About the Team

Executive Director and Attorney at Law

Scott W. Carlson is FLAG’s Executive Director. Raised on a family farm, Scott has maintained life-long connections to agriculture and family farmers. With his personal background and extensive professional experience in state and federal farm policy and complex litigation, Scott brings a deep commitment to protecting family farms and to achieving legal, social, and economic justice for family farmers and their communities.

Scott served as the North Dakota Department of Agriculture Policy and Communications Director under Commissioner Sarah Vogel. He was also U.S. Senator Kent Conrad’s Legislative Assistant for Agriculture, which included staffing Sen. Conrad on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee. Scott also served as Senior Professional Staff on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. As a U.S. Senate staff member, Scott worked regularly with Congressional leadership, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the White House on agriculture and food legislation, regulation and public policy. During his career in Washington, D.C., farmers across the country faced numerous and repeated natural disasters. Scott worked to ensure that Congress and the Administration provided fair disaster funding and helped create responsible and responsive public policy to help keep family farmers on the land. Ultimately, Scott served as one of the top U.S. Senate staff negotiators during the conference committee policy negotiations over the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, which overhauled the federal crop insurance program, expanded it to include new crops and farmers, and set the foundation for modern federal farm risk management programs.

An honors graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, Scott served as Managing Editor of the Minnesota Law Review. He then practiced law for more than twelve years before joining FLAG. He is rated by Super Lawyers, and was named to the list of outstanding attorneys as a “Rising Star” in 2014. Scott served as trial counsel in In re High Pressure Laminates Antitrust Litigation, a six-week federal trial in the Southern District of New York, and in In re Polyester Staple Antitrust Litigation (W.D.N.C.), a federal antitrust case that settled with the last remaining defendant on the eve of trial, ultimately recovering more than the single damages suffered by the class. Scott has extensive experience in complex litigation, including In re Rail Freight Fuel Surcharge Antitrust Litigation (D.D.C.) (claims alleging conspiracy among major domestic railroads to fix prices for rail freight surcharges); In re Titanium Dioxide Antitrust Litigation (D. Md.) (price-fixing claims against manufacturers of titanium dioxide); In re Lawnmower Engines Horsepower Marketing & Sales Practices Litigation (E.D. Wis.) (alleging consumer fraud, civil conspiracy and unjust enrichment claims against manufacturers of lawn mowers and lawn mower engines); In re AOL Time Warner Securities Litigation (S.D.N.Y.) (securities fraud claims against AOL and Time Warner on behalf of shareholders); In re Guidant Corp. Implantable Defibrillators Products Liability Litigation (D. Minn.) (product liability claims on behalf of patients with implanted defibrillators); In re Monosodium Glutamate Antitrust Litigation (D. Minn.) (price-fixing claims on behalf of business purchasers of MSG); In re Fiber Optic Cable Litigation (N.D. Ill.) (claims on behalf of property owners alleging that telecommunication companies installed facilities within rights of way without consent); and other complex litigation.

Court Admissions:

• Minnesota Supreme Court
• District of Columbia Court of Appeals
• United States District Court (D. Minn.)
• United States District Court (D.N.D.)
• United States District Court (C.D. Ill.)

Program Director

Lynn A. Hayes was a founding attorney at FLAG. After 16 years, she left FLAG in the spring of 2002 to move to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In early 2006, FLAG welcomed Lynn back as senior staff attorney and, beginning September 2006, she began serving again as FLAG’s program director. Lynn worked for the Office of the Monitor for three years, reviewing African-American farmers’ claims in the racial discrimination case against USDA,Pigford v. Veneman. During her tenure at FLAG, Lynn was lead or co-counsel in several lawsuits, including Coleman v. Lyng(national class action lawsuit against the Farmers Home Administration); the Minnesota Milk Producers Association’s challenge to federal milk marketing order provisions; and the pork checkoff case, among others. She has presented hundreds of workshops for farmers and their advocates on agricultural credit, contract-farming, environmental, commodity pricing, and anti-trust issues. She has assisted farm organizations in developing proposed regulations and legislation at both the state and federal levels in many of these same issue areas. Lynn received her B.A. in English from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and her J.D. from Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C.

Court Admissions:

• Minnesota Supreme Court
• United States District Court (D. Minn.)
• United States District Court (W. Dist. MI)
• Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States Supreme Court

Deputy Director and Senior Staff Attorney

Stephen is a graduate of Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, and of Stanford Law School. In law school, Stephen was active in the East Palo Alto Community Law Project, was a Stanford Law Review Executive Editor, and received a Skadden Foundation Fellowship that brought him to FLAG in 1993.

At FLAG, Stephen’s work has centered on discrimination in agricultural lending, debtor-creditor issues for farmers, Covid-19 and disaster assistance, legal issues for beginning farmers, federal farm and farm loan programs, problems of farmers contracting for carbon capture and for livestock production, urban farming land access, sustainable agriculture, and farmer direct marketing. In addressing these issues Stephen has worked closely with dozens of grass roots farm organizations. He also served as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Monitor in the Pigford case and as the court-appointed Ombudsman for the In re Black Farmers Discrimination case.

Stephen has conducted frequent FLAG trainings and webinars for farmers, advocates, and attorneys and has spoken to farmers and their advocates in more than forty states. He has authored and edited a number of FLAG publications. Law review writing discusses rebellious lawyering on behalf of farmers, discrimination by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), discrimination litigation against USDA, the future of agricultural law, lawyering for family farmers in poverty, and sustainable agriculture. Other academic writing discusses federal farm policy, populist farm protest, and equality in agriculture.

