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Member Spotlight by Judge Mimi Wright. Judge Wright serves on the Ramsey County District Court. She previously worked with Margaret Chutich at the United States Attorney’s Office. Margaret Chutich is the consummate Renaissance woman, who has been able to weave her diverse interests into a life of public service. Margaret is a native of Anoka, Minnesota, where she grew up with her parents, brother and two sisters. She received her undergraduate education from the University of Minnesota, graduating with top honors in 1980. Awarded a scholarship to study the Croatian language, Margaret attended the University of Zagreb in Croatia from 1980 to 1981. In addition to learning the language, Margaret toured the region and visited relatives. Margaret then attended the University of Michigan Law School, where she graduated with honors in 1984. Margaret’s legal experience spans the public and private sectors. Margaret has a distinguished career as a trial lawyer and an appellate advocate. She has argued numerous appeals before the Minnesota Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Currently, she serves as Assistant Attorney General in the Human Services Division. She has previously served as the Executive Counsel and Deputy Attorney General of the Law Enforcement Section in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. As a result, Margaret has combined her advocacy skills with her leadership skills to provide guidance and trusted counsel to attorneys and other legal professionals throughout the Attorney General’s Office. Margaret’s public sector experience, however, is not limited to the Attorney General’s Office. From 1994 to 1996, she was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division’s Violent and General Crimes Section. At the U.S. Attorney’s Office Margaret’s legal acumen, along with her good judgment and strong interpersonal skills, were relied upon in some of the most sensitive and difficult prosecutions handled by that office during her tenure. These cases included civil rights investigations, child abuse prosecutions, and a host of prosecutions for crimes against persons. In the midst of it all, Margaret’s good humor and willingness to pitch in to assist her colleagues were hallmarks of her service. Prior to entering the public sector, Margaret was an attorney with two law firms where she practiced in the areas of securities law, environmental law, and labor law. Margaret also participated in the pro bono asylum project of the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, through which she initiated and successfully litigated two political asylum claims for indigent people who fled their country due to political persecution. Later Margaret conducted fact-finding missions in Albania and Belgrade, Yugoslavia to learn about human rights conditions and violations. Margaret has also published several articles on human rights in Eastern Europe. One of the most important experiences for Margaret, personally and professionally, occurred immediately after graduating from law school. Her first legal employment was as a law clerk to the Honorable Diana E. Murphy, who at the time was a United States District Court Judge. From that close working relationship with Judge Murphy, Margaret gained an important friendship and a mentor who has provided sage advice and encouragement throughout Margaret’s career. Of Margaret, Judge Murphy commented, “It is a continuing pleasure to see how Margaret has developed and grown in her abilities. She has a wonderful sense of fun and creativity. Over the years, when I have turned to Margaret for assistance on challenging projects, she has always performed at the highest level in a seemingly effortless way. Margaret is able to figure out how to plan and execute an operation very well, involving herself and others. Among Margaret’s many gifts, she has a confidence that is both infectious and empowering.” This mentoring friendship is the model for many of the collegial relationships that Margaret now shares with younger attorneys. While in different arenas, Margaret and Judge Murphy share similar experiences of being trailblazers for women. Margaret’s trailblazing began when she was a high school athlete in Anoka, Minnesota. As a star athlete at Anoka High School, Margaret played on the boys’ tennis team as the number two player during her sophomore year. (Her older brother was the number one player, and her high school boyfriend was the number three player.) During her senior year, Margaret won the state singles title in girls’ tennis. After playing varsity basketball at Stanford University in her freshman year, Margaret transferred to the University of Minnesota where she was a Big Ten championship tennis player. There she earned one of the first sports scholarships for women. From her athletic experience at the University of Minnesota, Margaret learned that her trail was blazed, along with that of many other Minnesota women, by her own grandmother. In 1999, Margaret and her grandmother, Margaret Morrill, were recognized by the University of Minnesota for their contributions to women’s athletics. Margaret’s grandmother received a University letter in 1923 for field hockey and basketball. Margaret credits her athletic experience with providing great preparation to be a trial attorney. “I am a big believer in the benefits of playing sports for girls and women. My experience as an athlete taught me discipline, how to perform under pressure, the importance of respect for competition and one’s opponent, and how to win and lose graciously.” Some years after her collegiate athletic experience, Margaret still believes that “hard play” is as important as hard work. She pursues her leisure activities with gusto. Until very recently, sightings of Margaret on the back of a 450 Nighthawk motorcycle were a common occurrence throughout the Twin Cities. Margaret relishes the opportunity to get out on the open road on a powerful bike. Sports continue to play a major role in Margaret’s leisure time. She enjoys weekly tennis matches and plays golf regularly during the summer months. Additionally, Margaret is a talented musician. She plays the piano and, to the surprise of many, the accordion! Without hesitation, Margaret admits that she has found the ideal playmate in her two-year-old daughter, Olivia. Margaret and her partner, Penny Wheeler, became mothers with the adoption of Olivia from Guatemala in the spring of 2000. “Motherhood combines the greatest challenges and the most fun experiences of my life,” Margaret recently commented. “Olivia is a spirited girl with boundless energy and curiosity.” By all accounts, when Margaret and Olivia are spending playtime with friends, it is hard to tell which one is having more fun. From Margaret’s life in public service, it is clear that she shares Olivia’s boundless energy and curiosity. She has adeptly combined her spirit of adventure and diverse interests into a life of rich and memorable experiences. |
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