Page 12 - 2021 Annual Awards Celebration
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2021 OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD WINNERS
 Kathy Klos
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
Direct Legal Service Award
Kathy Klos began her immigration career in 1997 working at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay, WI as an immigration counselor and then as an accredited representative until 2004. She attended the University of St. Thomas School of Law, graduating cum laude in 2007. Kathy was awarded the John R. Roach Fellowship for pursuit of a career in public interest and received the UST Living the Mission Award. She was involved in the St. Thomas chapter of MJF each year, and was co- chair her 3L year. During her first summer of law school, she received an MJF clerkship at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM). Kathy worked as a staff attorney at Centro Legal, Inc. in St. Paul, MN for two years and then started at ILCM in 2009, opening ILCM’s satellite office in Worthington, MN. Over the years as a staff attorney at ILCM Kathy has worked on various case types and supervised ILCM’s rural offices, intake, and pro bono programs. But her greatest joy has been helping individuals and families navigate the complex legal immigration system, and in the process, getting to know people from all over the world who have come to call Minnesota their home.
Jerry Blackwell
Blackwell Burke P.A.
Private Practice Lawyer Award
Jerry W. Blackwell is the founding partner, CEO and chairman of Blackwell Burke P.A. He serves as national and trial counsel for several major corporations, representing them in federal and state courts
in 47 states and internationally. Mr. Blackwell is an experienced trial lawyer with nationwide experience defending class actions, toxic tort, commercial disputes, products liability, and other high stakes complex cases. He has numerous winning jury verdicts and favorable settlements to his credit. He is a frequent presenter on winning trial strategies and how to communicate complicated legal, scientific, and business issues to jurors. He has also presented to several bar associations as well as various Fortune 500 clients and trade organizations.
As an active member of his community, Mr. Blackwell most recently served as a lead Special Assistant Attorney General in the successful prosecution of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. In 2020, in tandem with the Clayton
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