Experience That Gets Results!

Cindi Spence Matt was born and raised in Minnesota.  Cindi went to Omaha, Nebraska for college, earning a business degree (with an accounting major) from Creighton University in 1993.  She then returned home for law school, earning a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota School of Law in 1996. After law school Cindi's first job in the legal field was in Buffalo, Minnesota, clerking for Wright County District Court Judge Bruce R. Douglas. When her clerkship ended, Cindi began practicing law in Buffalo, Minnesota at Johnson, Larson, Peterson & Matt, P.A., becoming a shareholder after four years.  Cindi has 15 years of courtroom experience, in a wide variety of areas, including guardianships and conservatorships, civil litigation, family law, probate, personal injury, business transactions and estate planning.  When not in the courtroom, Cindi is likely to be found spending time with her husband and two children or on the streets training for her next marathon.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Johnson, Larson, Peterson & Matt, P.A., Buffalo, MN (Jaunuary 1998 - June 2010)
• Sherburne County – court appointed counsel in guardianship/conservatorship cases, Elk River, MN (January 2010 - present)
• Law Clerk to the Honorable Bruce R. Douglas, Buffalo, MN (August 1996 -  January 1998)

EDUCATION

• University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, MN, J.D. cum laude, May 1996
• University of San Diego Institute on International & Comparative Law, Paris, France, Summer 1994
• Creighton University, Omaha, NE, B.S.B.A., Major:  Accounting, summa cum laude, May 1993,
• Hill Murray High School, Maplewood, MN, summa cum laude, May 1989

_{BAR ADMISSIONS, PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND QUALIFICATIONS}

• Minnesota, 1996
• United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1998
• Rising Star, Minnesota Law & Politics, 2004 & 2005

_{PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES}

• Rotary Club of Buffalo (2010 - present)
• Toys For Tots, Buffalo, Minnesota - Local Coordinator (2011 - present)
• 18th District Bar Association (President 2009-10; Vice President 2008-09; Treasurer 2007-08; Secretary 2006-07)
• Wright County Legal Advice Clinic, volunteer, 2007 – 2010
• Volunteer Attorney Coordinator for MSBA Civic Education Committee Lawyers in the Schools Program for Buffalo High School
• Volunteer judge, MSBA High School Mock Trial Competition
• Volunteer teacher at Buffalo High School for Minnesota Supreme Court oral argument, MSBA Civic Education
• Crisis Nursery of Wright County, Advisory Committee, member
• Minnesota Women Lawyers, member
• MAGiC (Minnesota Association of Guardianships & Conservatorships), member
• Minnesota State Bar Association, member
• The John E. Simmonet American Inn of Court, former member
• Tenth Judicial District Law Clerk CLE Committee, former member

_{OTHER INTERESTS_AND ACTITIVES}

• North Saunders Lake Homeowners Association, past president
• Shirley Hills Primary School and Grandview Middle School, volunteer
• Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, Victoria, MN, member
• Word of Peace Lutheran Church, Rogers, MN, former member and Sunday School teacher
• Running - Cindi will be running her 8th marathon (Twin Cities) in October of 2011.

Randi attended University of Wisconsin at Madison, earning a degree in German Literature.  Randi then earned a teaching certificate from University of Wisconsin, River Falls.  After returning from Germany, Randi went to William Mitchell College of Law and received her Juris Doctor in May of 2006.  After law school Randi's first job in the legal field was in Buffalo, Minnesota, where she served as law clerk to the Honorable Stephen M. Halsey for four years.  Randi's interests outside of the law include participating in triathlons and spending time with her husband.  Randi is also fluent in German.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Setter Law, LLC, Independent Contract Attorney (June 2011 - August 2011)
• Law Clerk to the Honorable Stephen M. Halsey, Buffalo, MN (October 2006  -  June 2011)
• Dudley and Smith, P.A.,  Law Clerk (August 2005 - September 2006)
• Special Master Carolyn Chalmers, Law Clerk (March 2005 - May 2005)
• William Mitchell College of Law, Assistant to Dean Eric Janus, Research Assistant (September 2004 - May 2006)
• Schmid Kunz von der Heydt, Stuttgart, Germany, Summer Clerkship (Summer 2004)
• St. Louis Park Jr. High School, German Teacher, English Language Learner teaching assistant (September 2002 - June 2003) 
• White Bear Lake Area High School, ELL teaching assistant (September 2000 - May 2002)
• Buhler Language Training, Emmendingen, Germany, English teacher, February 1998 - December 1999)

