Sieben Edmunds Miller’s newest attorney may be a familiar face – after all, she’s been with the firm for several years. If you’ve worked with us before, she likely helped your attorney conduct legal research, review discovery, and prepare your trial materials. Now, Dea Cortney is taking the next step in her career by becoming a full blown attorney at Sieben Edmunds Miller.
Dea has been a valued member of the Sieben Edmunds Miller team since October 2018. In October 2020, Dea was officially sworn in and licensed to practice law in Minnesota, making her Sieben Edmunds Miller’s newest lawyer. This was the final challenge standing between Dea and her career as a practicing attorney. What an exciting and impressive accomplishment!
Attorney Dea Cortney being sworn in at the Scott County courthouse, October 2020
Creating A Collaborative Legal Team
In the time we’ve worked with Dea we have all come to develop a great working relationship. Everyone at the firm works together to offer our clients the best care possible. This will undoubtedly ease Dea’s transition into her new role.
Attorney Kevin Sieben summed up the whole team’s sentiments: “We are extremely excited to have Dea join the team as a practicing attorney. Her work ethic, dedication, and compassion are a perfect fit for the values we hold at Sieben Edmunds Miller PLLC. As our firm grows, we strive to add only those individuals with a passion for helping others. In her time here, Dea has demonstrated that mentality. We have no doubt that Dea will tirelessly fight for her clients and achieve great success in her career.”
Transitioning from Law Clerk to Attorney
As a former law clerk at the firm, Dea assisted the team by conducting legal research, reviewing discovery, and preparing trial materials to assist in the criminal defense of clients. She has also drafted many legal documents including motions, memoranda, briefs, and personal injury demand letters. In her new role, she’ll be undertaking new responsibilities while building on the knowledge she’s acquired over the past several years.
“Dea has been working at Sieben Edmunds Miller as a law clerk for almost two years now,” said attorney Sam Edmunds. “Over that time she has developed her research and writing skills to far exceed those of most new lawyers. Dea was also able to work as a certified practitioner for the three months between the bar exam and receiving the results. That allowed her to take on her own caseload, work directly with clients, and make actual court appearances, under the supervision of the firm’s partners. Dea is ready to hit the ground running. She was already a great lawyer even before she was officially sworn in.”
A Word from Our Newest Attorney
Here’s Dea’s take on her recent accomplishment and the transition from law clerk to attorney:
“Since I started working as a supervised practitioner right after I took the exam, I was able to represent clients right away. In some ways, I think my role changed more between being a law clerk and a supervised practitioner than it will going from supervised practitioner to sworn attorney. As a clerk, I did not have my own cases or work directly with clients. I could not give legal advice. Now that I am a lawyer, I can do all of those things on my own, but I still have the guidance of the partners at Sieben Edmunds Miller at every turn. They are here to make my transition very smooth and ensure our clients are well represented whether they have a new attorney or a seasoned veteran.”
Judge Rex Stacey and attorneys Kevin Sieben, Dea Cortney, and Sam Edmunds at Dea’s Swearing-In Ceremony
Are You Looking for Legal Assistance?
Sieben Edmunds Miller PLLC has helped thousands of people achieve prompt and successful resolution to their cases. Our success is attributed to the combination of experience, expertise, and exceptional dedication to the needs of every client. Our attorneys will collaborate on your case as needed to maximize the chance of success for you and your family.
If you’d like Dea or any of our attorneys to help you with your criminal defense or personal injury case, give us a call at (651) 323-2464 to set up a consultation.
