Jensen v. Eveleth Mines: One of the First Silence Breakers

January 8, 2018 By Jean Boler

Iron Range Women Built Foundation for Combating Workplace Harassment, Paving the Way for #MeToo

Star Tribune file

Reprinted with permission from the Mesabi Daily News, this article, written in December 2017, provides background and insight into the story of one plaintiff from the groundbreaking lawsuit, Jensen v. Eveleth Mines.

The case has risen in notoriety over the years, because it was the first ever class certified employment lawsuit in the country.

Lois Jenson’s story inspired the movie North Country, starring Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson in the lead roles. Because of the bravery shown by Lois and her colleagues at Eveleth Mines in 1988, Schaefer Halleen lawyers Jean Boler and Larry Schaefer were able to successfully represent Lois and a number of other women victimized by sexual harassment and the hostile work environment created in this mining operation. Representing victims of sexual harassment is a key area of strength for Schaefer Halleen. This case has been woven through the fabric of our firm and its advocacy approach for over 30 years. You can read the story here.

About Jean Boler

Jean Boler is an experienced lawyer who has worked tirelessly for equity and fairness both as counsel for individuals and for organizations. As a plaintiffs’ employment lawyer, Ms. Boler has used class action litigation to expose discriminatory patterns in workplaces. As counsel to the City of Seattle, Ms. Boler was at the forefront of helping a willing City government embrace systemic change in its police department. Read more >

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Leon Griggs

15:49 12 Sep 23

I had no idea if or what legal rights I had involving employment law. After receiving consultation from Schaefer Halleen, a surprising and fair resolution was found to the expressed appreciation of all parties involved.Schaefer Halleen, Thank you for your help on this very important matter.

Don Mink

16:15 22 Aug 23

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19:16 10 Jul 23

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13:47 16 May 23

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16:13 28 Apr 23

Lauren D'Cruz did a wonderful job representing me on a complicated case. Her expertise, intelligence, and understanding of the circumstances and my personal story led to a very successful outcome and efficient process. I am extremely grateful for her expert work.

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20:04 21 Apr 23

Excellent knowledge and easy to work with!

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04:22 19 Apr 23

I highly recommend working with Schaefer Halleen. Each team member that I interacted with - Larry, Darren, and Jenelle - were extremely professional, respectful of my time and concerns, and were quick to address my needs. I worked closely with Darren Sharp for my case. Darren lives up to his surname - he is thorough, efficient, and no nonsense when it came to representing my needs. All the same, he is compassionate, engaged, and a pleasure to work with. Again, I highly recommend this firm and thank them for their support in my case!

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05:00 25 Jan 23

I highly recommend this law firm. Peter took his time to explain how the legal practice would work so I knew what to expect and Jenelle showed compassion when listening to my needs. Peter resolved the settlement fast and I think you find out you'll be happy with this firm as well.

Smook Music

16:34 27 Dec 22

Jeff Hilligoss

15:03 05 Dec 22

Larry Schaefer and the professionals at Schaefer Halleen are the team you want in your court for employment law matters. Consummate professionals, their expert, clear-eyed advice and counsel has been invaluable to me over the course of my career. And they are a delight to work with!

Tom Emison

14:53 22 Nov 22

Tim Christensen is simply amazing; evenings, weekends, whatever it took to serve me. thank you Tim!

Mark Copeland

22:46 17 Nov 22

Tim was fantastic and really paid attention to detail. I recommend him and the firm to anyone who has employment legal issues.Mark Copeland

C Verdick

13:47 15 Nov 22

Peter and Makenzie were great to work with. Highly recommend.

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17:48 02 May 22

Caroline Allen

10:56 03 Feb 22

I worked with Larry on a severance negotiation and was incredibly pleased with the work he did. He gave great advice and helped me end the negotiation in a very favorable spot.

Kit White

18:22 07 Jun 21

I would highly recommend working with this firm if you're dealing with a legal case. They are so responsive, kind and compassionate. Darren made me feel heard and fought for me throughout the entirety of my case. It was not an easy experience, as legal cases tend to bring up a lot of emotions and trauma, but this firm will fight for you and make you feel heard. Highly, highly recommend.

Marcia

14:18 02 Jun 21

I highly recommend Peter Christian and Shaefer Halleen. Clear communication and planning were key to our success. The team I worked with was empathetic and sensitive to my situation, and always helped me understand the overall legal process and what to expect during our case.

