• March 4, 2013
Bricker Lavik

Bricker Lavik

Dorsey & Whitney, L.L.P. sent out a notice today that Bricker Lavik died on Friday, March 1, 2013.  Those of us fortunate enough to have spent time with Bricker will miss him.  For those of you who did not have the chance to know Bricker, I can only hope that those of us who knew him will continue to carry him in our hearts and minds — his humor, his humanity, his insights, and his goodness.

An email from George Eck, head of the Dorsey Minneapolis office, about the one and only Bricker, after the break…

Many of you had the opportunity to work side by side with Bricker during your time here at Dorsey. I know you join us in extending your condolences to his wife Tonja. We here at Dorsey will so miss his friendship and passion for justice.

It is with deep regret that I inform you that our colleague and good friend Bricker Lavik died on Friday, March 1, 2013.  Bricker is survived by his beloved wife, Tonja Orr.Bricker Lavik started his legal career as an attorney at the Legal Aid Society. In that role he represented clients in cases involving consumer credit, garnishments, repossessions, evictions, government benefits and more. He brought three Department of Housing and Urban Development administrative complaints resulting in the creation of 784 new units of low-income housing. He was lead counsel in a class action case raising deceptive trade practices claims, resulting in rent abatement claims procedures for tenants in a 100 unit apartment building.

Bricker joined Dorsey in 1986 and continued his efforts to ensure that low-income clients receive access to legal services by doing Pro Bono work and serving on numerous committees and boards. Because of Bricker’s leadership, Dorsey joined the Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge as a charter signatory in 1993 and successfully achieved that Challenge for 20 consecutive years.

Bricker was the soul and conscience of Pro Bono and as such, received many recognitions including the Hennepin County Bar Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2006 and Dorsey’s first ever Pro Bono Award for Distinguished Service in 2012.  His commitment to serving the public was deep and pervasive.  Humble and selfless, Bricker inspired us all never to rest on our laurels.

Bricker’s personal and professional passion for justice were among his most enduring qualities.  He remained vibrant and vital through the most extreme health challenges imaginable.  He seized every moment not because it could be his last but because he understood moments are to be seized.

Rather than battle these various maladies, he accepted their truth and dealt with them rationally, working as an eager partner with many outstanding medical professionals most notably his primary care team at the Mayo Clinic.

In the wake of this heartbreaking news, I am reminded of what a great inspiration Bricker was to so many people.  He was a kind, generous, undaunted and wonderful person.  And for this, we are grateful and our world is truly a better place.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *