Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and Central Minnesota Legal Services Remember Melissa Hortman

JOINT STATEMENT (Minneapolis, Minn.) Heartbroken, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and Central Minnesota Legal Services extend deepest condolences to all who had the privilege of knowing Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark.

We had that privilege. At Legal Aid, we knew Melissa in her career start as a law student and law clerk working on housing discrimination law cases, which proved prescient; soon after, she joined Central Minnesota Legal Services as a housing attorney from 1996-99.

“I was fortunate to name Melissa as my first hire. A tireless advocate for folks with housing issues, she took on tough cases, and our clients got great results. When she worked in the legislature, she was incredibly important in advancing work on behalf of vulnerable Minnesotans. She had a heart for  making sure funding was in place to do that.” -Jean Lastine, former CMLS executive director

Courageous, strong with a heart for justice, Melissa went into private practice and won the largest jury verdict for housing discrimination in Minnesota history (Harmon v Mattson).

We are grateful to have had a principled collaborator in Melissa in our work at the Capitol. Our staff attorneys and advocates there worked closely with her as she used her leadership to engage and lead the fight for Minnesotans too often forgotten and overlooked. Yet through her dedication, she improved countless lives.

We know, for Melissa, the sky was the limit when it came to her career. That she chose to pursue service to advance the plight of vulnerable Minnesotans is ultimately who she was. A beautiful person and extraordinary human being.

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Media contact:
Lisa Ramirez | Lramirez@mylegalaid.org
Communications Director
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
612.746.3641