Judge
Lawrence
R.
Johnson
Anoka County
Anoka County Courthouse
Phone: (763) 422-7440
Education:
Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, 1966-67 - Phi Eta Sigma, academic honor society
Rochester State Jr. College, Rochester, Minnesota, 1967-68 University of Minnesota, B.A. 1970 - Major: Journalism
- Dual Minors: History, Political Science
- Kappa Tau Alpha, journalism honor society
University of Minnesota Law School, J.D. 1975 - Magna cum laude
- American Jurisprudence Awards in Real Estate, Estate Planning, Insurance and Bankruptcy
National Judicial College, November 9, 2001, University of Nevada at Reno, General Jurisdiction Course
Professional Status:
Admitted to practice before the courts of: - State of Minnesota
- United States District Courts for the State of Minnesota
- United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Minnesota
- United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- United States Tax Court
- United States Supreme Court
Certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a specialist in real property law, 1990 - 2002
Career Synopsis:
April 2, 2001 - Judge of District Court, Anoka County, MN - appointed by Gov. Jesse Ventura on March 12, 2001
- Elected in 2002 and 2008. Current term expires in January 2015.
- Anoka County Law Library Board of trustees 2001-Present
- 10th Judicial District Finance/Administration Committee 2002
- Anoka County Community Corrections Advisory Board 2002-Present
January 1991 - March 31, 2001 - Barney, Guzy & Steffen, Inc. - served as director, chief financial officer, member of management committee and chairperson of the commercial/business division
- practice concentrated in the following areas:
- real estate purchase, development and land use
- common interest ownership communities
- financing of real estate development
- structuring of business organizations
- representation of borrowers and lenders in loan transactions
January 1983 - December 1990 - Partner/Shareholder in Steffen & Munstenteiger, P.A., and predecessor firms
- served as President of Steffen & Munstenteiger and primary negotiator for merger with Barna, Guzy, Merrill & Hynes, P.A.
- also served as chief financial officer of Steffen & Munstenteiger, P.A., and predecessors
- served as chairman of the commerical/business division of Steffen & Munstenteiger, P.A., and predecessor firms
January 1980 - December 1982 - associate attorney with Steffen, Mynstenteiger, Bearse, Beens, Parta & Peterson
May 1978 - December 1979 - employee with West Publishing, Inc.
- duties to review and write summaries of decisions of all courts, including the United States Supreme Court
October 1975 - May 1978 - Associate attorney with Babcock, Locher, Neilsen and Menalla of Anoka, Minnesota
- duties included family law, business law, wills, real estate, bankruptcy and prosecution for cities, including Champlin, St. Francis, Andover, Centerville and Lino Lakes
September 1972 - October 1975 - law school education
- independent contractor for various law firms and law clerk during the summer of 1974 for UDS Leasing Company
June 1970 - September 1972 - Employed by Rochester, Minnesota, Post-Bulletin
- started as copy editor and advanced to assistant news editor
- as assistant news editor, had authority for editorial production in absence of news editor
Civic and Professional Activities:
Anoka County Bar Association 1975 - present - served in all offices, including president
- member of Real Property Section
Minnesota State Bar Association - member, Real Estate Section
- member, Business, Banking and Corporate Law Section
Judicare of Anoka County, Inc. - served as director and officer from 1978 - 1983
Anoka-Coon Rapids Optimist Club 1982 - 1990 - president in 1984-85, and also served as director, secretary and treasurer
Coon Rapids Rotary Club - member since September 1991, served in all offices
Coon Rapids Charter Commission - member since 1991 - 1997
- served as vice chair
Anoka-Ramsey Community College Foundation - member June 1990 - June 1996, including one term as president
Mercy/Unity Hospitals Board of Trustees - 1997 to 2001
- finance committee - 1997 - 1999
- chair, development committee - 2000 - 2001
Allina Health System - audit committee - 1999 - 2001
Guest speaker/teacher - Fridley High School
- Anoka High School
- Coon Rapids High School
- Anoka Ramsey Community College
- North Hennpin Chamber of Commerce
- National Association of Public Purchasing Agents
- 1998 Real Estate Institute of Minnesota Bar Assn.
- 2002 Landlord/Tenant CLE program
U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society 1999 - present Central Minnesota Development Company - a SBA certified development company
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