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Rashanda Bruce
![Minneapolis Lawyer Rashanda Bruce](/-/media/images/people/minneapolis-lawyer-rashanda-bruce.jpg?la=en)
Rashanda Bruce
Associate
![Minneapolis Lawyer Rashanda Bruce](/-/media/images/people/minneapolis-lawyer-rashanda-bruce.jpg?la=en)
Experience
Rashanda Bruce is an attorney in the firm’s Mass Tort and Personal Injury Groups. Most of her practice is devoted to representing individuals and families in complex personal injury and wrongful death cases. Prior to joining Robins Kaplan, Rashanda worked in the Minneapolis office of a national law firm, representing clients in a variety of litigation and labor and employment matters. She was also a judicial extern for the Honorable Kate Menendez and the Honorable Sara Grewing.
While in law school, Rashanda worked as a student attorney for the Child Protection Clinic and Innocence Clinic. She also served as co-president of the Mitchell Hamline Black Law Students Association, participated in the William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court, and was the administrator and a student member of the Warren E. Burger Inn of Court. Before attending law school, Rashanda worked as a paralegal at Robins Kaplan.
Rashanda has coached competitive cheerleading for over fifteen years, instilling and building confidence and pride in girls in grades K-12. She is also a co-founder and leadership team member of LOCUS, a meeting ground that provides space and opportunities for authentic community building, identity-driven leadership and resource sharing by and for people of color and indigenous peoples.
$7.75 Million Verdict
McDougall v. CRC Industries, Inc. et al. No. 20-1499 (D. Minn. 2023): Part of the trial team that helped secure a landmark $7.75 million verdict against CRC Industries for its failure to prevent the foreseeable misuse of its aerosol dust remover products. The verdict follows the 2019 death of Cynthia McDougall, who was killed in a vehicle crash after an individual who huffed CRC Duster struck her car head-on. This is the first dust remover case of its kind to go to trial.
$7.5 Million Verdict
Lewis, Valerie o/b/o Lewis, Douglas v. Trifiletti: Represented Doug Lewis’ family in a civil wrongful death action related to the shooting death of Mr. Lewis during a traffic accident. After the defendant was convicted of second-degree murder in a criminal case, Brandon successfully brought the civil wrongful death case to resolution in a bench trial. The Court entered a verdict totaling more than $7.5 million in damages to the Lewis family. $2.5 million of the verdict was for punitive damages.
Represented Minneapolis choreographer April Sellers who was targeted in a series of defamatory “Open Letters” and other communications attacking her reputation. Serving as an associate on the case, Rashanda assisted with all aspects of trial preparation prior to the case’s favorable verdict totaling $210,000, which included $75,000 in punitive damages. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan)
![Minnesota Monthly Top Lawyers in Minnesota 2023](/-/media/awards-and-recognition-badges/2023/minnesota-monthly-top-lawyers-in-minnesota-2023.jpg?la=en&hash=E07600F5F2A232046BA80AA294B01442)
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2024 edition)
- Nominated for “Outstanding Young Lawyer Award,” National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division (2023)
- Named an “Up & Coming Attorney,“ Minnesota Lawyer (2023)
- Named a "Minnesota Rising Star," Super Lawyers (2023)
- Named to "Top Lawyers List," Minnesota Monthly (2023)
- Selected to American Association for Justice's Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Academy (2023)
- LOCUS, Co-Founder, Leadership Team Member (2014-present)
- Somerset School District, Cheerleading Coach (2022-present)
- Independent School District 196, Apple Valley Elementary & Middle School Program Director, Cheerleading Coach, (2011-2022)
- Volunteer Lawyers Network, Housing Court Volunteer (2018-2019, 2021-present)
- Volunteer Lawyers Network, Conciliation Court Volunteer (2019)
- Child Protection Clinic (2017-2018)
- Innocence Clinic (2017-2018)
- Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education, Youth Cheerleading Instructor (2016)
- Everybody Wins, Reading Volunteer (2011-2014)
- Leaders of Today and Tomorrow, Board Member (2010-2014), Advisory Board Co-Chair (2011-2013), Secretary (2013)
- League of Women Voters of Minnesota, Board of Directors (2011-2013)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities Area (2009-2011)
- Independent School District 191, Cheerleading Coach (2006-2010)
- Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
- Mitchell Hamline School of Law, J.D. (2018)
- University of St. Thomas, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Minors in Philosophy and Legal Studies (2009)
- American Association for Justice, Leadership Academy (2024)
- Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, Board of Directors (2023-present), Membership Committee Chair (2023-present)
- Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, Emerging Leaders Group (2018-2020), Outreach Committee (2020-present)
- Warren E. Burger Inn of Court (2019-present), Executive Committee (2020-present), Program Chair (2021-present), Ad Hoc Committee (2022-present), Co-Treasurer (2023-present)
- Hennepin County Bar Association, Finance & Planning Committee (2020-2021), Board of Directors (2022-present)
- Minnesota Association for Justice
- Minnesota Women Lawyers
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- National Bar Association
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Pathfinder (2022)
- Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program, Associate Board (2020-2022)
- "Up & Coming Attorneys, Unsung Legal Heroes Announced," Minnesota Lawyer (July 24, 2023)
- "The Recent Recruits of Robins Kaplan LLP: The Future (of Law) is Female," Attorney at Law Magazine (May 8, 2023)
- "Hennepin Lawyer: 10 Questions with Rashanda Bruce," Minnesota State Bar Association (April 11, 2023)
- A Conversation on the Multicultural Attorney Experience
Hennepin County Bar Association 2023 Race & Equity CLE, Webinar (May 22, 2023)
- Defamation on Social Media - April Sellers v. Kevin Powell and Jinah Parker
Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, Minnesota (March 22, 2019)
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