Elizabeth Kragness is a William Mitchell graduate and a staff attorney at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. In this post, she shares her experiences working for a public agency.
What does being a staff attorney for a public housing agency entail?
MPHA is self insured so we defend all sorts of claims – personal injury, etc. There are also employment issues, discrimination complaints, etc. Because MPHA owns a lot of property throughout the city we handle real estate issues such as easements. We also contract with vendors, draft our Statement of Policies, leases, etc.
One of the things I like about my job is that I get exposed to a wide variety of legal issues.
What’s a typical working day like for you?
It varies. Some days I am in court, some days I am bouncing around MPHA’s various properties for meetings, etc. and some days I am at my desk all day. At MPHA you never know what you’re going to get and a lot of days I plan to work on one thing and that does not end up happening. It makes it interesting.
How well do you feel your Mitchell education prepared you for your current position?
I think my WMCL education prepared me well in the practical sense. I use a lot of the skills I learned in WRAP and Advocacy.
Are there any classes you wish you had taken, but did not?
I wish I would have taken Advanced Advocacy and maybe an advanced Evidence course.
What type of research skills do you use in your position?
I search Lexis fairly often. I also use Minnesota’s and Minneapolis’ websites to search statutes and ordinances. I look at the Federal Regulations that govern public housing all the time; those we have in hard copy. I go to court on occasion and research various court records if there is overlap between a criminal or family court matter and something I am doing in housing court.
If you had one piece of advice for current students, what would it be?
I would be open to a wide variety of career options upon graduation. I never imagined I would end up in government but I stumbled upon this job and it has been really rewarding. Take a job that will give you great experience and hopefully doors will open from there.