BAR ADMISSIONS
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2005
U.S. Supreme Court, 1980
U.S. Federal Courts, 1976
Minnesota, 1976
U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota, 1976
North Dakota, 1976
EDUCATION
Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana: Juris Doctor, 1976
Concordia College, Moorhead, MN: Bachelor of Arts in History/Political Science/Spanish, Summa Cum Laude, 1973
Past President, Sigma Delta Pi; past President, Phi Gamma Mu
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Minnesota State Bar Association, 1976 – present
Fifth District Bar Association, 2000 – present
Rice County Bar Association, 2000 – present (President 2006-2007)
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, 2000 – present
Legal Assistance of North Dakota, 1976 – 1978 (State Board Member)
North Dakota Bar Association, 1976 – 1981
North Dakota Bar Association, 1999 – 2000
Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, 1998 – 2001
Third Judicial District Ethics Committee, 2006 – present
American Trial Lawyers Association, 1986 – 1988
Central Minnesota Legal Services, 1980 – 2001
Rule 114 Qualified Neutral Civil Mediator, 2002 – present
PAST POSITIONS
Lampe Law Group, LLP, Partner; 2003 – 2022
Assistant Northfield City Attorney, 2003-2009
Heisler Law Office, Solo Practice; Assistant Third Judicial District Public Defender, 2001 – 2003
Sinclair, Evans, Hunt & Heisler, Partner; Assistant Becker County Attorney, 1991 – 2000
Heisler Law Office, Solo Practice; Morrison County Public Defender, 1983 – 1991
Kennedy and Nervig Law Office, Associate Lawyers, 1978 – 1983
Heisler Law Office, Solo Practice; Strasburg City Attorney; Hazelton City Attorney; Emmons County Justice; Linton City Attorney, 1976 – 1978
OTHER INTERESTS
My intelligent and beautiful wife (she made me say that). Also my family and grandkids, drumming, travel, hunting, fishing, live music, puns and dry humor.
In Lance’s own words:
After many great experiences in college as a young man, I arrived at a place where I realized that four years of liberal arts and a diploma with a special sticker on it had prepared me for . . . absolutely nothing. Faced with almost certain poverty and homelessness, I took the only path you can take when no one in society wants you: I went to law school.
I chose Notre Dame Law School because it had two very significant things to recommend it: (1) There was a brand new law school facility, and (2) There was a hell of a football team on campus. Bottom line: If there are comfortable chairs to sit in, and you can go to a football stadium on Saturdays and scream like a stuck pig, law school is a lot more fun.
Since then there have been more clients than I can remember, and more years than I want to remember. I often wish that I had kept a journal of the amazing and colorful things I have seen and heard in this business we call the law. But through it all one thing I haven’t forgotten is that every client is important, and every client both needs and deserves my full attention to their legal problem. I also like to think that a sense of humor and a little common sense not only help me get the results my clients deserve, but make whatever burdens there may be along the way just a bit easier to bear. I have been fortunate to have found partners and associates who feel the same way about what we do.
These days I spend most of my time practicing bankruptcy law and related matters. I like those areas because they both involve helping folks when they’re in a little bit over their heads. There’s a lot of satisfaction in that kind of work; I’ve met some wonderful people along the way; and I’ve never been bored one day on the job. I can’t ask for more than that.
