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Hennepin
County Bar Association
Honors Two for Dedication to Professionalism
Minneapolis (5-26-09):
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The Hennepin County Bar Association
(HCBA) recognizes two individuals each year—a judge and
a lawyer—for their commitment to the highest of
professional standards in the legal community. These
professionalism awards are granted in the belief that
professionalism serves the best interests of clients,
fosters respect and trust between lawyers and the
public, promotes the efficient resolution of disputes,
and improves the administration of justice. The 2009
Professionalism Awards, presented at the
at the Annual Meeting of the
HCBA, Thursday, May 21, recognized the Honorable
Lloyd Zimmerman, judge of the 4th
Judicial District (Hennepin County) Court, and Leonard
Street and Deinard attorney
Allen Saeks.
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Judge
Lloyd Zimmerman
receives
the 2009 Professionalism Award recognizing his devotion
to the profession and to the rule of law as well as the
independence of the judiciary.
“He is extraordinarily
respectful of everyone who comes into contact with the
judicial system, including the litigants, witnesses,
court employees and lawyers,” said Hennepin County Bar
Association President Mary Vasaly. “Those who come in
contact with him come away knowing that he has been
heard, and that the judge has done his utmost to be
fair.”
A graduate of the
University of Illinois-Chicago and New York University
Law School, Zimmerman’s first job after law school was
on the Mille Lacs Reservation, where he started a legal
aid clinic and taught at an alternative school on the
reservation. Zimmerman then worked as a trial attorney
for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission until he
was appointed to the bench by Governor Jesse Ventura in
2001.
Zimmerman has been
actively involved in activities that serve the
profession and the community. He has served on pro bono
committees for both the Minnesota State Bar Association
and the Hennepin County Bar Association. He also
volunteers at the Simpson Homeless Shelter and the Read
to Kids program.
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Allen Saeks
is the recipient of the 2009
Professionalism Award for a lawyer. The annual
award is presented to a member of the Hennepin County
Bar who “best exemplifies the pursuit of the practice of
law as a profession, including the spirit of public
service and promotion of the highest level of
competence, integrity, and ethical conduct.”
Saeks
attended the University of Minnesota Law for
undergraduate studies and law school. As an attorney,
he has been a successful commercial and business
litigator. Recently, he served as chair for the Supreme
Court Advisory Committee to Review the Lawyer Discipline
System, a blue ribbon task force created by the
Minnesota Supreme Court to perform a searching
evaluation of the entire Minnesota attorney disciplinary
system. His valuable contributions in improving
professionalism are well known.
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The
Hennepin County Bar Association is the largest of
Minnesota’s local bar associations, with a membership of
8,400 members, serving the profession and the public.
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Hcba:dds:090521
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