Meet Elizabeth

Elizabeth Lamin is an accomplished prosecutor with over fifteen years of experience, handling thousands of criminal cases and trying complex homicides, shootings, and other serious felonies. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2004, magna cum laude, after which she clerked for Judge David Minge at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Elizabeth began her career in Stearns County where she worked in a rural/urban setting handling all levels of criminal cases. Most recently, she is working on a strategy of focused deterrence for addressing youth auto thefts by initiating a partnership in Ramsey County to bring together police, youth outreach workers, and community to proactively reduce auto theft recidivism.

Elizabeth’s Story

Elizabeth has a strong commitment to and appreciation for our justice system as a result of her upbringing. She was born in the former Soviet Union and came to Minnesota as a child with her family as a political refugee due to the persecution her family experienced for their Jewish heritage. Her parents frequently reminded her of how ‘justice’ was meted out in the Soviet Union, which was based on bribes and status within the Communist Party. From the beginning she grew to appreciate the U.S. system of government and the importance of having a fair and just system for all individuals – a lesson which has stayed with her and has served as a driving force in her career and personal life. Elizabeth entered the field of public service because of her deep commitment to our system and her desire to help ensure that the justice system continues to serve all people ethically and fairly.

Grateful to the Community 

Elizabeth had the remarkable fortune to grow up in the Twin Cities, and her parents moved to Mendota Heights when she was in high school. As an immigrant who has built an incredible life and community in the U.S., she is proud to be a U.S. citizen and to have realized the dream her parents had so many years ago when they took a leap and moved here so Elizabeth and her sister could have a chance at a freer and better life.

After she graduated from high school, she chose to attend the University of Wisconsin, Madison and received her B.A in History. After college, she began exploring her passion for community service, first participating in a service corps in New York City, where she lived in a community with eight other individuals working in various nonprofits. After working in a battered women’s organization as a legal advocate helping survivors of domestic violence to navigate the legal system Elizabeth decided to go to law school and pursue a career in the criminal justice system to ensure victim safety.

An inspired public servant

Elizabeth’s entire law career has been in public service. She has been a frontline prosecutor for over fifteen years handling thousands of criminal cases and trying complex homicides, shootings, assaults, and other serious felonies, and has come to realize that many aspects of the criminal justice system do not increase community safety and are not economically sustainable. Elizabeth is currently leading a coordinated response with law enforcement, community members, religious community leaders, and youth outreach workers to proactively work with youth involved in committing auto thefts by providing services such as mentoring and mental health resources as well as developing a strong communal moral message against committing crimes. In addition, over the past several years Elizabeth worked with victims and their families who have been victims of crimes to form restorative justice circles to help communities heal. 

Elizabeth currently works as an assistant prosecutor for Ramsey County, but her heart is in Dakota County. She lives in Eagan with her partner and their two teenage children. They are active in Beth Jacob Congregation and spend family time hiking, biking and playing pickleball.

At the end of the day, Elizabeth is a person who lives with a deep commitment to community and justice. She is running for Dakota County Attorney to bring justice, compassion, and innovation to our criminal justice system. When she’s elected, her immediate emphasis will be to remove the pandemic-related backlog and improve access to problem-solving courts, including drug court. She will promote alternatives to the criminal justice system where appropriate while continuing to hold offenders accountable. She will bring her frontline work experience, tenaciousness in fighting for victims and their families, and a fresh perspective to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office so it can be a model for how law enforcement, community partners, and the justice system can work hand-in-hand to make the community safer for all constituencies.