Williams to provide local legal services

Finding quality, local legal representation in rural communities can be difficult. Jennifer Williams is hoping to ease that burden for many in Ekalaka.

Williams is an associate attorney for MacMillan, Wallace, & Athanases, PLLC in New Hope, MN. Her and her husband, Tye (son of Greg and Rita Williams of Ekalaka), moved to the Twin Cities area in the summer of 2013 when she started attending law school at William Mitchell College of Law.

Now, Williams will also be offering services to people in Ekalaka and the surrounding community.

"Since before going to law school," she explained, "I knew I wanted to be a general practitioner and provide legal services to quality communities. Ekalaka is the perfect place to open a satellite location so that I can practice law here for a long time to come."

Richard O. Harkins, Ekalaka's hometown attorney, is helping to turn her dream into a reality. Williams' satellite location will include an office inside the same building on Main Street that houses Harkins' law office.

"He is letting me utilize space in his downtown location and providing mentorship about legal issues throughout the area," she said.

Williams was born and raised on a small grain and cattle operation in rural Minnesota. When she was 16, she moved to Sidney, MT with her parents, Duane and Barbara Lundemo. Lundemos still reside in Sidney; Duane runs a sporting goods business and Barbara is a Nurse Anesthetist.

Williams graduated from Dickinson State University as the Outstanding Senior in the Spring of 2013 with a degree in Political Science, Pre-Law. She graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in May of 2016.

As an associate attorney at MacMillan, Wallace, & Athanases, Williams works as a general practice attorney. She also participates in their thirty-plus year city attorney contract as a city prosecutor for misdemeanor cases. Williams and her husband reside in Robbinsdale, Minnesota with their two children, Maxton (age 10) and Aiden (age 2).

"The community there is like a small town in a big city, which we love. It makes us feel closer to our homegrown rural roots," she said.

Most recently, Williams worked as a Judicial Staff Attorney. Besides her work, she enjoys horseback riding, sewing and tailoring, playing with her children, and kayaking on a local lake. She is also actively involved in the local church and community.

Late last week, Williams received word from the Secretary of State that she had provided all of the necessary documentation to work under her firm in Montana. She is licensed in Minnesota and Montana, and was sworn into the Montana Bar in May.

She is excited to be able to help clients in Ekalaka.

"I believe the people and businesses in Ekalaka need quality legal representation from a person they trust. Ekalaka is a very rural area and legal representation can be difficult to obtain, especially if someone is unable to travel due to health concerns or just because they are simply too busy to get anywhere. Thankfully, I can now meet those needs."

Although Williams will reside in Minnesota for part of the year, she is always available via phone, mail, and email. She has a Montana cell number and is working on setting up video capabilities so that clients can reach her through video meetings.

"Technology has come a long way in the legal profession," she explained. "Essentially, it will help me bring my services to the clients, rather than requiring the client to come to me."

However, for clients who would rather meet face-to-face, Williams has pre-scheduled times throughout the year when she will be at her Ekalaka office. While in town, she will also take walk-in clients.

Scheduled dates are currently December 23, 2017 - January 6, 2018; March 24 - April 7, 2018; June 16 - June 30, 2018; August 4 - August 18, 2018; and December 22, 2018 - January 5, 2019. Williams also said that her schedule can be adjusted to serve the clients of the community accordingly.

As a general practitioner, Williams can help clients with real estate and land transactions, wills, living wills, durable powers of attorney, probate, estate planning, business law (including creating LLCs and managing current business issues), oil and gas, and minor family law or criminal defense matters.

Additionally, she noted that she would be unable to take cases requiring a lot of court appearances, specifically complex family cases or extensive criminal defense cases.

"I will be candid and let you know up front if I can take the case or not. However, it is important for me to let the community know that I will do what I can to help the people in this area. You have a problem or need something? Let me figure out the answer and help you fix it."

In addition to practicing law in the area, Williams is hoping to travel to local businesses, churches, or other organizations to give seminars on various topics during her scheduled times here. She encouraged anyone to contact her if they are interested in hearing about a specific topic.

This Thursday is Williams' last scheduled day to be in Ekalaka until December 23. Without doubt, she is already looking forward to making the next trip.

"From the moment I came to Ekalaka, I fell in love with the town and the people. I have always felt welcome here and have made friends in the area over the years. Ekalaka holds a place in my heart and I'm always excited to come here. Ekalaka holds a sense of community and family values that align with how my husband and I want to raise our children. It also maintains colorful community members and a sense of fun, which makes it well-rounded."

Jennifer Williams, Associate Attorney, can be reached on her cell phone, (406) 489-1269, or by emailing jawilliams@mwalaw.us.