Well, I was a trial lawyer before I went on the Supreme Court, and I was appointed right from the private practice onto the Supreme Court.  And then I served there for seven years, and I think that experience on the Supreme Court – I had a chance to review over 5,000 cases.  So, you learn to focus.  You learn to know really what makes a difference in a case and how to quickly analyze, you know, what to do and to listen, and to the listen to the parties too.

Private practice, you’re more of an advocate.  You have to learn how to prepare a case, how to get ready, how to actually try a case too, but there’s a major difference between being an advocate and being somebody who adjudicates cases.

And I think the combined experience for me makes me a more effective mediator.  I know the individuals that come in, I think respect my reputation, my background and experience, and the fact that I had over 20 years of private practice experience, litigating some of the more complex cases in the state of Minnesota and then the judicial experience too.