Toni Halleen

Making Serious Fun.

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Toni Halleen

Toni Halleen is President and Founder of Fun with Law. She has been teaching and training professionals since 1989, during which time she has also been an improvisation performer. She has combined her talents into a new approach to professional development. Toni’s “Think on The Spot”™ seminars are presented across the country, and are designed to build listening, thinking, communication, team-building, and presentation skills for professionals. Working with organizations, Toni makes training more fun and engaging, and also works as a communications coach to help individuals and teams to be more effective under pressure.

Toni is the Chief Operating Officer and co-owner of Schaefer Halleen Law Firm in Minneapolis, an employment law firm advocating for the rights of employees in the workplace.  Prior to taking her role at Schaefer Halleen in 2012, Toni practiced employment law for many years The General Counsel, Ltd., (the “GCL”).

Toni has also been an adjunct instructor a William Mitchell College of Law, and a sought-after and frequent lecturer in continuing legal education courses and at other events.

In 2003, Toni’s musical, “Soulless Bloodsucking Lawyers” was the Most Attended Show in the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and was voted Best Musical.

From 1997 to 2002, Toni was the Director of Employment Law for ADC Telecommunications, Inc., a multi-national corporation headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. While at ADC, Toni led the employment law team and advised the company on all aspects of employment law.

From 1989 to 1997, Toni practiced employment law with the Twin Cities law firm of Briggs and Morgan, P.A., where she advised employers in preventive practices and provided counseling in day-to-day employment law related matters as well as litigated claims. During that time, she also developed and facilitated training for companies, managers and employees in sexual harassment prevention, diversity, discrimination law, wage and hour law, and other topics.

Toni received her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College, and her law degree with honors from the University of Minnesota.

A Little History on Toni Halleen

Professional Speaker Toni Halleen

Toni Halleen

“Excellent! The course challenged me to do something that I’m not normally comfortable with, but it was useful and fun!”
-Meredith Forgosh

“Toni is a natural coach; she saved everyone when they stumbled.”
-Judith Cook

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1970s

  • Grew up in the Midwest, a minister’s kid, moved around a lot from city to city, learned to adapt to new environment, make friends again and again, watched dad as a leader and a speaker, watched mom as an artist and helper to my dad’s work, a leader in her own way
  • Mom raised me as a feminist, aware of issues of equality and justice, marched for the ERA, read Our Bodies Our Selves, Ms. Magazine, big fan of Gloria Steinem (who I would meet in person much later in life), believed I could do whatever I set out to accomplish.
  • Dad emphasized importance of faith and a faith community, a good education, hard work, and to a certain extent, a Scandinavian stoicism.
  • I watched my parents work together, complement one another’s strengths like yin and yang (which I later emulated in my legal work with my husband as co-owner at Schaefer Halleen law firm)
  • Put on shows for the neighborhood using comedy and music, watched the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and was inspired by their positive comedy/powerful comments about serious political matters.
  • Followed Steve Martin and other comedians, and dreamed of doing comedy myself (which I later did). Read lots of books, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew, poetry, but my favorite book was Harriet the Spy.

1980s

  • Early work experiences in movie theater, restaurants, donut shops, and office environments left me knowing I needed higher education to pursue a fulfilling career
  • Almost chose to graduate early from high school to get a jump start on college, but luckily I changed my mind and attended Mount Holyoke College, one of the best decisions of my life.  
  • At Mount Holyoke College, I initially studied theater, with an interest in comedy, but was drawn to politics and majored in women’s studies after being inspired by an introductory class called “The Politics of Patriarchy.”
  • During college, was active in Sexual Assault Prevention and volunteered at domestic abuse shelters.  
  • First introduction to enjoying serious American and English literature (and my love of reading continued with a monthly book club lasting over 25 years and counting…)
  • After college I worked for an advocacy agency helping persons with developmental disabilities while I applied to law schools.
  • Attended University of Minnesota Law School where I discovered a love for employment law.  Was active in the Women Law Students’ Association, but also performed in law school skits.

1990s

  • Began work as an associate at Briggs and Morgan in Minneapolis in employment law, for over eight years. Taught manager training classes around the country on legal topics, including sexual harassment prevention
  • While working as a lawyer by day, I studied comedy by night. Secretly took comedy classes and began performing standup comedy, as well as performing and teaching improv comedy.
  • After started a family, left the law firm to work as in-house employment law counsel at ADC Telecommunications, for over five years, where I led a team of lawyers and paralegals and developed corporate business skills

2000s

  • Left ADC to join The General Counsel Ltd, where I worked for a number of in-house legal departments including Novartis, UHS, Honeywell, and others
  • While working part time (and a single mother), I wrote and produced a full-length musical, Soulless Bloodsucking Lawyers, as well as other plays and songs, many of which I performed live on TPT’s Almanac (television show)
  • Developed Think on the Spot professional development workshop, which has been presented across the US, Canada and even in Prague, to thousands of participants in many different industries
  • Taught classes and delivered keynote speaker address and/or led breakout sessions at national meetings, local conferences, retreats, law schools/educational institutions and CLEs.

2010s

  • Joined Schaefer Halleen as the Chief Operating Officer, leading a team of lawyers and staff and building a culture of collaboration, excellence, efficiency and fun.
  • Returned to writing (mostly fiction) and won a Mentor Prize from the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.

Toni Halleen

We make serious fun, by providing interactive, entertaining and unique professional skills training, incorporating principles of improvisation.

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