MINNEAPOLIS— The Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA) recognizes eight attorney members with its 2020 HCBA Excellence Awards. The awards honor members for their service to the local legal profession, the community, and the association. The HCBA selected eight members for their work from among six different categories. These members will be recognized in the July issue of the Hennepin Lawyer. The awards will be distributed during a member event during the 2020-2021 Bar Year.
• Evan Berquist (Cozen O’Connor) for Providing Pro Bono Service: Berquist has dedicated significant time to pro bono efforts involving technology education for disadvantaged youth in Minnesota and East Africa. He also won a federal court case that allowed First Lutheran Church to keep operating a shelter for individuals who are homeless.
• Kathryn Johnson & Kirsten Schubert (Dorsey & Whitney) for Providing Pro Bono Service: Johnson and Schubert are pro bono leaders at their firm. They devoted nearly a decade of work to overturning the death sentence of a man with an intellectual disability who was wrongly put on death row.
• Rachel Hughey (Merchant & Gould) for Mentoring in the Profession. Hughey has been a steadfast advocate for advancing women in the profession through mentoring, board service, and inviting newer attorneys to take part in meaningful work.
• Satveer Chaudhary (Chaudhary Law Office) for Mentoring in the Profession. Chaudhary is a dedicated mentor to new attorneys through involvement with community groups, bar association activities, and job shadowing.
• Luke Grundman (Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid) for Improving Access to Justice. Grundman has been instrumental in growing the work of MMLA’s Minneapolis Housing Unit and increasing representation for low-income clients in housing matters.
• Cheri Templeman (Templeman Law) for Improving Access to Justice. Templeman has provided numerous hours of legal services to persons civilly committed at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program.
• Allison Plunkett (Henson & Efron) for Serving the Association/Foundation. Plunkett has created connections in the HCBA through running the summer softball league and serving on the HCBF Golf Classic Committee.
The Hennepin County Bar Association is the largest of Minnesota’s local bar associations, with a membership of over 8,000, serving the profession and the public.