There have been a lot of mentors in my career. It’s a genetic defect in my family. I come from a father and some uncles that are lawyers. I married a lawyer. My partner today, Mr. Schmidt, happens to be a mentor. I am in charge of the worker’s compensation division for the Minnesota Association for Justice, and many people come to me with questions. I like going to lawyers that are older than me, that have had experience to do that.

I think the breadth of a person’s knowledge doesn’t come from one or two mentors but from … I always tell my kids, “You have to be aware of your surroundings.” And as a good lawyer you have to be aware of your surroundings, so when I’m in the courtroom, even if it’s counsel opposing me, I try to watch their style and see what they do and learn a little bit from everybody.