Amy A Houchins-Post

14:00 10 Mar 21

Lia

22:13 26 Feb 21

Peter and Lauren are patient and understanding. They considered my case from every angle possible. They also took the time to educate me a bit on how the law works. Very impressed!

Julie Koritz

01:27 25 Feb 21

Peter and Jacob did a great job getting me a settlement. I am very fortunate to have worked with them.

DeAijha Oliver

05:22 30 Dec 20

Henry V

15:56 25 Sep 20

I worked with Larry Schaefer and Lauren D'Cruz. They enthusiastically took up my case. They showed creativity, good judgment and deep knowledge of the law in formulating the theory of the case. They also struck a fine balance between zealous advocacy and risk management. They were very responsive and provided timely status updates throughout our engagement. They took genuine interest in me as a person. I would recommend Schaefer Halleen to my family and friends without reservation.

Constance Lewis

15:46 10 Aug 20

I had the opportunity to work with Peter Christian. He was amazing to work with. He believed in my case from the moment we spoke and was diligent in working for me. He kept me in the loop on every aspect of my case, he allowed me to have input before decisions were made and fought for me from the very beginning to the end. He was prompt and followed through on everything he said he would. Peter was very professional, and timely. I truly appreciate the time and dedication to my case. Thank you Peter for taking the chance with my case and fighting for me. With Peter's expertise, my case was settled with a positive and favorable outcome. You were a pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend your services. Thank you again!

B Bowlby

15:46 24 Apr 20

I cannot recommend Schaefer Halleen highly enough. I had a particularly hard employment issue and I found the people at S.H. to be excellent to work with. They are all very professional, very intelligent, handled me and my situation with care and always kept me up to date on where my case was at. In the rare instance when I contacted them by either phone or email I received a near immediate response.I was always made to feel that I was important and I always felt I was being given advice I could trust. At the end of the day my case was settled in a very timely manor and I am very pleased with how it turned out.Finally, the lawyers and staff at S.H. are some of the most experienced people in their industry and I was very impressed with their past accomplishments. I knew I could trust S.H. to handle my case after the very first meeting. If you need employment law help, Schaefer Halleen, LLC is the one and only firm I would recommend.

Roland Awasome

13:32 02 Apr 20

I am a professional and worked with many attorneys in the past. Peter is hands down the best out there. I can’t recommend him enough .

Laura H

14:10 21 Feb 20

I am so thankful I found the Schaefer Hallen team to help me through one of the most difficult times in my life. Lauren always took the time to listen and was respectful and professional. Her attention to detail is impeccable, and she helped organize all my random thoughts and emails to help strengthen my case. Larry and Lauren kept me informed throughout the whole process and always made me feel like I was in control. With their expertise, my case was settled efficiently and with a positive outcome.

Mevhibe Atay

20:03 19 Feb 20

I had a great experience with the firm. My attorney Darren Sharp was very efficient, knowledgeable and kept me informed at every step. Very trustworthy and professional.

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15:45 12 Sep 19

Extremely professional and humane treatment towards me as a person in severe trouble, perplexed by conditions generated totally out of my control. This law firm is outstanding.

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16:54 16 May 19

Overall, the firm is great! Lauren D'Cruz is organized, thoughtful, and very pleasant to work with. I have enjoyed my interactions with everyone at Schaefer Halleen over the years. I highly recommend the firm and Ms. D'Cruz.

M. Malik

20:11 05 Apr 19

It is with great pleasure that I write this for Mr Schaefer and his capable people comprised of talent and empathy. I had a fear of Attorneys (due to my own weakness, no disrespect to the legal profession), but I felt pleasantly surprised after my visit to his firm located in the heart of Minneapolis - my home city that I am passionate about. Larry's office emblomized everything that I look for. The attorneys, the administrative staff, the decor, it all felt "happy" and "inter-connected". I had thought my case was too too hard to understand by others, however due to Larry's brilliance and savvy, it became evident to me that he understood it very well. He had a clear line of action and a resolve to seek justice with ethics. That was all that I desired. I hope Larry's office continues to serve the disability community, that it prospers, grows, and makes Minneapolis the best city in the world.

