Sheila Donnelly – Coyne
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Practice Areas:
- Personal Injury -- Plaintiff 100%
Biography
As a college student, Sheila did volunteer work with mentally and physically handicapped teens and was chairperson of a student run volunteer organization called Volunteers in Action. Even before graduation Sheila knew she wanted to find a job where she could help people. She decided on law school. She feels blessed to have the opportunity to help and protect those who do not have someone to stand up for them.
Over the years, Sheila has won many cases in which large settlements and verdicts made headlines.
She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Lawyer Magazine and as one of nine outstanding attorneys in the state. She is a lecturer for the Minnesota Association for Justice, the Minnesota State Bar Association and the American Association For Justice. Sheila is on the Board of Governors and the Continuing Education Committee for the Minnesota Association of Justice and is an adjunct law professor for the University of St. Thomas School of Law. She is a frequent lecturer for the American Association for Justice, Minnesota State Bar Association and the Minnesota Association for Justice. In the summer of 2013 she was elected to the American Association for Justice, Trucking Litigation Board, where she acts as co-chair of education on truck litigation issues impacting injured persons.
Sheila and her husband live in the twin cities with their children. She likes to spend her time off gardening, downhill skiing, golfing, biking, jogging and most of all, playing with her children.
Education
- William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota
- J.D. - 1993
- Honors: magna cum laude
- College of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN
- B.A. - 1990
- Major: Marketing
Bar Admission
- Minnesota, 1993
- U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1993
Published Works
- "Damages In Automobile Accidents." Motor Vehicle Accidents In Minnesota: Deskbook & Seminar, Minnesota State Bar Association, May 7, 2014
Honors
- Chosen by Minnesota Super Lawyer as one of nine outstanding attorneys
- Chosen as a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Lawyer Magazine and Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine
- Past Recipient of Minnesota Lawyer's Attorneys of the Year Award
Speaker at the Following Classes & Seminars
- December, 1999, Minnesota Association For Justice--Trial Skills Workshop: Opening Statements
- October, 2000, Minnesota Association For Justice--Damages: Preparing and Arguing Earning Capacity and Wage Loss Claims
- May, 2002, Minnesota Association For Justice--Enhancing Damages: Preparing and Arguing Wage Loss and Earning Capacity claims
- October, 2002, Minnesota Association For Justice--Toolbox: The Mechanics of Trying A Case: Loss of Consortium
- January, 2005, Minnesota Association For Justice--Fighting Goliath: Why We Keep Trying Cases
- October, 2005, Minnesota Association For Justice--Toolbox: The Mechanics of Trying A Case: Loss of Consortium
- May, 2006, Minnesota Association For Justice--Motions: Post Trial Motions
- August, 2007, Minnesota Association for Justice Annual Convention—Trucking Claims for Negligent Hiring, Retention, Training, Entrustment and Punitive Damages
- June, 2008, Minnesota Association For Justice--Toolbox: The Mechanics of Trying A Case: Loss of Consortium
- September, 2009, Minnesota Association for Justice—Premises Liability and Dog Bite Cases: What You Need to Know, Present
- December, 2009, Minnesota Association For Justice--Handling the Personal Injury Case: Handling the Unique Case: Collisions Involving Trucks or Buses
- January, 2010, Minnesota State Bar Association--Uninsured, Underinsured & No Fault Insurance
- February, 2010, Minnesota Association For Justice–Trying the Car Crash Case: Loss of Consortium Claims
- November, 2010, Minnesota Association For Justice--Successfully Handling and Litigating The Commercial Truck Case
- November, 2010, Minnesota Association For Justice--American Family: Deny and Delay. What Can Be Done?
- December, 2010, Minnesota Association For Justice--Trying The Car Crash Case - Winning Damages For Pain, Disability and Distress
- April, 2012, Minnesota Association For Justice–Preparing The Civil Case For Trial: Special Considerations Involving Commercial Vehicles
- June, 2012, Minnesota Association For Justice--Ethics and Elimination of Bias: Dealing With Biases During Voir Dire: A Moderated Discussion
- July, 2012, American Association For Justice, Summer Convention--What Every Trucking Lawyer Needs To Know About Negligent Hiring, Retention, Training, and Entrustment
- Spring Semester 2013 to present, Adjunct Professor, University of St. Thomas School of Law, Trial Advocacy Course, Present
- December, 2013, Minnesota Association For Justice--JUSTICE IN 2013 - Top Trial Court Outcomes of 2013
- January, 2014, Minnesota Association For Justice--David vs. Goliath: How to Win Commercial Truck and Bus Cases and Get Your Clients the Help They Need
- February, 2014, Minnesota State Bar Association--Uninsured, Underinsured, No-Fault Insurance and Bodily Injury Update/Minneapolis
- April, 2014, American Association For Justice--AAJ's Jazz Fest Seminar, New Orleans, Member's Only: Driver Fatigue
- May, 2014, American Association For Justice--Motor Vehicle, Bus, and Trucking Cases Webinar Series: Impressions on Jurors from Start to Finish; Second Impressions: Opening Statements
- November, 2014: Maximizing the Value of Your Soft Tissue Case: The Importance of Lay Witnesses, Minnesota Association For Justice
- October, 2014: Commercial Motor Vehicle Accident Cases - Back to the "B.A.S.I.C.s", Behavioral Analysis Safety Improvement Categories: Driver Fitness, Sleep Apnea, Fatigue Awareness Training, The Ohio Association For Justice
- April 2016: Trucking litigation Jazz Fest seminar, American Association for Justice.
- July 2016, AAJ Annual Convention: Bus vs. Pedestrians- Don’t let your Clients Get Run over Twice. American Association for Justice, Los Angeles, California
- April 2017: Auto Crash Litigation 4.0, 360 Degree Advocacy, Las Vegas, NV
- April 23-24, 2017: a New Look at Trucking Cases, 360 Degree Advocacy, Dallas, TX
- February 2018: Trucking Cases, 360 Degree Advocacy, Las Vegas, NV
- April 2018: Trucking Law Negligent Hiring, Retention and Entrustment, Minnesota State Bar Continuing legal Education/ Minnesota CLE. MN
- January 2019: Trucking Litigation Webinar, American Association for Justice
- February 24-25, 2019 Trucking Cases, 360 Degree Advocacy, NV
- November 7, 2019 Negligent Hiring in Trucking, Iowa Association for Justice, Des Moines, Iowa
- March 8, 2020 Trucking Cases 2020, 360 Degree Advocacy, Las Vegas, NV
Professional Associations
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Active Member in Good Standing, Present
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Active Member in Good Standing, Present
- Minnesota Association for Justice, Active Member in Good Standing, Actively Serving on the Board of Governors and the Education Committee and Chair of the Education Committee, Present
- American Association for Justice, Active Member and Truck Litigation Group Board Co-Chair of Education, Present
- Ramsey County Bar Association
- Dakota County Bar Association
- Association of Plaintiff's Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America
Certified Legal Specialties
- Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2012 to present
Current Employment Position
- Owner, Partner, Practicing Attorney