Tara Reese Duginske

Tara is based in the firm’s Minneapolis office, and is a member of the Business Litigation Section and Appellate Practice Group. She practices principally in the areas of:

• General business litigation
• Appellate law
• Railroad litigation
• Toxic tort litigation
• Personal injury
• Medical malpractice defense

Tara has represented clients in federal and state courts with respect to a wide variety of matters such as wrongful death suits, FELA claims, toxic tort litigation, public utility law, professional liability matters, and shareholder disputes. A significant part of Tara’s litigation work has involved representing railroad companies in crossing litigation matters. Most recently, she has been part of the ongoing defense of a major railroad company related to a high-profile grade crossing accident.

In the community Tara is actively involved with pro bono work and argues criminal appeals before the Minnesota appellate courts for the State Appellate Public Defender’s Office. She currently serves on the firm’s pro bono committee and recently received Briggs’ Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award. Tara also has co-authored several chapters on appellate procedure, including “The Record on Appeal” for the Eighth Circuit Appellate Practice Manual, a chapter in The Art of Advocacy entitled “Post-Trial Motions and the Need to Preserve Error” and the article “The Minnesota Court of Appeals: Arguing to, and Limitations of, an Error Correcting Court,” published in the William Mitchell Law Review.

Tara is licensed to practice in Minnesota and the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and she is a member of the Minnesota State, Hennepin County, Ramsey County and Federal bar associations.

Tara received her B.S. with highest honors in social work from Metropolitan State University. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law. During law school, she was an extern for the Honorable Paul A. Magnuson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Tara also represented William Mitchell in the New York Bar Association’s National Moot Court Competition, winning the regional competition and advancing to the final rounds in New York City. She received the Best Brief Award and was named a “Top 10 oral advocate” in the competition. Tara joined Briggs in 2008.