Judge candidate: Juhl Halvorson
I have been selected by community members as a leader and I have demonstrated my passion for helping children. I have been a volunteer on the Board of Directors for Northwood Children’s Services for several years and I was asked to serve as chairman for two terms.
1 I was born and raised in Buffalo, Minn. I have been an attorney for 15 years. I live in Duluth with my wife and two daughters. I graduated from St. Olaf College and William Mitchell College of Law (with honors). I have been selected by community members as a leader and I have demonstrated my passion for helping children. I have been a volunteer on the Board of Directors for Northwood Children’s Services for several years and I was asked to serve as chairman for two terms. I have also been the President of the Robert Herman’s Scholarship for five years, granting scholarships based upon academic achievement and community service to students from Duluth and Silver Bay.
I have been an active member the Duluth Harbortown Rotary Club and currently serve as the President. I also volunteer as a youth softball coach. I operate my own law office in Duluth. My legal experience includes civil matters such as employment law, real estate, probate, estate planning, business, family law and criminal matters. I have argued cases at both the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Minnesota Supreme Court. I also work as an Assistant Professor of Business Law at the University of Minnesota-Duluth where I have taught over 600 students in the last 5 years about legal procedure, laws relating to individuals and businesses, and ethics.
2 It would be a great honor and responsibility to serve as a district court judge. I believe that my education and legal career have provided many important experiences. I want to take what I have learned about dedication to my community and my profession and give back as a judge.
3 It seems obvious, but my parents have been the biggest inspiration for my values, work ethic and commitment to community service. In terms of my mentors in the law, I have been lucky enough to work closely with several lawyers who have inspired me for different reasons. Here are a few examples: Jan Larson demonstrated kindness and patience in every part of his practice; John Peterson, who works incredibly hard as an attorney and still serves our country through military service; and John Fillenworth, who was my law partner until he retired, and had a practical approach to helping clients resolve their disputes.
4 Attorneys are fortunate to have assistance available through the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board if they need to discuss ethical standards applicable to lawyers so they don’t have to become dilemmas. As an attorney advising my clients, I have certainly discussed their ethical dilemmas with them but those are not situations that should be discussed in a public forum. What I can tell you about ethics is what I have taught my UMD students for years: The fact that something is legal doesn’t necessarily make it ethical.
5 Initially, I try to step back and objectively look at the situation. It is important to put myself in the difficult person’s shoes and try to understand if they are trying to tell me something with their behavior. Why aren’t they being more agreeable? Often if we hear people out, and give them the opportunity, they will tell us what they need and why.
I also to try consider if “being right” in the situation is more important than the issue at hand. I will try to demonstrate my willingness to compromise.
Finally, if that is not effective, I make sure that I clearly communicate reasonable and fair expectations for behavior and hold people accountable for not meeting the expectations.
6 My representation of any client or participation in any case should not be taken as an indication of how I would rule on case that would come before me as a judge. All lawyers have a responsibility to zealously advocate for their client’s interests within the bounds of the law.
7 While I am quite proud of my appellate work and successful law office, I consider my time spent teaching law at UMD the greatest accomplishment. My students often approach me years after they have been in my class for advice.
8 I devote more than 50 percent of my practice to family law. I have experience in criminal matters working for a city prosecutor and on the defense side. I also have experience in civil litigation, commercial transactions, and corporate law.
9 The constitution is the highest law. Judges are bound to interpret statutes that have been enacted by the legislature. Judges don’t make law, they interpret and apply the laws enacted by the State of Minnesota. If the law is not clear, the judge must try to understand the legislative intent and preserve it to the extent that is possible.
10 Under Minnesota law, when substantial and compelling aggravating or mitigating circumstances exist, the judge may depart from the presumptive sentence. To depart from the guidelines the judge must provide written reasons articulating the circumstances supporting the departure and demonstrating why the sentence imposed is more appropriate or fair than the guidelines. Each case has its own facts that would be thoughtfully considered. I would follow the law.
11 Many bail amounts are determined by law. The primary purpose of bail is to make sure the defendant attends court while also considering public safety.
12 Budget, cost, and complexity of the system are obstacles. Courts are forced to do more with less. Some ways to work around budget constraints include expanded early neutral case evaluations and mediation requirements in civil matters which have the potential for reducing the need for time consuming and costly use of court resources.
13 A major challenge is making court as accessible as possible for people. A major part of this is respecting their time. When citizens come to court they are often required to leave work and they spend a significant amount of time waiting. The court needs to be prepared to resolve their case in a timely manner.
14 Yes. Access to courts is extremely important. A key component to that is location, particularly in more remote areas where public transportation is not available. I would be strongly against any potential court closures.
15 Yes. I would focus on our schools and service clubs focusing on letting people know what the courts do with the goal of increasing confidence and respect for our judicial system.
16 Sports talk radio, MPR or ’80s mix on my iPod.
17 The people. I grew up in a smaller town like Two Harbors. In smaller towns people are the fabric of the community.
18 I was a member of the football team at St. Olaf.
Tags: two harbors, election 2010, news
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