www.wmitchell.eduLaw Review Alumni/ae Profile
John Guthmann
1) Please tell us about your career path.
After graduating from William Mitchell in 1980, I clerked for a year with Robert Sheran, then Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Since August of 1981, I have been a litigation attorney at Hansen, Dordell, Bradt, Odlaug & Bradt, P.L.L.P. I became a partner in 1990 and I served as managing partner from 1998 to 2002. Most recently, on January 31 of this year, I was appointed by Governor Pawlenty to fill a vacant judgeship in the Second Judicial District.
2) What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy playing golf, but I've also been a Civil War reenacter since 1973. I recently participated in a Mill Springs, Kentucky reenactment. I play the fife in our regimental field music group and I know over 100 songs from the Civil War era by memory. I also give a lot of time to non-profits. I serve, or have served, on the Board of Directors of Northern Star Council, BSA, PACER, St. Paul Rotary Club, the Minnesota Bar Association and the Ramsey County Bar Association. As lawyers, we have an obligation to give back to the community.
3) How did serving on the Law Review impact your career?
Law Review taught me things I never could have learned in class. My writing and leadership skills were significantly refined through my law review experience. As a result, many doors were opened for me.
4) What are your best and worst Law Review memories?
My best memories consisted of going from class to the Law Review office for an Editorial Board meeting at 10:30 p.m. and debating great issues of the day. All of the Board members became very close friends. My worst memories came from dealing with a few temperamental outside article authors.
5) Rate your Bluebook skills on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a Bluebook master and 1 being an embarrassment to Law Review members everywhere.
At the time, I thought I knew the Bluebook inside and out. I'll say 9 out of 10. However, I am frozen in time. There is no way I would rate that high today, unless you use the 1980 edition.