Laura Prahl

Attorney Laura Prahl joined Tamburino Law Group in Minneapolis after 14 years as a public defender, where she built an extensive record of impressive case wins. She has tried more than 60 jury trials to verdict, handled over 50 contested evidentiary hearings, and written hundreds of memoranda of law supporting motions on suppression and other pretrial issues.

Laura builds every case around the person she represents. She listens closely, stays client-centered from the first meeting to the final court date, and does not shy away from litigation. She enjoys drafting detailed written pretrial motions, and she puts equal effort into investigation and research so she stays steps ahead of the other side. She also knows negotiations often depend on an attorney's ability to work well with the other parties, so she looks for creative paths to a good outcome, including telling the client's story.

After years of practice in the criminal justice system, Attorney Prahl has seen and heard almost everything. She understands that people are sometimes placed in impossible situations involving chemical dependency, mental health struggles, or complicated family dynamics, and how those issues can contribute to the right approach to a criminal defense case. She won an acquittal at trial in a homicide case, and several years ago, she won a Miranda custody issue before the Minnesota Court of Appeals in State v. Farah. As a managing attorney in the public defender's office, Laura created a training program for new felony attorneys, with 10 weeks of substantive legal topics and continued learning throughout their first year. She also led team trainings on the Minnesota sentencing guidelines, criminal sexual conduct and registration updates, and new case law.

Laura served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) from 2019 to 2025, including as treasurer on the executive board from 2022 to 2025. She helped plan continuing legal education seminars, presented at a MACDL seminar on criminal sexual conduct, and has served as faculty for the Minnesota Public Defender Trial School and the Cross Exam Academy.

Laura grew up on a family farm in Southern Minnesota and is fluent in Spanish and English, which helps her connect with clients from more backgrounds. She played Division III basketball at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, where she also joined the pre-law society and competed in national mock trial competitions. Before law school, she spent two years teaching middle school special education in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas through Teach for America. She earned her law degree at William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law) and clerked at Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, the Dakota County Public Defender's office, and the Neighborhood Justice Center along the way.

Outside the office, Laura volunteers with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, including frequent visits to people in immigration detention, and has assisted with habeas petitions on a volunteer basis. She also stays involved in her children's school and community. At home, she enjoys gardening, raising four urban chickens, and traveling with her family. She plays volleyball and basketball, and she once commuted by bike to her downtown job, snow included.

Education

• Wittenberg University, Bachelor's Degree
• Mitchell Hamline School of Law (formerly William Mitchell College of Law), J.D.

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota

Professional Associations

• Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL), Board of Directors, 2019 to 2025
• MACDL Executive Board, Treasurer, 2022 to 2025

Speaking Engagements

• Faculty, Minnesota Public Defender Trial School, 2021, 2022, and 2024
• Faculty, Cross Exam Academy, 2024
• Presenter, MACDL Criminal Sexual Conduct CLE