Minneapolis’ New Assistant City Attorney, Criminal Division: Abigail Chapman ’12

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Abigail Chapman. I was Abbey at Breck. That is how everyone knows me. I graduated in 2012.

Where did you go after graduating from Breck?

After graduating from Breck, I attended St. Olaf College. I started off as an economics major but moved to pursue political science as I started considering the possibility of becoming an attorney. When I graduated from St. Olaf, I wasn’t 100% certain I wanted to go to law school, and I needed a break from school, so I decided to work at a law firm to better acquaint myself with the legal profession. I worked as a paralegal at a workers’ compensation and personal injury firm for two years. During that time, I decided that I definitely wanted to go to law school, although not to become a workers’ comp attorney. After taking the LSAT, I attended Creighton University in Omaha. I loved law school because not only did the subject matter fascinate me, but also because I found a community of amazing people to learn and grow with, and if there’s one thing a Breck alum knows the value of, it’s community, which Mr. Ohm always taught us. I was also fortunate to gain first-hand experience through a few great opportunities. I externed at the United States Attorney’s Office in Omaha, which was great. I did briefings and observed hearings and was able to get to know both civil and criminal cases. I also volunteered as a court-appointed special advocate for children (CASA) and worked as a student attorney in the juvenile justice clinic, both of which got me interested in juvenile law and juvenile prosecution. In addition, clerked for a solo practitioner female-run firm. I graduated with a certificate in criminal law in addition to my law degree. After I graduated, I moved back to Minnesota to work as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Maria Mitchell in Minnesota’s Second Judicial District, which is Ramsey County.

Tell us about your new job as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Minneapolis, Criminal Division.

I started in the Minneapolis Attorney’s Office in August. The people I work with are really great, and I can’t say enough about how wonderful the office is. I am on the trial team, and we have a rotation of assignments that we go through ranging from arraignments to pretrials, to office duty, to trial. In the State of Minnesota, cities prosecute petty misdemeanors, misdemeanors, and gross misdemeanors. In other words, anything that is punishable by up to 364 days in jail. Anything over that is a felony and is prosecuted on the county and state level. 

Prosecutors have a real impact on people’s lives, both those of defendants and those of the citizens in our jurisdiction, because we are given a lot of power to make charging decisions and plea agreements, and we have a duty to ensure a safe and livable environment. This is particularly true when prosecuting Misdemeanors, which are often categorized as the “everyday offenses” such as trespass, DWI, and false information to the police. But, it’s not lost on me that charging someone with a crime and getting a conviction or a plea can have a great affect on someone’s life.

That being said, at the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office, there is a definite shift away from how prosecution has been done over the past couple of decades. The office has a number of diversion programs, such as domestic and traffic, to try to offer people services so they don’t end up being prosecuted again by our office, and we take a lot of pride in our programs. Our goal isn’t to lock people up; it is to create a safe society. Every day, we are making offers for resolutions with the goal of keeping people from making harmful decisions and considering what would be the most conducive way to help them given their situation. 

What are your long-term career goals?

Right now, I enjoy working at the city level, but after I have more experience, I want to look into the county-level work, possibly working with juveniles. My ultimate career goal would be to be an assistant US attorney, as federal law excites me a great deal, and I loved the work I did during my externship. However, I have a lot more working years, so only time will tell!

How did Breck impact your career journey?

I can say without a doubt that had I not gone to Breck, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I would most definitely not be an attorney. While there are many reasons why this is, from the community to the high level of education and preparation it provided, to the values it instilled in me, I always point to Mr. Rosenfield’s Constitution and Supreme Court history elective I took my senior year as the beginning of my love of the law. He made learning about the law so accessible and fun.  In addition to Mr. Rosenfield, I had formative moments and have fond memories of so many of my teachers. Papa B, Mr. Hegg, Mr. Moos, Ms. J, Mr. Wright (aka B’Dubs), Ms. Gentry, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Crowe, Ms. Carlin, Ms. Amundson, Mr. Grossman, Ms. Siriani, and Mr. Ohm, all saw my potential and held me accountable when I wasn’t meeting it. To this day, I often employ skills I developed at Breck, thanks to them. More importantly, however, their passion for their respective subjects and their students and the way they believed in me even when I didn’t always believe in myself had such an amazing, positive impact on my life and helped shape me into who I am today. I owe them and the whole Breck community a great deal of thanks. 

The Alumni Office had an incredible time interviewing Abigail Chapman ’12, and we are thankful for the work she does every day!