Benjamin J. Butler, St. Paul | Attorney member. LPRB Chair.
Term expires January 31, 2026. Serves on the LPRB Executive Committee. Managing Attorney, Office of the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender. Area of expertise: Criminal law. |
Daniel J. Cragg, Minneapolis | Attorney member. MSBA nominee. Term expires January 31, 2026. Serves as chair of the LPRB Rules and Opinions Committee. Partner at Eckland & Blando, LLP. Member of MSBA's Rules of Professional Conduct Committee since 2014. |
| Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2028. MSBA Nominee. Former General Counsel for the Honeywell Laboratories; currently the General Counsel at Infinite Campus, Inc. Member of the Board of Governors for the Minnesota State Bar Association |
Michael Friedman, Minneapolis | Public member. Term expires January 31, 2026. Serves on the LPRB Rules and Opinion Committee and Equity, Equality & Inclusion Committee. Served on the Hennepin County District Ethics Committee nearly seven years. Former Executive Director of the Legal Rights Center. Former Board Chair of the Minneapolis Civilian Police Review Authority. |
Thomas Gorowsky, Minneapolis | Public member. Term expires January 31, 2027. Economic damages expert and forensic accountant with more than 15 years of financial, accounting, and expert witness consulting experience. Tom provides expert financial consulting services in a variety of litigation matters, including forensic accounting investigations, intellectual property infringement, breach of contract, insurance claims, business valuations, employment disputes, and white-collar crime. Tom is Vice President of Financial Advisors LLC in Minneapolis. Tom previously served on the Valuation Credentialing Board (VCB) and Credentialing Commission Board (CCB) of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA).. |
Elizabeth Henderson, Duluth | Public member. Term expires January 31, 2028. Office Manager, State of MN Board of Public Defense. Previous Chair of the Gernerations Health Care Initiatives. Masters of Business Administration. |
| Public member. Term expires January 31, 2028. Commercial Vehicle Inspector for the Minnesota State Patrol for 16 years and a part-time Court Correctional Officer for Clay County Sheriff's Office. Completed the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehensions Supervisor Certificate Program and has a associate’s degree in criminal justice. |
Paul J. Lehman, Minnetonka | Public member. Term expires January 31, 2026. Serves on the LPRB Training, Education and Outreach Committee. Former Member of the Minnesota Client Security Board. Served on Hennepin County District Ethics Committee for three years. |
Frank Leo, Lakeville | Public member. Term expires January 31, 2026. Director of Optum Advisory Services at UnitedHealth Group. Served on the 1st District Ethics Committee for six years. Treasurer for the Lakeville North High School Speech Boosters program. Former board member of the River Valley Nursing Center. |
Kevin M. Magnuson, Stillwater | Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2026. After 20 years of practicing law, joined the Washington County Attorney’s Office in 2019 and has handled complex civil and criminal matters, such as fraud and vulnerable adult cases, attorney ethics, redistricting, election law, multi-county joint powers boards, and advising the county board and administration. He is active in several nonprofit and charitable organizations. |
Melissa Manderschied, St. Paul | Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2026. Serves as the Bloomington City Attorney. Formerly served as counsel to several Minnesota cities and nonprofit organizations. Established a career in community organizing and land-use planning before becoming an attorney. Area of law: Government Law. |
Jill Nitke-Scott, Coon Rapids | Public member. Term expires January 31, 2027. Served on the 21st District Ethics Committee. With the Public Defender’s Office for 35 years. Steward for Support Staff for Board of Public Defense. |
Kristi J. Paulson, Burnsville | Attorney member. MSBA nominee. LPRB Vice Chair. Term expires January 31, 2028. Serves on the Executive Committe. President of Powerhouse Media. Minnesota Rule 114 Qualified Mediator and Arbitrator since 2017. |
William Z. Pentelovitch, Minneapolis | Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2028. Of counsel at Maslon, LLP. Trial lawyer for more than 46 years. Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers and 2020 Recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association. Served on the HCBA District Ethics Committee. Served eight years on Civil Trial Certification Council of the MSBA. Area of expertise: Complex Business Litigation. |
Jill Prohofsky, Golden Valley | Attorney member. MSBA nominee. Term expires January 31, 2027. Chief Child Support Magistrate. Oversees judicial officers in IV-D child support program. Appointed in all 10 judicial districts and continues to hear calendars. Has appeared in all 10 districts and over 50 counties over the years, which gives her a broad perspective. In her role with the Minnesota Judicial Branch, serves on a number of statewide project teams dedicated to improving remote hearings and ensuring access to justice. Also involved in the legal community. Member of the Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota State Bar Association, and Minnesota Women Lawyers. Enjoys serving on the MSBA High School Mock Trial Advisory Committee, a competition she has been judging for 15 years. Currently serving as the HCBA rep to the MSBA Assembly. Previously the Chair of the Minnesota State Bar Foundation, previously served on the Supreme Court Gender Fairness Implementation Committee, and served two terms on the statewide Committee for Equality and Justice. |
Matthew Ralston, Minneapolis | Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2026. Serves as a parents attorney with Hennepin County Adult Representation and on the Minnesota Supreme Court Rules Committee for juvenile probation. Member of the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association. |
| Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2028. General Counsel at the Court of Administrative Hearings. Former appellate public defender, adjunct professor, and judicial clerk in state and federal court. |
Wendy L. Sturm, Brainerd | Attorney member. MSBA nominee. Term expires January 31, 2026. Managing Attorney and Assistant Public Defender for the 9th Judicial District. Former police officer, guardian ad litem, and deputy sheriff prior to joining the defense bar. Area of law: Criminal Law. |
| Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2028. Served on the Hennepin County District Ethics Committee. Former Hennepin County prosecutor for 28 years. Currently teaches at the University of Minnesota Law School on Professional Responsibility.. |
Sharon H. Van Leer, Woodbury | Public member. Term expires January 31, 2026. Director for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Serves as Board Chair for South Washington County School District 833. Served on Fourth District Ethics Screening Committee. |
Carol R. Washington, Minneapolis | Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2026. Practiced in the private and public sector for 11 years. Prior to law school, worked in the nonprofit and government sector for 7 years. Serves as Charities Division Manager for the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General. Served on Attorney General Office’s Ethics Council. Served as a law clerk for Supreme Court Chief Justice Gildea after law school. Area of law: Government, Civil Litigation/Enforcement, Nonprofit/Charities. |
Antoinette M. Watkins, Minneapolis | Public member. Term expires January 31, 2027. Serves on LPRB Executive Committee. Regional Director for Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Territory. Ongoing and ad hoc as needed volunteer for various organizations within the Twin Cities. |
| Attorney member. Term expires January 31, 2027. Practices law as a contract attorney for the U.S. Attorney's Office and serves as a Referee for Ramsey County Conciliation Court. |
