The POWER 30: Michael V. Ciresi.

Byline: Minnesota Lawyer

Ciresi Conlin LLP

Michael Ciresi has been called "part of the firmament when it comes to the local legal community."

He was part of the state's historic litigation over tobacco, the Bhopal gas leak disaster in India, and the Dalkon Shield. A list of his accomplishments seems unnecessary and redundant. He's on every list of storied attorneys in Minnesota, and many lists that cast a wider net. Recently, he and others in the firm successfully represented the trustees and the Otto Bremer Trust in an action by the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.

He's not happy with the ways he sees the profession has changed. A large part of that has come from the COVID lockdown, which resulted in working from home and attending court on Zoom.

For himself, he would prefer to be in front of a judge, for many reasons.

One is that there is a lot of important nonverbal communication in a courtroom. "You can see how strongly the parties or witnesses believe in what they are saying," Ciresi said. "It's a significant part of trial law."

Since COVID, many lawyers have said they are concerned about the skills newer lawyers might not be developing, at least in part because they are not used on virtual hearings. Ciresi agreed. "They get up to question witnesses...