March 24, 2023
Wanta Thome Attorneys Win Wallace-Lerner Award for Excellence in Leadership
Congratulations to Wanta Thome attorneys Frances Baillon and Michelle Gibbons on their selection as the 2023 Wallace-Lerner Award winners by the Mitchell Hamline Law Review. They received this honor on March 23 at the 2023 Mitchell Hamline Law Review Annual Banquet.
The Wallace-Lerner Award for Excellence in Leadership recognizes alumni in the legal profession who have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills that align with the core values the Mitchell Hamline Law Review (MHLR). These values include community, communication, and collaboration, and the award serves as a way to honor those who have exemplified these values in their work within the legal field.
Frances and Michelle were selected based on their exemplary leadership in the field of employment law as well as their contributions to the Mitchell Hamline Law Review. In addition to their previously published article in volume 48 of the MHLR, titled “Race-Based Hostile Work Environment Claims in Federal and Minnesota Courts: A Historical Perspective on the Development of the “Sever or Pervasive” Standard”, they also have an upcoming article that will be published in volume 49 of the MHLR.
Frances Baillon is a recognized advocate for those who have been treated unfairly by the illegal practices of employers. She has successfully argued cases before the Minnesota state and federal district courts, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has been named to the lists of Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, Top 50 Minnesota Women Super Lawyers, Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.
Michelle Gibbons practices exclusively on behalf of employees who have been subjected to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other unlawful treatment in the workplace. While in law school, Michelle honed her legal skills as Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review.