Roxanne Thorelli is a Senior Associate at Fredrikson and Byron specializing in representing clients with mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, and general corporate matters. Her work load would be impressive on its own, but Thorelli has a heart for pro bono work, receiving the Excellence Award for Pro Bono Service from the Hennepin County Bar Association in 2022. Volunteer work is so significant to Thorelli that she points to it being her inspiration for improving the legal profession.
“I believe my highest value of volunteering is through pro bono work. I have been provided many opportunities in life that others do not have the privilege of receiving. It is meaningful to give a voice to pro bono clients and allow them to be heard.”
Pro Bono work is not just a solo mission for Thorelli, but she also encourages other attorneys to assist with pro bono projects. By actively inviting younger attorneys and summer associates to join her as she advises clients, she works with them to gain skills in drafting documents and completing cases.
“I support them when they are prepared to provide advice themselves. I am a member of the pro bono committee at my law firm and the pro bono champion for my department [to] organize and motivate more attorneys about pro bono.”
All of her work centers around personal and professional achievement. She focuses on her goals and sets out to achieve them. And she’s happy to share where that drive comes from.
“I was told to find my passion. It is important to be introspective and to recall why you joined the legal profession, consider your current work, and see if you are fulfilled with your position. You may spend half of your life working and you deserve a job that is challenging but also that inspires you.”
Roxanne Thorelli is an inspiration to many, and her transparency gives hope to new attorneys. She knows that there is a place for everyone to make their mark. She leaves us with this:
“When I first started practicing law, I did not enjoy the legal area in which I was practicing. It was only during the pandemic that I took the opportunity to assess my happiness and realized my preference. It is okay to change your mind or realize that the job was not what you originally envisioned. Take charge of your own life and determine what is best for you.”