Sameh Said

16:21 04 Apr 19

I am very thankful to Larry for helping me through a very difficult time of my life. My former employer discriminated against me and treated me very badly and I was forced to resign to end my struggle with this employer. I did not know what to do or who I can find to help me getting through this and restore my reputation and my employment. I met with several layers prior to my meeting with Larry and I can tell the difference immediately when I engaged with him. Larry told me what will happen in the first meeting and despite my process took several months, he was able to predict the successful outcome just through listening to me in that very first meeting. He has complete understanding of all employment related issues, he is focused and dedicated to help his clients getting back on track. His strategic thinking and the steps he made were the key to success. He also has a wonderful team that are just the right team to help. Quick response and timely feedback about what is going on with the case so you are always in the loop with the next step. Now I moved on to a new and a better employer and I feel I am beginning a new and a good chapter in my life, and I feel I can't thank Larry or his wonderful team enough for what they did to me and how they supported me to get through probably the worst chapter in my life.Thank you Larry

Rebecca Thavis

17:14 02 Apr 19

Larry truly went above and beyond. In each step of the case, he made sure I was aware of what was happening and the next steps. He called frequently, and followed my choices, making sure that I felt in control. I never felt like a victim, or less- he helped inspire me to fight for what I needed and deserved. If I had to go through it again, no questions asked, I would want Larry by my side every step of the way. His team is well organized, efficient, kind and discrete. I am forever grateful that Schaefer Halleen represented me, and I highly suggest them for any and all people who need empowering representation.

Joanne Simons

21:30 26 Mar 19

Excellent experience, outstanding staff, expedient, caring, respectful.

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00:22 18 Mar 19

The humanness and genuine care for their clients separates this firm from others and makes it best in class.

John Styliaras

23:55 17 Mar 19

Larry and his team at Schaefer Halleen helped bring to resolution issues at the workplace in an amicable manner. When I first approached Larry, I was not even sure what steps to take, what to do, did not even know if I needed a lawyer, or why I needed a lawyer. All I knew was that friends and colleagues told me to reach out to a lawyer. And when I asked around, his name and his firm's name kept on being mentioned by many. And the reputation was well deserved.Larry patiently and deliberately listened to my story, and then explained to me exactly why I needed a lawyer, and how he could help me. Immediately he laid out the plan about how to proceed. Instantly I was put at ease. Throughout a very long process, he provided me advice and guidance and was always willing to talk to me on the phone, whenever there were either updates, or I had questions and concerns.I am absolutely certain that I would had not been able to reach the resolution without Larry's and his team's steadfast guidance, advice, and impressive work. I recommend Larry and his firm unconditionally - the very best in the field.John C. Styliaras MD,MS

Ricardo Vidal Gonzalez

18:49 12 Dec 18

I highly recommend the Schaefer Halleen law firm. Larry Schaefer was always available to answer any questions and his team was very professional. They work hard to get results and take the time to listen to the client’s goals.

annette miller

00:40 07 Nov 18

I found the team to be professional, respectful and very well versed in employment law. I would recommend them to anyone looking for advice or expertise in this area.

Lynn Hassan Jones

14:18 31 Oct 18

I am a physician who recently hired Schaefer and Halleen to represent me in an employment discrimination case, my Atty was Jean Boler ESQ.They provided top-tier legal services to me for my case 2017 through my settlement in 1st qtr of 2018.This was excellent legal representation, specifically - very responsive, very prompt, extremely detailed and never off-putting.Absolutely would recommend without reservation!

Doc MoSho

19:40 02 Jul 18

They were attentive and responsive and dod a great job of diffusing the tension in a situation that could have been quite adversarial. They also did an excellent job of level setting before the process proceeded to far in an unrealistic direction. Great work.

the Dodger

14:28 04 Jun 18

Joyce Jenkins

19:03 02 Jun 18

Larry has been a great resource for several years. His response time, quality of response and follow up are excellent. He has been flexible enough to answer an impromptu calI and get a response back within an hour. I recall talking to Larry early one morning when there was 8" of snow and most businesses were closed. He was the only one in the office to keep my appointment.I have recommended Larry to more than a dozen of my friends and colleagues and I feel very comfortable recommending him to anyone.Derek Jenkins

John

23:57 01 Jun 18

An honest lawyer? YES! Larry was fantastic and I can’t thank him enough for his unbiased advice and support.

Ravi B

21:00 01 Jun 18

Larry is amazing. Very professional, takes the time to listen, is very knowledgeable and respected and if he says he can get you justice - you can count on it.

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