Toni Halleen, co-owner and chief operating officer of Minneapolis law firm Schaefer Halleen, calls herself “a grateful, happy alum.” Last year, she served on the organizing committee for her class’s 30th reunion, and since then she’s taken on a new role: class agent. “We’re ambassadors—enthusiastic people who like to stay in touch with our classmates,” she says. “We’re a team the school can rely on to be cheerleaders and communicators for our class.”

When it comes to supporting the Law School financially, Halleen, a leading Twin Cities practitioner of employment law, has recently committed to give $2,000 annually for five consecutive years. “It’s a way to give what I think is a significant amount, but make it more manageable,” she says. “And it’s a way to stretch out the pleasure of giving.”

Halleen also points out that, for those in law firm management, giving is enlightened self-interest. “We hire lawyers and law clerks, and we rely on the Law School for skilled candidates who can join our team. It’s a really good investment for me as a business owner.”

HOMETOWN: “My dad’s a minister, so we moved around—Chicago, Detroit, Pasadena. But I was born in Minneapolis, my relatives were here, and I chose the Law School to make it my hometown.

CURRENT HOME: St. Louis Park, Minnesota

GIVING: Lockhart Club member

WHAT YOU WON’T FIND ON HER RESUME: Performs standup comedy and teaches improv to lawyers. Loves ballroom dancing. Really loves knitting—“but I have to be careful, because I’ve injured myself from knitting so much.”

ADVICE TO FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS: “Be open to tweaks and changes in what you thought you were going to do with your law career. And no matter what brought you to law school, trust that what you bring to it will shape your path.