Mr. Arnott is originally from Australia but has lived in St. Paul, MN since 1991. He has taught in the Legal Studies department at Hamline University since 2008, having previously taught family law and legal writing at William Mitchell College of Law and served as the legal instructor at the Minneapolis Business College. Professor Arnott is a past chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Family Law Section and of the Ramsey County Bar Association Youth & the Law Committee. Before entering legal practice, He was a diplomat in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, serving in Canberra and Nairobi. In his spare time, Professor Arnott umpires Australian Rules football and referees soccer.

Mr. Case focuses on civil litigation and municipal prosecution. Before joining our firm, Andrew clerked for several judges in Minnesota District Court and the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He is experienced in litigating a variety of complex civil matters involving appellate litigation, corporate liability and business disputes, medical malpractice and professional liability, real estate disputes, as well as employment litigation. Mr. Case is likewise experienced in prosecuting and defending criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. He takes pride in serving his clients as a trusted confidant and devoted advocate. Mr. Case earned his J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law and holds a business degree from the University of St. Thomas.

Ms. Edwards focuses on the firm’s family law practice. She brings years of legal experience from her previous positions with the Boulder County Court Clerk’s Office and the Boulder County Family Court Facilitator’s Office, as well as her previous work as a family law paralegal in Colorado. Ms. Edwards primary duties include calendaring, document drafting, financial documentation management and client file management. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and received her Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Certificate from Arapahoe Community College.

Leondra Hanson joined the Hamline faculty in 2008 after several years teaching, training, and practicing law in the Twin Cities. She earned her BA from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and her JD from the University of Minnesota. Professor Hanson’s scholarly and professional work focuses on women and law, sexual assault and harassment, and legal education. Professor Hanson chairs the Legal Studies Department and directs the paralegal and graduate legal programs at Hamline. From 2010-2012, she served as the Hamline University Director of Learning Outcomes Assessment, overseeing the curriculum assessment strategies across all disciplines and helping educators improve their teaching by focusing on their goals. She also is the former Director of Hamline University’s Center for Justice and Law. In her law practice, Professor Hanson has tried jury trials and represented clients in civil litigation in a wide range of legal matters including sexual assault and harassment, real estate, and employment discrimination. She has provided counsel, risk prevention, and training to professionals in human resources, legal, advocacy, and real estate fields. Professor Hanson is a former board member of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and served on the Minnesota State Bar Association Alternative Legal Models Task Force. She has been an active member of the American Association for Paralegal Education. At home, she is the mother of three busy teenagers, a hockey fan, and the treasurer of the Wayzata Theatre Boosters. In the classroom, Professor Hanson believes in the importance of embedding professional skills in the context of the liberal arts. She focuses on teaching students to understand and interpret the complicated texts that make up the law and on giving them the tools to continue learning- as professionals or in other academic settings. She teaches a number of courses including Real Property, Law in the Lives of Women, Legal Research and Writing, and the department’s introductory course: Legal Systems. She has also taught First Year Seminars and Senior Seminars on topics related to juries, controversial judicial outcomes, and access to justice.

Mark J. Karon is an attorney and director of the University of Minnesota Student Legal Service. Prior to the University, he was an associate attorney with Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi, practicing in personal injury and mass tort litigation. He has experience in trial and legal counseling in consumer affairs, domestic relations, criminal defense, civil litigation and administrative law. He is also responsible for co-curricular and law-related educational programs at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Karon is also an adjunct professor of litigation practice and private practice practicum at Hamline University School of Law. In addition, he has been an instructor in torts, personal injury and product liability law, legal research and writing, case investigation and trial preparation at Hamline University in the legal studies program. Mr. Karon has also served as a professor at Inver Hills College and the Minnesota Paralegal Institute. He currently serves as international president of the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association Student Legal Services. He received his B.S. degree with high distinction from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego. Mr. Karon is a member of the Hennepin and Ramsey County Bar Associations, the Minnesota State Bar Association, the State Bar of California, the American Bar Association (member, Litigation and Family Law Section), the Minnesota Association of Justice, the American Association of Justice, Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice and the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association. Mr. Karon is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs across the country.

Ms. O’Keefe has been named a Minnesota Rising Star by Super Lawyers for several years. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where she teaches Advanced Family Law. Ms. O’Keefe has been invited to speak on a number of topics, including International Service of Process, Interstate and International Child Custody, and Establishing Child Support, among others. She also serves as co-editor of Minnesota CLE’s Divorce Practice Deskbook, a resource for family law practitioners across the state. In addition, Ms. O’Keefe serves as a board member for the Family Law League, a local non-profit organization focused on professional development and promoting collegiality among family law professionals. Her interest in and passion for helping families developed during law school when she began volunteering for Tubman, a family violence prevention organization. Ms. O’Keefe has continued her involvement with Tubman and regularly volunteers her time to Tubman’s legal clinics for self-represented litigants.

Mr. Willems is a litigator primarily practicing in business and tort litigation. His business litigation practice mainly focuses on the real estate and construction sectors, where he guides clients through construction defect, mechanic’s lien, contract and quasi-contract, commercial, and general liability disputes. As a tort litigator, Mr. Willems concentrates on complex cases that involve wrongful death, serious bodily injury, and substantial property damage.Mr. Willems has significant experience representing both individuals and companies during the course of litigation, and at mediation, arbitration, trial, and on appeal. He recently obtained a substantial jury verdict in favor of his client in an insurance subrogation action. He also successfully got a discrimination lawsuit dismissed against his client on summary judgment in federal court. Mr. Willems is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Construction Law Section Council and the Association of General Contractors Contracts Committee, He recently served on the executive board of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Mr. Willems is recognized as a Minnesota Rising Star by Super Lawyers in construction and personal injury, and has been selected as an Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer. He was also recently named a Top Lawyer by Minnesota Monthly in construction law. Mr. Willems serves as co-chair of Bassford Remele’s Construction Practice Group and is a member of its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Team and Pro Bono Committee.