Michael Gaarder of Saint Cloud, Minnesota was recently granted Membership into the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys after the Association confirmed that he has the skills, knowledge, training, tools, resources, and strategies that are needed to successfully resolve and win DUI cases.
The American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys has compiled information from Judges, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutors (the Top DUI Prosecutors in each State), DUI Prosecutors, current Law Enforcement Officers, former Law Enforcement Officers, and DUI Defense Attorneys to determine exactly what skills, knowledge, training, tools, resources, and strategies win the most DUI cases at trial and are also used to get DUI cases successfully resolved for the defense prior to trial.
When people need a DUI Attorney, the biggest challenge is knowing whether or not an attorney truly has the skills, knowledge, training, tools, resources, and strategies that are needed to successfully resolve and win DUI cases. Countless attorneys handle DUI cases. But, only a very small percentage have the skills, knowledge, training, tools, resources, and strategies that are needed to successfully resolve and win DUI cases.
Members of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys have received advanced level training on the strategies that win the most DUI cases at trial and are also used to get DUI cases successfully resolved for the defense prior to trial. Members of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys also have access to the resources and tools that are used to win and successfully resolve DUI cases and these are resources and tools that only a very small percentage of DUI attorneys have access to and use.
Michael Gaarder grew up in a small, Iowa town where he learned to work hard, cultivate meaningful relationships and truly appreciate life by laboring on the family farm and spending time with his grandfather, a World War II veteran and prisoner of war.
While enlisted in the United States Navy, he served as a volunteer assistant on the Naval Legal Service prosecution team and was an integral member of the Staff Judge Advocate’s Office in Yokosuka, Japan. Although these opportunities inspired his interest in the legal system, Michael did not pursue his law degree until many careers—vacuum sales, finance, construction, private security—and years later.
Michael believes his varied life experiences help him better listen, relate to others and explain the law in ways people can understand. His clients agree. If you ask them to describe Michael, you’ll hear words, like “honest,” “knowledgeable,” “approachable” and “grounded.”
He serves clients in all of the firm’s practice areas but focuses primarily on family law, personal injury, contract/business disputes, employment law, new business formation, criminal defense and appeals. Michael credits valuable experience as a law clerk under Crow Wing County Judges Fred Casey and Richard Zimmerman for his ability to present solid motion arguments and cases at trial.
In 2013 and 2014, he was nominated, evaluated and selected by his peers to be recognized as a Rising Star attorney by Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine in its Super Lawyers edition. He was also named a 2013 Northstar Lawyer by the Minnesota State Bar Association for his significant pro bono work.
Michael is the 2014-2015 President of the Cloud City Achievers BNI Chapter in Saint Cloud. When he’s not working with clients or volunteering in the community, he enjoys family time, non-fiction books and adventures in the outdoors.
He is certified by the Veterans Administration to provide legal services to veterans.
Practice Areas
- Family Law
- Personal Injury
- Criminal Defense
- Civil Litigation
- Probate
Litigation
100%
Current Employment Position(s)
Partner attorney
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
Minnesota, 2006U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 2007
Other Affiliations
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Stearns/Benton Bar Association
- Department of Veteran’s Affairs (Accredited Attorney)
- BNI Cloud City Achievers (Member)
- Seventh Judicial District Ethics (Committee Member)
- Cloud City Achievers BNI Chapter, Saint Cloud, 2014 – 2015 (President)
Education
- Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2006
- J.D.Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2004
- Honors: Passed Minnesota POST Test, 2004
- Major: Law Enforcement CertificateUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1998
- B.A.
- Major: International Relations
Past Positions
- Judge Fred Casey and Judge Richard Zimmerman in Crow Wing County, Law clerk
- Minnesota Justice Foundation
- Stearns County Court Administration
- Naval Legal Service prosecution team, Assistant
- Staff Judge Advocate’s Office in Yokosuka, Japan, Integral member
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Honors
- United States Navy, 1993 – 1995
- 2013 Northstar Lawyer by the Minnesota State Bar Association, Announced on May 8th, 2014 in the Star Tribune
- Super Lawyers” edition, one of the top Rising Star Attorneys in the state of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, 2013
- Super Lawyers” edition, one of the top Rising Star Attorneys in the state of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, 2014 – Present
To learn more about Michael Gaarder, please visit http://www.saintclouldlaw.com or https://www.aapda.org/directory/name/michael-gaarder/
To learn more about the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys, please visit AAPDA
Information in this press release is the opinion of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys (AAPDA), and the use of the AAPDA logo, is the opinion of AAPDA that members have met AAPDA’s proprietary selection criteria. AAPDA does not guarantee or imply the competence level of any attorney, whether or not they are a member of AAPDA. When hiring an attorney, a person should personally contact the attorney and confirm the attorney’s skills, knowledge, training, tools, resources, strategies and other credentials. Any decision to hire an attorney should be based on a person’s satisfaction, after contacting the attorney, that the attorney hired is who they feel comfortable with and want to represent them. The specific outcome of each DUI case cannot be anticipated or guaranteed by AAPDA, or anyone else, as many factors can affect the outcome of each individual case.