Who would have thought five years could go by so quickly.  It seems like such a short time ago that the three partners in the firm of Brekke, Clyborne and Ribich, L.L.C. were part of the second incoming class at the newly established University of St. Thomas School of Law.  With the median age of that class being 25 it became obvious pretty early on that the three of them had quite a bit in common.  Each was “slightly” older than the average age of their classmates, had other successful careers prior to law school, and now had growing families that needed, (demanded) attention, as well.  A friendship developed that evolved into something more encompassing – they shared a similar philosophy on how each wanted to practice law while living her life with balance.  The populations of people they wanted to serve were also similar.  By the end of year three a business plan had been developed and the decision was made to make the leap of faith directly from law school into private practice. 

Barb Brekke, Johanna Clyborne and Becky Ribich are the founding partners in the general practice firm of Brekke, Clyborne and Ribich, L.L.C. which opened its doors in Shakopee on November 1^st, 2005.  Barb Brekke does work in the areas of estate planning, probate, small business formation and real property.  Johanna Clyborne focuses on criminal law, civil litigation and is creating a valuable niche in the military law area.  Becky Ribich’s practice areas include family law and immigration law. 

The success that the firm has enjoyed comes from supporting each other in achieving life balance in work/family/community while working together to become proficient in their respective practice areas.  BCR was established with the purpose of providing affordable legal services for ordinary individuals and each month provides a percentage of their services to pro bono and low bono/reduced fee legal services.  

In addition to serving the community with pro bono or reduced fee services, the members are also active in the legal community through their involvement in Minnesota Women Lawyers, Volunteer Lawyers Network, the MSBA Family Law Section and Domestic Abuse Subcommittee and military law committees.  They are members of the local Rotary Club, Shakopee Chamber of Commerce and do volunteer work for the Southern Valley Alliance for Battered Women. 

With seven children between the three of them, and because of their commitment to maintaining balance between work and family, they are each actively involved in their children’s schools, their respective churches, and their local communities. 

It is very likely the next five years will go by just as quickly as the last five did for the women of Brekke, Clyborne and Ribich, L.L.C.  Three things will remain the same for these three women:  they will still be the best of friends, they will still be balancing work and family while serving their community, and they will still be members of Minnesota Women Lawyers.

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