Minnesota Lawyer

Their stories are truly inspirational. Even as they work in a profession that can demand the billable hours, and the often-grueling preparation of legal research, client communications and attention to detail, these professionals never lose track of motivation, passion and vision.

Since 2008, Jessica Detko has been one of Fish & Richardson’s most in-demand paralegals — especially now that she’s part of a four-person post-grant specialty team.

As a records specialist at Robins Kaplan, Jennifer Domholt fills an indispensable role at one of the Twin Cities’ largest law firms.

Barb Ell considers her Bowman and Brooke colleagues a second family, one she serves from Minneapolis as human re-sources director for the entire firm of 420 attorneys and staff in 13 offices nationally.

After more than 30 years at General Mills as a consumer insights manager, Pat Ewald wanted to “do something very different to round out the last years of my career.”

As a teenager growing up in the Twin Cities, Molly Gulbrandson grew fascinated by a neighbor who worked as a criminal defense attorney.

As office manager and paralegal for Honsa Mara Landry in Minneapolis, Laura Haupt-Coleman more than has her hands full. But that’s how she likes it.

A trio of paralegals at Blackwell Burke have been a fixture at the firm practically since it opened in 2006, and the three— Katrina St. Clair, Des Hinds and Jallison Hubbard — have become loyal and trusted employees.

Sue Heger is an essential worker at Dorsey & Whitney. As the firm’s advocacy legal support manager, Heger supervises about 40 legal assistants — during normal times.

In mid-March, when Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency in Minnesota due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office’s technology team faced a daunting task.