The Rubric Legal LLC Team

ATTORNEY PROFILES

Emmett Robertson​

For Me, It’s All About the Mission

I have always been drawn to nonprofits and mission-based work—one of my majors in college was Social Justice. Long before I became a nonprofit lawyer, I worked in and around the nonprofit sector in a variety of capacities. I witnessed not only many of the challenges nonprofits face but also the incredible impact they have in the communities they serve. I wanted to put my analytical mind to better use helping the sector, so I decided to attend law school to specifically enter into the practice of nonprofit law.

I absolutely love my job. I love my clients—mostly small to mid-sized organizations—and the passion their volunteers and staff bring to the panoply of causes they work on behalf of. I really love tax law—no, really—and the way it works in the tax-exempt world to ensure that money and resources are used for the right purposes. I relish the challenging issues that arise when a focus on mission runs up against the need to pay enough attention to necessary compliance issues. And, as a former philosophy major, I love breaking down complex legal concepts into plain English so that everyone can understand what is happening.

I Keep It Real

From the start, you’ll find that I am fully me in all I do. Yes, I regularly wear jeans to work. I curse—sometimes a lot. I’m an open book and will never hesitate to tell things as they are.

And I like to have fun with my job. For a while, I was known as the (totally secular) Santa Lawyer. I also co-starred and co-produced a show for the 2013 Minnesota Fringe Festival: “…Kill All The Lawyers,” which made a smashing reappearance at the 2015 Charm City Fringe in Baltimore, MD. So, there’s that.

In My Free Time…

Free time? Well, I’m co-chair of the Hennepin County Bar Association’s LINC program (a nonprofit board training program for lawyers) and Minnesota CLE’s annual Nonprofit Law Conference. I’m also a frequent speaker on governance, tax, and other issues related to nonprofit organizations.

In my actual free time, I live a car-free life as I explore everything the Cities has to offer—delicious and unique food, fun live music shows, and adult beverages (a nice rye from a small distillery is my drink of choice). Expect to see me at Loons soccer games when you go; I’m a season ticket holder for MN United. I also just enjoy hanging out with my cats and binge-watching whatever has recently grabbed my attention. In more personal news, I’ve been learning Spanish and traveling quite a bit and am contemplating a move to either South or Central America (don’t worry—I will still be able to provide you excellent advice mixed with sarcasm and a lot of direct communication, wherever I am based out of).

Emmett’s Practice Areas
Affiliations and Community Involvement
  • American Bar Association
  • Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Hennepin County Bar Association
  • Adjunct Professor, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
  • Co-chair, Minnesota CLE Nonprofit Law Conference
  • TEGE Exempt Organization’s Council, TIQ TAC Committee Member (Treasury / IRS Communications to TEO Advisors’ Queries)
  • Children’s Law Center, Volunteer Attorney
  • Co-Chair, Hennepin County Bar Association’s LINC Program (Leaders Impacting the Nonprofit Community)
  • Nonprofit Financial Group of the Twin Cities
  • Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Associate Member
  • Member, 317A Technical Amendments Committee, MSBA Business Law Section’s Nonprofit Subcommittee, 2016
  • Former Officer of the Executive Council of the Business Law Section, Minnesota State Bar Association,
  • Former Program Committee Member, Collaborative Community Law Initiative
  • Former Board Member, Charities Review Council
  • Former Board Member, Family Tree Clinic
  • Former Board Member, Hennepin County Bar Foundation
  • Former Board Member, Hennepin County Bar Association
  • Former Board Member, Southside Family Charter School
  • Former Board Member, Minnesota Fringe Festival
Honors
  • Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Star 2019-2021
  • Minnesota Lawyer 2014 Up & Coming Attorney

To speak with me about your business concern, call 612-465-0074 or send us a message!