In the spirit of Thanksgiving this week, I am excited to interview Edward Cassidy about his exceptional work representing death row inmates in Louisiana. Ed is the kind of lawyer that makes me proud to be an attorney. Risk, compliance and ethics professionals have special abilities to help others in crisis or prevent harm. Ed is an exceptional example of someone who believes it is his privilege to serve using his gifts as an attorney.
Ed Cassidy practices in the Employment and Labor and Litigation Groups at Fredrikson & Byron. Ed has 32 years of litigation experience in a variety of jurisdictions on matters ranging from state and federal OSHA, workers’ compensation, general litigation in state and federal court involving many jury trials, to post-conviction habeas corpus death penalty representation.
Pro bono and community involvement has been an integral part of Ed’s practice. He has
represented indigent parties in family law matters, post-conviction criminal proceedings, and he has been
appointed by the court many times as a guardian ad litem in Ramsey County child protection proceedings.
He has represented indigent parties in family law matters, post-conviction criminal proceedings,
and he has been appointed by the court many times as a guardian ad litem in Ramsey County
child protection proceedings.
In July 2009, the Louisiana Supreme Court appointed Ed lead counsel to represent an inmate on
Louisiana’s Death Row at Angola State Penitentiary. Ed leads a team of five Fredrikson & Byron
lawyers that in July 2010 filed a State Habeas Corpus Petition with the local district court,
seeking a new trial and related relief. A hearing on that Petition was completed in June 2013.
In 2014, Ed was appointed lead counsel to a second inmate on Angola’s Death Row in the State
Habeas Corpus Petition.
In 2015, Ed was appointed lead counsel to a third inmate on Angola’s Death Row. The Habeas
Corpus hearings, in this case, start in December 2015.
HONORS
Minnesota State Bar Association, North Star Lawyer, 2012-2014
Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated, ‘2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Labor &
Employment’
Certified Trial Specialist, Civil Trial Litigation Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 1989-1995
Certified Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem in Ramsey County District Court
Minnesota Legal Services Coalition, Annual Pro Bono Award, 1995
COMMUNITY
Legal Assistance to the Disadvantaged Committee, Chair, 1992-1995
Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem, Ramsey County Child Protection Proceedings, 1999-present
Chair Ramsey County Correction Board, 2006-2009
Supreme Courts Legal Services Advisory Committee (LSAC), 2006-2012
LINKS
Edward Q. Cassidy’s Fredrickson & Byron page
612-492-7368
Capital Post-Conviction Project of Louisiana
Supreme Court’s End-of-Summer Conference: Where Appeals ‘Go to Die’ New York Times, August 31, 2015