Joseph Atkins (born October 6, 1965) is a Minnesota attorney and former member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...

. A member of the

Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party. As of 2022, it controls four of Minnesota's eight U.S. House seats, both of its U.S. Senate seats, the Minnesota House of Represen ...

(DFL), he represented District 52B, which included portions of

Dakota County Dakota County may refer to: *Dakota County, Minnesota in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area of east-central Minnesota *Dakota County, Nebraska Dakota County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of th2020 United States Census the populati ...

in the southeastern

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

metropolitan area.

Early life, education, and career

Born in

South St. Paul South St. Paul is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota County, Minnesota, United States, located immediately south and southeast of Saint Paul, Minnesota, St. Paul. It is also east of West St. Paul, Minnesota, West St. Paul. The population ...

, Atkins grew up in

Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota Inver Grove Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 35,801 at the 2020 census. The city was formed on March 9, 1965, with the merger of the village of Inver Grove and Inver Grove Township. It is one of 1 ...

. After graduating from

Simley High School Simley High School is a public high school in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, United States. The school opened in 1960 with a graduating class of 19 students. The school, in 2022, has approximately 1,200 students enrolled in grades 912. As of the ...

in 1984, he earned his B.A. from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

-Twin Cities in 1988 and his Juris Doctor ''magna cum laude'' from

William Mitchell College of Law William Mitchell College of Law was a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States, from 1956 to 2015. Accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), it offered full- and part-time legal education in pursuit of ...

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

in 1991. While in college and law school, he worked full-time as a law clerk and started a legal investigation business. Atkins has been practicing law since 1991. He is a partner in the law firm of Thuet, Pugh, Rogosheske & Atkins in South St. Paul, one of Minnesota's oldest law firms. He also does significant pro bono work for those who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

Political career

In 1987, Inver Grove Heights voters elected Atkins to the School Board. At the age of 21, he was the youngest school board member in the nation. Five years later, in 1992, he was elected mayor of Inver Grove Heights, serving for 10 years to become its longest-serving mayor to that date (a record since surpassed by sitting mayor George Tourville).

Minnesota House of Representatives

Atkins was first elected to the House in 2002 and was reelected every two years until retiring in 2016.

Potential 2008 U.S. Senate run

Atkins considered entering the 2008 U.S. Senate race. He opted out, saying he preferred to remain in Minnesota.

Personal life

Atkins and his wife, Julia, have three children: John, Tom and Katie.

Honors and accolades

Atkins has garnered numerous awards for his public service, including being named one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the United States Jaycees in 2001. In 2003, while in his first term in the Minnesota House, he was selected "Freshman Representative of the Year" by ''Politics in Minnesota'' magazine. Readers of local newspaper the ''South-West Review'' have also voted Atkins a "Best Local Elected Official" 10 times, more than any other official. Atkins received a rating of "10" from the Minnesota Taxpayers League in the 2011 legislative session to bring his career rating to "8".

Electoral history

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Joe 1965 births Living people People from South St. Paul, Minnesota Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives University of Minnesota alumni William Mitchell College of Law alumni Minnesota lawyers 21st-century American politicians