Eric
J.
Magnuson
Shareholder; Business Litigation
Eric’s practice has focused almost exclusively within the state and federal appellate courts over the past two and a half decades. He is regarded as one of the most effective and respected appellate lawyers in Minnesota and the 8th Circuit.
Eric practices primarily in the areas of:
Appellate Law
In his more than 30 years of practice, Eric has carved a strong niche in appellate law. He has handled hundreds of appeals involving a wide range of issues, including the constitutionality of the public school finance system, employment law, trust and probate matters, trade secrets, business contracts, corporate fraud, insurance law and professional liability.
Eric’s approach to client service involves collaboration. Working as a team member alongside general counsel and other private practice attorneys (both inside and outside the firm), he works with members of the team to ensure the best possible representation for the client. He provides a full range of appellate consulting services, from evaluating appeals and procedural issues, to reviewing and critiquing briefs, and providing moot court review, all in addition to fully briefing and arguing cases himself.
Eric regularly speaks on technology and appeals, including electronic filing for appellate courts. He has served as an associate professor of law at William Mitchell College of Law and the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
He also writes and edits federal and state appellate treatises. He is co-author of the 2007 edition of West Publishing’s Minnesota Practice: Appellate Rules Annotated, co-editor and chapter author for the fourth edition of Eighth Circuit Appellate Practice Manual, and co-editor of Matthew Bender’s The Art of Advocacy: Appeals.
He is the founding president of the 8th Circuit Bar Association. In addition, Eric is a fellow and past president of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and co-reporter to the Minnesota Supreme Court Appellate Rules Committee. He has been a longtime member of the American Bar Association, serving as co-chair of the Appellate Practice Committee of the Section on Litigation and in the same capacity for the Appellate Advocacy Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section. He is also a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, where past leadership roles have included serving as chair of the Court Rules and Judicial Administration Committee, as well as the Court of Appeals Task Force.
Eric is admitted to practice in Minnesota and Wisconsin state and federal courts; the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals; and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Business Litigation
Although he is primarily an appellate lawyer, Eric regularly consults with trial attorneys on complex procedural and substantive issues in trial courts, in anticipation of appeal. His comprehensive legal consultation covers all aspects of pre-trial practice, monitoring the course of trials to ensure that proper record is made, and handling significant post-trial motions and arguments.
Beyond daily practice, one of Eric’s most important current contributions to legal service is serving as chair of the Commission on Judicial Selection, active since his appointment was first made by Gov. Tim Pawlenty in 2003. In this capacity, Eric has traveled to every corner of the state interviewing judicial candidates while engaging members of Minnesota’s legal community in the process. He has also served as chair of a number of ad hoc screening committees appointed by the governor to make recommendations for candidates seeking appointment to the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
Eric has been selected continuously by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America, and will also be recognized in the 2007 Annual Guide to Appellate Law in America. In addition, he has been listed in Minnesota Super Lawyers 2007, as seen in Minnesota Law & Politics, and recognized as one of the designation's top 10. Previously, he was also listed as one of the state’s top 25 appellate lawyers in 2005. In 2000, Eric was honored as an "Attorney of the Year" by Minnesota Lawyer.
He received a B.A. in history from the University of Minnesota in 1972. After graduating cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in 1976, Eric clerked for the Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Honorable Robert J. Sheran, as well as Chief Justice Douglas K. Amdahl who was then with Hennepin County District Court. He joined Briggs and Morgan in 2007 after practicing nearly 30 years with another Twin Cities law firm, where he was successful in establishing a broad-based appellate practice.