Minnesota Lawyer Honors Faegre Drinker Attorneys and Carver County Conciliation Court Referee Team With 2025 ‘Attorneys of the Year’ Award

Faegre Drinker attorneys who volunteer for the Carver County Conciliation Court referee team have been recognized by Minnesota Lawyer as 2025 “Attorneys of the Year” in the pro bono category. Faegre Drinker senior counsel Jim Volling was recognized in the “Outstanding Service to the Profession” category.

These annual awards are presented to attorneys for their work in procuring a successful result in an important case or business transaction, leadership in professional associations, participating in newsworthy events in the legal community, performing significant public services or excellence in providing in-house legal services.

The recognition honors Minneapolis-based partners Erica MacDonald, Martin Chester, Michael Cockson, Jeffrey Justman, Randall Kahnke, Larry LaTarte, Lauren Linderman, Peter Magnuson, Andrew Murphy, Kate Razavi, John Ursu and Aaron Van Oort for serving as referees for Carver County’s Conciliation Court cases. By volunteering to preside over court calendars, the Faegre Drinker attorneys enabled District Court Judges to focus on more complex matters and helped ensure the community maintained fair and timely access to justice.

Volling is a commercial litigator who puts decades of experience and client commitment to work for businesses. He is also known for his pro bono services and leadership over the course of his career, including his work focused largely on children, post-conviction representation and prisoner reentry. Volling has served in various leadership roles at the firm, including as Chair of the business litigation group and a member of the management committee.

The full list of award recipients is available to Minnesota Lawyer subscribers.