Minneapolis resident appointed new city attorney

Minneapolis has a new city attorney. Following a public hearing on Sept. 6 and city council approval on the 8th, Kristyn Anderson was officially sworn in for a four-year term on Sept. 27. 

Unlike the mayor’s last nomination, Jim Rowader, who had little experience in the public sector and chose not to seek another term last May, almost all of Anderson’s 26-year-long career has been in the public sector. Also, unlike some of the mayor’s other recent nominations, she has lived in Minneapolis for years and is well known in the state. 

Anderson was born and raised in Racine, Wis., and received a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She moved to Minneapolis in 1993 to go to the U of M Law School, and has stayed in the Twin Cities ever since. 

After living in St. Paul for a time following her graduation from the U of M, she moved to the Prospect Park neighborhood in 2003. “We didn’t even know where Prospect Park was at the time,” Anderson said. “Our real estate agent suggested we look in Prospect Park and we loved the neighborhood immediately. The Witch’s Hat water tower is iconic. The windy roads that people who park here for football games get lost on. The way everyone goes all-in for Halloween. Having a community school at the center of the neighborhood that is supported by the whole community, regardless of whether they have school-aged kids. We met wonderful life-long friends while our kids played together on the Pratt playground.”

Outside of work, Anderson enjoys walking around the U of M East Bank campus. “It’s so energizing to be around students who are newly experiencing their independence in Minneapolis,” she said. “I also really enjoy all of the fun places to eat that have popped up on the north side of University Avenue.”

“Minneapolis is my city. I live here. I go to church here. My kids went to school here,” she told the council following the public hearing.  “I want nothing more than to give back to the city that has given me and my family so much.”

Anderson and her spouse have three children, ages 16, 18, and 20 who all attended Minneapolis Public Schools through all their K-12 years. The two older ones are away at college, but Anderson hopes that they will move back eventually.

PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EXPERIENCE

Anderson began her career in the private sector, practicing employment law for four years, before moving to the public sector where she has worked ever since.

Since 2014, Anderson worked as Minnesota Management and Budget’s General Counsel, Enterprise Employment Law Counsel, and the State Ethics Officer where she provided legal advice and training to state agencies on a variety of issues including, compliance with ethics rules, employment laws, and data practices.  

For 13 years prior to that, she worked at the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office litigating civil cases, where she represented all branches of state government and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

One of her proudest accomplishments was developing a sexual harassment prevention training program in partnership with the Minnesota Management and Budget Enterprise Talent Development team.  “It is an annually required online training  – there is a leader module and an all-employee module,” she said. “You can hear my voice as the narrator in one of the modules. I truly loved my whole 22 years at the state. I am proud to have had the opportunity to serve the people of Minnesota.”

TRANSPARENT AND CONSISTENT ADVICE

The search for the new city attorney started last May when Mayor Frey convened a volunteer search committee that included Lee Sheehy, Charlie Nauen, Emily Piper, Lola Velazquez Aguilu, and Sam Clark. Over two months, the committee met, reviewed credentials and recommended several candidates for interviews. They also consulted with the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Lavender Bar, Minnesota Association of American Indian Lawyers, Minnesota Association of Women Lawyers and Twin Cities Diversity in Practice.

When asked why she decided to seek the position, Anderson said, “I am a public lawyer through and through. The Minneapolis City Attorney job is a fantastic job for a public lawyer. It’s a way to serve the community more directly even than in my prior roles.”

The City Attorney’s Office represents the City of Minneapolis, elected officials and staff, city departments and independent boards and commissions in civil legal matters. They also help draft and provide legal guidance for ordinances and other council decisions, with an attorney assigned to each council committee. They negotiate and draft development agreements, advise on constitutional protections, and represent the city government in administrative proceedings and in federal and state court to hold landlords accountable, defend against challenges to city ordinances and policies, and advocate for Minneapolis and its residents. The office also has a criminal division that prosecutes criminal cases involving adults who commit petty misdemeanors, misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors in the city. 

As City Attorney, Anderson will oversee roughly 100 employees and receive an annual salary of $172,000 to $217,000.

Seven people (Kristin Batson, Dori Leland, Tim O’Malley, Howard Dotson, Myron Frans, Emily Piper and Sam Clark) spoke at the public hearing, and all supported Anderson’s appointment. 

“She has dedicated her career to good government and the public good. She has high standards for what people should be able to expect from their government and its representatives, and she embodies those standards on a daily basis,” said Kristin Batson, who worked with her when she was with the Office of Management and Budget.  

Dore Leland called her “truly one of the most trusted and respected and beloved members of state government.”  Myron Frans highlighted her work at the office on workforce diversity, sexual harassment, improving equity and inclusion and working with labor. Franz said that she “understands the critical role of legal counsel in the public sector.”

Following the hearing, several council members asked how she would manage being the legal counsel to both the mayor and the city council. “The mayor, the council members, the department heads,” she said, “you all can rely on me to follow the rules of professional responsibility and give you all my best, transparent and consistent legal advice.” She added, “I’m not giving different legal advice depending on who’s asking.

“As a public lawyer I know that at the end of the day my client will be the city and the people of Minneapolis.”

Ward 7 Council Member Lisa Goodman formally moved to approve the nomination at the committee. Goodman said, “Her commitment to public law cannot be questioned.” The motion passed with council members Payne, Wonsley, Rainville, Vetaw, Goodman, Jenkins, Chavez, Chughtai, Koski, and Palmisano voting in favor, with Ellison, Osman, and Johnson absent. 

At the full council meeting, Anderson’s nomination passed with a 12-0 vote, with council member Johnson being absent.

 “My short-term priorities are to learn the parts of my job that are unique to being city attorney and to build relationships so that I can be an effective lawyer for my client and a good support for the amazing staff of the City Attorney’s Office,” she said, “and to stop getting lost in City Hall.”

In terms of longer-term priorities, she said, “I’m really in study mode right now. The city has great existing diversion and victim witness programs, as well as strong ethics requirements for city employees. I want to look more at what additional things the office may be able to do related to criminal justice reform, as well as promoting accountability for public employees.”

Anderson is aware that the city has been through challenging times and has lived through them as a city resident. “Minneapolis is a wonderful city, but it has obviously been an especially hard few years and many of our Minneapolis neighbors are hurting,” she said. “I think city leaders, including myself, are all committed to the change that needs to happen, but change never happens fast enough.”