Schaefer Halleen

Phone: 612-294-2600

Website: https://www.schaeferhalleen.com

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We are a fun-loving group of 10 employment law attorneys and 5 administrative professionals who really enjoy working together, are dedicated to our clients, and believe in promoting justice in the workplace.

Our practice is plaintiff-side, contingent fee, employment law litigation. We represent individuals in employment discrimination and retaliation litigation and mediation, as well as pre-litigation negotiation of severance agreements and other employment disputes. We work collaboratively so that associates are exposed to (and included in) key phases of client representation, including client intake, counseling, depositions and hearings. We provide mentoring to our associates through working closely with (and getting feedback and guidance from) senior lawyers on drafting proposal letters, complaints, etc., as well as by interacting with clients and opposing counsel. We also seek out external training resources where appropriate, such as through Minnesota CLE, NITA, and others.  We take the team approach to most matters, and keep communication and feedback as a priority.  For example, we have a weekly all-attorney meeting to discuss case strategy and legal or tactical issues, a firm-wide meeting every month to review our caseload and investigative files, and team meetings on specific cases.

We do not have a formal pro-bono program, but because our practice is mostly contingent fee, we are able to represent individuals who need advocacy but are not able to pay hourly fees.  In terms of our community involvement, every year, the whole office takes off an afternoon of work and we volunteer at a local charity organization. We are also members of many bar groups and we are active in our own communities.  For example, Larry and Toni volunteer extensively for the World Press Institute, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting excellence in global journalism.  The firm donates to various organizations focused on justice, equality, and human rights, and we look for opportunities to co-counsel and serve as amicus counsel on matters related to employment discrimination.

We all share the principle that employee rights and true equal opportunity aren’t abstract ideals, but the bedrock of what makes our society special and productive.  Because we work with discrimination topics every day, we are especially cognizant of the importance of valuing and promoting diversity in organizations and teams.  We are not satisfied with the firm’s own current level of diversity and we are committed to improving as best we can.

We expect to assign the summer clerk work on a range of employment discrimination matters, such as sexual harassment, discrimination based on age, religion, race, and gender, retaliation and whistleblowing, as well as severance negotiations.  Work assigned will likely relate to cases both in litigation and pre-litigation. The assignments will mostly be research and writing, but there may be opportunities to observe and assist with client interviews, depositions, discovery, and other attorney activities depending on the case happenings at the time. The clerk will be included in our firm outings, which typically include a night at the Guthrie and/or a Twins game, and there may be other informal gatherings as well.

The ideal candidate is hardworking, dedicated and dependable. They can be counted on to execute and follow through, write clearly, concisely, and persuasively, in the active voice, and from an advocate’s perspective. They should be a strategic and creative thinker and researcher, able to identify all legal claims and find/focus on relevant legal authority and best claims. The clerk should be able to identify leverage points in negotiation have good judgment to fully and thoroughly assess claims, litigate efficiently, and yet also have the needed flexibility to adjust strategy as necessary. We seek candidates who have the ability to gain the trust of clients and colleagues with excellent communication and customer service skills.

Hourly pay for 1L clerks is $19 per hour.