Lawyers Jack Rice and Willow Anderson will be Awarded “Minnesota Attorneys of the Year” on 2/17/22
On February 17, 2022, Attorneys Jack Rice and Willow Anderson will be honored as “Minnesota Attorneys of the Year” for their work on the Christopher Columbus statue case that successfully created a blueprint for protestor cases in Minnesota and around the United States. The Award banquet will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis.
[Saint Paul Minn.]- Jack Rice, founder of the criminal defense firm Jack Rice Defense and Willow Anderson of the Public Health Law Center have been selected as a team for “Attorneys of the Year” by Minnesota Lawyer. Their work on State of Minnesota v. Michael Forcia involving restorative justice and criminal justice impressed the judges.
An independent panel of judges selected Mr. Rice and Ms. Anderson based on leadership in the profession, achieving a successful result for a client, and public service. The nominations were submitted by judges, bar groups, clients, and attorneys.
“I congratulate you all for your wisdom and courage.” Chief Judge Leonardo Castro
2020 was a tumultuous year in the United States. With the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota became a center point for protests across the globe. One of these protests involved the toppling of the Christopher Columbus statue at the Minnesota State Capitol by American Indian Movement activists Michael Forcia. Further, his actions caused an avalanche of similar protests across the country. He was subsequently charged with felony Criminal Damage to Property.
Criminal defense lawyer Jack Rice and civil attorney Willow Anderson joined forces to represent Mr. Forcia in this groundbreaking case. Together with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, they were able to bring together community members, political leaders, members from law enforcement, the religions community and others to bridge gaps and work toward a consensus on moving forward along with an acknowledgment of historical harm to the Native American community. This approach which is really foreign to the criminal justice system here in Minnesota actually became a blueprint for how to represent and handle protestors cases. Lawyers Jack Rice and Willow Anderson have subsequently provided their expertise to other attorneys across the country handling similar protestor cases. In the end, Mr. Forcia never pled guilty and his felony Criminal Damage to Property charge was dismissed.
“Mike's case and this resolution is not just about restorative justice but about transformative justice. There were many perspectives and opinions about what our client did and how he did it. Through this process, those voices were heard.” Jack Rice
Chief Judge Leonardo Castro put it best when he stated, “True justice and healing are rarely achieved but I sincerely believe that it was so in this case. It would have been simple to charge, convict, and punish. But the more difficult road towards reflection, learning and healing was taken, and the result will bear fruit forever. I congratulate you all for your wisdom and courage.”
Jack Rice is a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist and founder of Jack Rice Defense. He received the 2020 Professional Excellence Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association, the only lawyer to do so. He is a former Prosecutor and a former CIA Officer. Jack specializes in representing criminal defense clients.
Willow Anderson is a Senior Attorney at the Public Health Law Center. She is a former Assistant Attorney General and a Minnesota Supreme Court Certified Mediator and Qualified Neutral. Willow specializes in health through the power of law and policy.