Public service runs deep in the Sieben family. Harry “Tex” Sieben ’68 served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1971-1985, the last four as Speaker. His brother Michael Sieben ’72 also served in the Minnesota House from 1973-1982, and their sibling Bill Sieben served as staff attorney for several years to Senator and Vice President Walter Mondale ’56.

The next generation has followed suit: Michael’s daughter, Katie Sieben, served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003-07 and Minnesota Senate from 2007-17 and now is chair of
the Public Utilities Commission.

It made sense, therefore, that when the family decided to establish a scholarship fund at the Law School, public service was the focus. In 2008, Harry, Michael, and Bill, together with their other sibling, John P. Sieben ’86, and Michael’s daughter, Anne Sieben Wolsfeld ’00, endowed the Sieben Family Scholarship Fund, which has since provided financial assistance to five high-achieving law students who have a strong interest in public service.

“We all had a desire to give back,” says Michael. “We felt very blessed by the education we got at the University of Minnesota and felt an obligation to help people interested in public service. Our father was in public service and set an example for us. It was a part of our upbringing.”

Their father, Harry Sieben Sr., a 1937 graduate of the University of Minnesota, was regional director of the Small Business Administration before he graduated from law school at the age of 52. He eventually became the chief clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Jocelyn Rimes, 3L, is the fifth recipient of the Sieben Family Scholarship. She says the financial assistance was a significant factor in her decision to attend the University of Minnesota Law School.

“I came out of undergrad with quite a bit of student loan debt,” she says. “When I visited the Minnesota Law, I liked that it was both highly ranked and had a more collegial atmosphere. I really wanted to go here but the money was a worry. This scholarship got my law school tuition down to a manageable level. It made it a significantly easier decision to come here. I’m really grateful.”

Rimes is working part-time during her third year in law school in the civil division of the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, where she worked full-time after her first and second years. “I wanted to be exposed to a wide variety of different legal areas, primarily in public service work,” she says. “I’ve gotten hands-on experience and overall it has given me a clearer understanding of how government lawyering works, how it interacts with politics.” Rimes also serves as articles editor for the Law School’s Journal of Law and Inequality.

The Sieben family often meets with its scholarship recipients, Michael says. “I really get a lot out of those interactions. All of us in our family were very fortunate to attend law school at a time when it was more affordable. We graduated without any debt, so we’d like to pass that opportunity onto others who need support.”