Get to Know Ryan Else

Ryan Else is an attorney, policy advocate, and author with the Law Office of Brockton D. Hunter, PA. Ryan has represented clients across the state of Minnesota on charges ranging from DWI/DUI to Murder in First Degree. His aggressive approach has earned him a reputation as an attorney who will do what it takes to fight for his clients’ rights. Despite practicing since just 2011, Ryan’s work on behalf of his clients has been recognized repeatedly within the criminal defense community.

Awards & Recognitions

Super Lawyers Rising Star Since 2017

Ryan was awarded the 2017 Up & Coming Attorney award by Minnesota Lawyer, he has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2017 and selected to Super Lawyers each year since 2021. Ryan was selected to serve on the Board of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) as the legislative chair, advocating for the interests of all Minnesota defendants in shaping of the law at the legislature.

As of September 2014, Ryan is one of only about 1,300 attorneys nationally, and less than ten practicing in Minnesota, to successfully complete Gerry Spence’s nationally renowned Trial Lawyers College. The Trial Lawyers College trains a select group of the nation’s top trial lawyers as “warriors who have the courage to become a real person first, and who then have the heart to fight for justice in their own passionate voice.” Ryan attends the Trial Lawyers College nearly every year to ensure the skills remain sharp and he’s ready to tell his clients’ most difficult stories.

Before Brockton Hunter P.A.

Ryan served in the Army National Guard, in the historic 2/135 Infantry Battalion of the 34th Infantry Division, “Red Bulls,” from 1998 to 2006, reaching the rank of Sergeant. He was deployed to Kosovo in 2003 and 2004. He’s never forgot the lessons and comradery of the service, dedicating a large portion of his career to advocating on behalf of veterans in the criminal justice system. Along with Brock, he’s built the Veterans Defense Project (VDP), which has quickly become one of the most prominent organizations in the country on veterans criminal justice issues. Brock and Ryan co-authored and edited The Attorney’s Guide to Defending Veterans in Criminal Court, the legal treatise on the art and science of service-related disorders, how they lead to criminal charges, and how to best advocate on behalf of a veteran defendant.

Ryan graduated Summa Cum Laude from American University in Washington, DC with a BS in International Studies following his time in the military. He is now a proud husband and father, who has dedicated his life to serving his clients, community, and country. Ryan’s guiding ethos is to provide his clients with the same service and diligence he would want if his family were facing serious criminal charges.

• Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Member of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Executive Director of the Veterans Defense Project
• Advisor and consultant for the Minnesota Humanities Center’s Veterans Voices and the Constitution Project
• Awardee of the Veterans Voices Rising Star, inaugural class
• Mentor through the University of St. Thomas School of Law’s Mentor Externship program
• Volunteer moot court judge at the University of St. Thomas School of Law
• Volunteer and organizer of the Minnesota Assistance Counsel for Veterans’ (MAC-V) Standdown for Veterans Legal Services Clinics, 2009 – Present.
• Alumni of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College in Dubois, WY
  • Member of the Trial Lawyer College Ranch Club
• Board of Directors for the Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Network, 2011-2012
• Active member of Parent – Teacher Association at Daughters’ Minneapolis charter school
• President of the Military Law Society at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, 2010 – 2011

PRESENTATIONS

• 2014 Vet Court Con, Anaheim, California
• 2014 University of St. Thomas School of Law lunch & Learn organized by the Military Law Society and Criminal Law Society.
• 2014 Facilitator of discussion at the Minnesota Humanities Center about free speech & gun rights.
• 2013 presentation before the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Board of Directors, Washington DC.

PUBLICATIONS

• The Attorney’s Guide to Defending Veterans in Criminal Court - A comprehensive manual to the art and science of defending military veterans who become entangled in the criminal justice system. Available at www.veteransdefenseproject.org
• Echoes of War - A two-part featured article published in the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys’ “Champion” magazine.
• Echoes of War, part II - The second installment a two-part article featured in the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ “Champion” magazine.
• Echoes of War: Combat Trauma, Criminal Behavior; How We Can Do Better This Time Around - A featured article in the FORUM Magazine, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ).
• Proportionality in the Law of Armed Conflict: The Proper Unit of Analysis for Military Operations - A manuscript published in the University of St. Thomas School of Law Journal of Law and Public Policy.

IN THE NEWS

• University of St. Thomas - Law Alumnus Plays Pivotal Role in Veterans Restorative Justice Act