics. Law never entered her mind. She interned at the White House, and after college worked on William Luther’s successful congressional campaign. 

“I liked the idea of trying, through politics, to find solutions to people’s problems.” 

Kramer then got a job at the progressive think tank Campaign for America’s Future. “My boss, a Yale Law graduate, encouraged me to go to law school. I had no idea what lawyers did. He convinced me.” 

After graduating from Yale Law School, Kramer clerked for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Helen Meyer. 

“I wanted to work in the Attorney General’s Office, but they weren’t hiring. So, I started at Leonard, Street and Deinard (now Stinson LLP), handling commercial and construction litigation. I loved learning and variety: every case was different, meeting all kinds of people, solving problems.” 

She made partner, stayed for over 15 years, and started a popular blog about arbitration. “The blog did not have a comments section, but I did get the best response: getting hired by people all across the country.”