EDUCATION

• William Mitchell College of Law,  St. Paul, MN, J.D. magna cum laude, May 2006
• University of Wisconsin - River Falls,  River Falls, WI, Teaching Certificate, June 2002
• University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, B.A., Major:  German Literature with Senior Honors Thesis, graduated with distinction, May 1997

_{BAR ADMISSIONS, PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND QUALIFICATIONS}

• Minnesota, 2006
• United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

_{PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES}

• 19th District Bar Association, member 
• 19th District Ethics Committee Investigator
• Volunteer Attorney for MSBA Civic Education Committee Lawyers in the Schools Program for Buffalo High School
• Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, volunteer attorney
• Legal Team for Clark Kugler, volunteer law clerk 
• Minnesota State Bar Association, member
• Qualified Neutral under Rule 114

_{OTHER INTERESTS AND ACTITIVES}

• Triathlons
• German language

Thomas W Spence Of Counsel

Tom Spence was born and raised in St. Paul Minnesota.  He attended St. Thomas Academy and earned degrees from the University of Minnesota and William Mitchell College of Law.  After graduating from law school in 1968, he entered private practice in St. Paul.  In the early 1980’s Tom served as a State District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Tenth Judicial District   He then served as Regional Counsel for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in Billings, Montana and in Minnesota.  He re-entered private practice in St. Paul in the early ‘90s, forming his own firm focusing on civil litigation. Tom and his firm were rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell (an AV rating is the highest rating Martindale-Hubbell provides, signifying that the lawyer's peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence).  In 1995 he left the private practice of law, and devoted the next 10 years to volunteer legal aid work in Cook County Minnesota through Legal Aid of Northeast Minnesota. Tom was an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law, teaching Mediation and Arbitration.  Tom has been a School board member in Chisago Lakes and a Township Supervisor in Wyoming Township, Chisago County. He has served on several non-profit Boards, including the Cook County Family Crisis Center and WTIP Public Radio in Cook County.  He currently serves on the Arrowhead Electric Co-op Board, the Cook County North Shore Hospital Board, and the Minnesota Private Detective and Protective Agent Services Board. He enjoys fishing, outdoor activity and his family.

Tom is of counsel to Matt Legal Services, using his many years of expertise to advise, counsel and assist on cases.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Johnson, Larson, Peterson & Matt, P.A., of counsel (2004 - 2010)
• Legal Aid of Northeast Minnesota (Cook County), volunteer (1995-2005)
• Spence, Ricke & Thurmer, P.A., (1990 - 1995)
• Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, Regional Counsel (1982 - 1990)
• Judge, Tenth Judicial District (1981-1982)
• Burlington Northern, Staff Attorney (1978-1980)
• Northern States Power, Staff Attorney (1975-1978)

EDUCATION

• William Mitchell College of Law, Juris Doctor, 1968
• University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 1964
• St. Thomas Academy, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1959

BAR ADMISSIONS, PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Minnesota, 1968
• United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

• Minnesota Private Detective and Protective Agent Services Board, member
• Cook County Family Crisis Center, Board Member
• WTIP Public Radio in Cook County, Board Member
• William Mitchell College of Law, adjunct professor teaching Mediation and Arbitration
• Arrowhead Electric Co-op Board, member (2007 - 2009)
• Cook County North Shore Hospital Board, member
• Chisago Lakes School Board, member
• Township Supervisor, Wyoming Township, Chisago County