Grand Marais attorney Dick Swanson displays the plaque he was recently given by the 11th District Bar Association for his 50-plus years of excellent legal work he performed while mostly living in Cook County. Besides his legal work, Swanson has been a long-time promoter of the arts and outdoor sports in the county.
Long time Grand Marais attorney Dick Swanson was honored for his 50 years of service to the local community at the 11th District Bar Association Annual Dinner Banquet on May 18.
For Swanson, the award was an honor and something of a surprise when a Cook County High School graduate and a former employee of his law firm gave the award to him.
“Dehlia Seim made the presentation to me. I really got a kick out of that,” Swanson told the News- Herald.
Seim has been an attorney for Fryberger, Buchanan, Smith & Fredrick, P.A. since 2008.
Dick is an “av” rated attorney. That is the highest rating an attorney or a law firm can achieve. He has also been selected annually for recognition on the Super Lawyer list since 2010.
A graduate of the Minnesota Law School in 1966, Swanson worked a number of years in the Twin Cities before moving to Cook County with his wife Bonnie and two children, Brian and Lynn.
Today Dick is semi-retired. He serves as the Examiner of Titles for Cook County, which he said takes a couple of hours each week, and, he added, “I have a half a dozen or so cases open I’m working on. But I’m not working close to full time.”
Throughout his career Dick worked primarily in the areas of real estate, local government, estate planning, probate and business planning.
In 1973 Dick took a sabbatical and built a cabin near the Canadian border with his family. His early years were spent commuting by canoe across McFarland Lake, hauling water and wood at a Hovland homestead, and serving as Cook County attorney from 1974 to 1986.
A 40-year member of the North Superior Ski and Run Club and an actor/ director in many community plays throughout the years, Swanson has long been a much loved community member. He was the founding member of the Arrowhead Center for the Arts, served on the Grand Marais Playhouse board and since 2006 and has been a member of the Superior Hiking Trail Association board of directors. He also volunteers at WTIP radio and co-hosts The Roadhouse.
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