Kassius O. Benson
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorney in Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, MN 55401
- Criminal Defense (50%),
- Criminal Defense: White Collar (50%)
- English,
- Spanish
As the founder and senior counsel of Kassius Benson Law, P.A., Mr. Benson is dedicated to serving clients in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C. as well as federal courts throughout the country. He focuses his practice on criminal defense, handling cases involving federal crimes, racketeering, fraud, embezzlement, drug charges, white collar crimes, homicide, sexual assault and misconduct, assault and DWI and DUI.
Mr. Benson graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1996. Prior to law school, Mr. Benson graduated with honors from Iowa State University in 1993 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in English. Following law school, Mr. Benson started his career as an attorney in the Adult Trial Division of the prestigious Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) where he represented indigent clients and developed the fearlessness, work ethic, and trial skills necessary to effectively advocate for his clients.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Benson has committed himself to asserting and defending the rights of those accused of serious felony crimes at both the state and federal court levels. Whether representing entertainers, professional athletes, corporations, small-business owners or everyday people, he believes in providing his clients with unflinching and effective representation. Kassius Benson has tried over 150 jury trials to verdict during his career. With each case he handles, Mr. Benson centers his focus on his clients and their needs and goals. He stands with them at every stage of the criminal process and strives to help them achieve the best possible outcomes to their legal issues. Mr. Benson is recognized as a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association.
Staying active in the legal community is a priority for Mr. Benson. He is a member of the Criminal Justice Act panel of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and serves as a board member for Head Start and Parents in Community Action, Inc., in Minneapolis, MN. Mr. Benson has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and currently serves as a faculty member at the Minnesota Public Defender Trial School since 2003.
Criminal Defense (50%): Arrest & Arraignment, Assault & Battery, Criminal Fraud, Criminal Law, Drug & Alcohol Violations, False Accusations, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, Murder, Sex Offenses, Tax Evasion, Criminal Domestic Violence
Criminal Defense: White Collar (50%): White Collar Crime, Criminal Law - Federal
Arrest & Arraignment, Assault & Battery, Criminal Fraud, Criminal Law, Drug & Alcohol Violations, False Accusations, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, Murder, Sex Offenses, Tax Evasion, Criminal Domestic Violence, White Collar Crime, Criminal Law - Federal
Selections
Super Lawyers: 2007 - 2009
Certificates and Credentials
- MSBA Board Certified Specialists - Criminal
To: Kassius O. Benson
Super Lawyers: Potential Client Inquiry
Additional Sources of Information About Kassius O. Benson
About Kassius Benson
Admitted: 1996, Minnesota
Professional Webpage: http://kassiusbensonlaw.com/meet-the-team/kassius-o-benson/
Honors/Awards:
- Recognized as a Minnesota Super Lawyer
- Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist, 2019
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Pro Hac Vice Admission to federal and state courts in Arizona, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin
- Federal Criminal Justice Act Panel Member, District of Minnesota
- Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
- State of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
- Supreme Court of the United States of America
- Minnesota Freedom Fund – Bail Reform Advocacy, Board President
- The Public Defender Service for District of Columbia (PDS), Attorney – Adult Trial Division
- U.S. District Court for District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
- PICA-Head Start, Minnesota, Board Member
- Federal Criminal Justice Act Panel Member, District of Minnesota
- District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Board Member; PICA - HEAD START, MINNESOTA, 2019
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Former Associate Professor of Clinics and Adjunct Professor, University of Minnesota Law School, Misdemeanor Defense and Prosecution Clinics
- Faculty, Minnesota Public Defender Trial School, St. Paul, MN, 2019
- Kassius O. Benson and Kaarin S. Nelson; Felony Disenfranchisement: Why 5 Million Americans Can't Vote This November; cover article in Minnesota Bench & Bar, October 2012
- Faculty Member - Gideon's Promise (formerly Southern Public Defender Training Center), 2006
Verdicts/Settlements:
- Greenlaw v. United States, 128 S.Ct. 2559, 2008
Representative Clients:
- Kassius Benson’s representative clients include professional athletes, entertainers, white collar professionals, corporations, small business owners, firefighters, law enforcement officers; individuals facing harsh mandatory-minimum drug sentences, persons charged with white collar crimes as well as everyday people facing serious criminal charges in Federal or state courts. Mr. Benson also represents individuals and businesses in complex cases involving asset and property seizure by the government, 2019
Educational Background:
- Juris Doctor - University of Minnesota Law School, 1996
- Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, Bachelor of Science in English, Minors in African American Studies and Political Science, With Honors, 1993
Industry Groups
- Criminal Defense
- White Collar
Kassius O. Benson:
Last Updated: 8/13/2019