About Ross Pfund
Ross Pfund is the managing editor of Super Lawyers. He is the editor of the Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, Louisiana and Southwest magazines. An award-winning editor and writer with more than 20 years of experience, he has a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota. His work has also appeared in the Star Tribune and the Norman County Index. As a child, he knew he was cut out for a career in journalism because he never once stuck his hand into his father’s printing press.
Articles written by Ross Pfund
Things to Know When Considering a Cabin Trust in Minnesota
When the time comes to pass down the family cabin to the next generation, Minnesotans have a few options. One of those is a cabin trust, in which the cabin and funds are placed into a trust. Following rules set by the creator of the trust, a trustee — often but not always a member of the younger generation — oversees the decisions related to use, maintenance, and more. Before deciding to set up a cabin trust, David W. Jacobsen of Jacobsen Law Firm in Northfield suggests taking a step back. …
Navigating the Legal System When You're Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Navigating the legal system can be tricky for anyone, but Minnesotans who are deaf or hard of hearing may face additional challenges. As the only attorney in the state who is a court-certified American sign language interpreter, Heather Gilbert has represented deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, and hearing-impaired clients for years in matters like estate planning and employment law. She offers an example of how accessing the legal system can be more complicated for clients like hers. “If a …
What Is Disparate Impact Discrimination?
Federal and state anti-discrimination laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, and other protected characteristics. Some types of discrimination are more easily recognizable than others. For example, if an employee is fired and there’s a smoking-gun comment about their race, gender, or disability, it’s easy to see that potentially illegal discrimination was at play. Other forms of discrimination aren’t as commonly understood, …
Family Law in the Pandemic
From questions about co-parenting arrangements to delays in court proceedings to the shift to remote proceedings, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge effect on family law matters. As soon as the pandemic hit in early 2020, the questions started rolling in. “Family law lawyers are constantly dealing with emergencies and fires,” says Eliza Steinberg, a family law attorney at Griffiths Law in Lone Tree, Colorado. “Immediately, the phones started ringing off the hook with concerns about …
Critical Save
‘Pro Bono Paladin’ Mark Surprenant lives up to the monikerThere are pro bono partners and there are pro bono coordinators, but there’s only one pro bono paladin. Mark Surprenant had the title bestowed upon him by a fellow lawyer at Adams & Reese to honor Surprenant’s hands-on leadership. “It’s certainly different, that’s for sure,” he says with a laugh. The of counsel attorney at the firm’s New Orleans office has been involved in pro bono work since volunteering at the Rhode Island Legal Aid Society after his first year of law …
Cannabis Business in Arizona: The Basics
On November 3, 2020, Arizona voters passed Proposition 207 with nearly 60% of the vote. The initiative legalizes the adult use of recreational cannabis and allows for marijuana to be taxed on the state and local levels. Justin M. Brandt, who handles cannabis law and real estate matters at Bianchi & Brandt in Scottsdale, wasn’t surprised that Prop 207 passed. “All the polls that we were seeing, particularly in Arizona, indicated that it had a lot of support,” he says. “In the past …
How To Form a Union
Many workers may be interested in exploring how forming a union could help keep them safe in the workplace and protect their employee rights. Employment and labor attorney Joe LeBlanc of LeBlanc Law & Mediation in Minneapolis has seen increased interest amongst workers in starting up union-organizing campaigns. “A lot of the times,” LeBlanc says, “things that really get people motivated to organize a union campaign are safety issues... For example, are they getting the right …
Can You Sign and Notarize Legal Documents Electronically?
You can sign and notarize legal documents electronically in states that recognize electronic notarization. Remote appearance online notaries use audio-visual technology to witness the electronic signature, and provide a notarial seal digital certificate. Fraud prevention measures include knowledge-based authentication with credential analysis on a secure platform. State filing requirements for wills or real estate closings may include electronic record retention in an online notary journal or …
COVID Employment Questions Answered
Employees in Minnesota have plenty of questions in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic. Are you entitled to: Sick leave for COVID-related reasons? What can you do if your employer isn’t adequately protecting your workspace? Is working from a home office covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? We spoke with employment lawyer David Schlesinger of Nichols Kaster in Minneapolis, who shed some light on these directives and concerns. What Concerns Are You Hearing From Employees About …
How COVID-19 Is Affecting Family Law Matters
We recently spoke to family law attorney Marc Kaplan of Ciancio Ciancio Brown in Denver, who shared what he’s been hearing from clients in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his thoughts on how the public health crisis might continue to affect the legal system moving forward. How Has the Pandemic Affected Your Practice? It’s changed in terms of logistics: Working from home; doing things virtually. But also, the focus is different. You can’t turn on the TV or the radio …
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