My Story
My name is Howard Bass. I grew up in Chicago and enrolled at Mankato State University in 1977 to play football. After graduating in the top 10 percent of my class in 1981 with a degree in political science and economics, I returned to Chicago to attend DePaul University Law School.
During law school, I received the American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law, served as a managing editor of the DePaul Law Review, and worked for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois. I graduated in the top 10 percent of my class in 1984 and moved to the Mississippi Delta, the poorest part of our nation's poorest state, to fight for the rights of those who most desperately needed my help.
Making a Difference
I served as Assistant Washington County Public Defender in Greenville, Mississippi, from 1984 to 1988. During that time, I was a board member of the Mississippi Civil Liberties Union and helped elect Mike Espy, that state's first African-American Congressman since Reconstruction. I also organized the Mississippi Public Defenders Association and later served as its president.
In 1988, I returned to Minnesota and practiced as an associate at Thomson & Ellis in St. Paul. The next year, I became an associate at Meshbesher, Singer & Spence in Minneapolis. In 1994, I became a partner in Meshbesher & Spence.
With the knowledge and experience I gained while practicing with legendary Minnesota criminal defense attorneys Doug Thomson and Ron Meshbesher, I formed the Bass Law Firm in 2004. The following year I was elected to the ACLU of Minnesota board of directors.
Recognized Representation
Minnesota Law & Politics routinely includes me on its list of Super Lawyers and has recognized me as a "Top 40 Criminal Defense Super Lawyer." Minnesota Monthly similarly includes me as one of the "Best Criminal Defense Lawyers in Minnesota." I have also been selected by my peers for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America."
Contact Me for a Free Initial Consultation
If you need legal assistance with a state or federal case, whether you are under investigation, have recently been charged, are going to trial, filing an appeal, or seeking post-conviction relief, contact me online or call my Burnsville, Minnesota, office locally at 952-466-6718 or toll free at 888-340-9617 to discuss your situation.
