Andy Crowder selected among 2023 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer

Andy Crowder has been honored as a 2023 Attorney of the Year in the Pro Bono category by Minnesota Lawyer for his role in securing reform of Minnesota's pardon system.

Before the recent legislative change, a Minnesota statute from 1896 required that all three members of the Minnesota Board of Pardons—the Governor, Attorney General, and Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court—unanimously support a pardon for relief to be granted. Crowder challenged that century-old law as unconstitutional, suing the three members of the Board of Pardons after his pro bono client was denied a pardon due to the unanimity requirement, despite support from the Governor and Attorney General. The Governor sided with the challenge during litigation, and the case went all the way to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

This recognition from Minnesota Lawyer honors Crowder and the Governor’s counsel, Jacob F. Siegel, Barry Landy and Kyle W. Wislocky of Ciresi Conlin LLP, for pushing the position and the lawsuit that led to this legislative reform of Minnesota’s legislation on pardons and commutations in 2023.

The annual Attorneys of the Year awards recognize lawyers for their work in procuring a successful result in an important case or business transaction, leadership in professional associations, participation in newsworthy events in the legal community, performing significant public services or excellence in providing in-house legal services.

Crowder and the 2023 honorees were celebrated at the Attorneys of the Year award ceremony on February 8.