Page 13 - 2021 Annual Awards Celebration

2021 OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD WINNERS
Jackson McGhie Memorial, Mr. Blackwell and his firm secured the first posthumous pardon in Minnesota history for Max Mason, a young Black man who was wrongfully convicted of raping a White woman in 1920. He is also a founder of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers (MABL). In 2011, Governor Mark Dayton appointed Mr. Blackwell to serve as an at-large member of the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Appointments. He served from 2011-2019.
Mr. Blackwell received his Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a Morehead-Cain scholar, and he received his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Minnesota Attorney of the Year, and Minnesota Super Lawyer.
When not zealously defending clients, Mr. Blackwell enjoys beekeeping, meditation, and is an avid hobby farmer.
Steve Schleicher
Maslon LLP
Private Practice Lawyer Award
Steve Schleicher is a renowned trial lawyer with deep experience in high profile cases. He concentrates his work on high stakes criminal and civil litigation, government and internal investigations, and appellate practice—and leads Maslon’s Government & Internal Investigations Group. Steve’s extraordinary trial skills are well known throughout the United States and the world. Most recently, he has been recognized for his role as a special prosecutor in the internationally televised homicide trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Steve received high praise for his prominent role conducting jury selection and witness examination. His devastating cross-examination of the defense use-of-force expert received national acclaim, and his powerful closing was viewed as a pivotal factor in the trial verdict.
In his white collar criminal defense practice, Steve represents individuals accused of financial crimes involving health care, agriculture, and corporate embezzlement. As a business litigator, Steve served as liaison defense counsel for a leading corn seed developer in a consolidated action involving over 65,000 plaintiffs, and he has represented a leading medical device manufacturer in product liability lawsuits in numerous state and federal courts across the country.
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