Stephen has served on several academic advisory committees and on the board of several community organizations. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and has been a guest speaker at a number of law schools. In 2020, Stephen received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Agricultural Law Association.

Court Admissions:

• Minnesota Supreme Court

Staff Attorney

As a former pig farmer turned lawyer, Lindsay joined FLAG in the summer of 2017. Though a native of Minneapolis, Lindsay received her B.A. from Northwestern University, in Evanston, IL, and then moved to Arkansas where she temporarily set aside her city roots for rural soil. During her time in Arkansas, Lindsay worked for Heifer International, a development organization striving to end hunger through providing livestock and agricultural training, while also helping to manage a small livestock farm dedicated to raising animals in a sustainable, healthy environment. Lindsay then attended the University of Arkansas, where she obtained her law degree as well as a Masters in Public Service from the Clinton School of Public Service. Lindsay clerked for a Hennepin County District Court Judge before joining FLAG.

 

 

Finance Manager

Dave joined FLAG in February of 2016 as a part-time financial and accounting manager.

Dave is a seasoned nonprofit professional with experience in local government, higher education and the nonprofit sectors for over 40 years. Throughout his career, he has served numerous community organizations, boards and initiatives including the development of two community/art centers, many annual celebrations and arts related activities. Dave is drawn to environmental issues through his agricultural roots in Kansas and South Dakota as well as his respect for the traditions and artwork of indigenous cultures and the importance of wild and undisturbed places. Dave is a potter, sculptor and consummate community volunteer. While some might see them as a contrast to his artistic skills, he brings servant leadership, event, financial and project management expertise to all endeavors he participates in.

David Glenn is the former executive director of The Minnesota Project (2007 – 2014), championing the sustainable production and equitable distribution of energy and food in Minnesota. His previous experience includes: executive director, Minnesota Crafts Council (1995-2006); Director of Special Events, College of Saint Benedict (1986-1995).  Prior to that he served as the Recreation Superintendent for the City of Burnsville and got his start with the Aberdeen Parks and Recreation department as the initiator and Director of the Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center

He has been a practicing ceramic artist and teacher for 30 years. He served on the boards of the Minnesota State Arts Board representing the 6^th Congressional District of MN, Paramount Arts District, Central Minnesota Arts Board, and Association of Collegiate Conference and Event Directors-International; and has been involved with the American Craft Council, Craft Organization Directors Association, and National Association of Independent Artists.

Under his leadership, Minnesota Crafts Council helped facilitate two significant research studies: The CODA Survey: The Impact of Crafts on the National Economy (March 2001), Appalachian State University; and Artist Count: The Economic Impact of Minnesota Individual Artists (March 2007), Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, Springboard for the Arts, Minnesota Crafts Council.  He continues that work as a CreativeMN team member.

Glenn has a BS degree in recreation from Northern State College (Aberdeen, SD). He participated in the Shannon Leadership Institute, and in intensive training at the Arts Management School (Wheeling, WV).

 

Legal Office and Grants Administrator

Wendy joined FLAG in July 2016 as our new full time office management and grants administrator. No stranger to a long day’s work in the hot sun, she is a former professional garden designer, who is committed to supporting small independent farmers as a co-op member and current organic backyard vegetable farmer. She was drawn to our mission to protect small family farms. She was raised in a household where fighting for the underdog was encouraged and she developed an understanding that social justice is hard work that requires persistence, kindness and diligence. A graduate of University of Minnesota with a B.A. in Psychology and Minor in Art History and Native American Studies, she was proud to work on a fundraising campaign that raised a third of the money for Paul Wellstone’s first senatorial victory. Before coming to work at FLAG, she spent over a decade supporting a staff of attorneys at a legal services firm delivering complex written legal work to attorneys worldwide. From 2009-2018, she volunteered with and served on the board of People & Pets Together, a Minneapolis based non-profit who opened Minnesota’s first pet food shelf in February 2016. She is excited to bring her years of non-profit management, legal administration and commitment to social justice to this position.

Of Counsel

Karen Krub first came to FLAG in 1995 as a summer intern, primarily exploring production contract issues. She then received a Skadden Fellowship which allowed her to return as a staff attorney in September of 1996. Since joining FLAG, Karen has worked primarily in the areas of administrative law, agricultural credit, disaster assistance, and farmer-owned agricultural business development.

Karen grew up in the Skagit Valley of northwestern Washington, but not on one of the area’s many farms. Instead, her family fished for salmon in the coastal waters of Washington and Alaska. Although at ten she had big plans for a boat of her own, Karen continued with school, earning a B.S. in Resource Development from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, in 1991, and graduating from Yale Law School in 1996.

Court Admissions:

• Minnesota Supreme Court
• United States District Court (D. Minn.)
• United States District Court (D.N.D.)
• Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States Supreme Court

Lois Wood is the directing attorney of Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc. and is also an attorney with the Illinois Family Farm Law Project. Ms. Wood has been lead counsel in several successful agricultural law cases and has written numerous articles on farm law issues. She is a winner of the Kutak-Dodds prize for 2003, and s he was the 1994 recipient of the Attorney Recognition Award give by the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois and was recommended for a U.S. District Court judgeship in 1993. Ms. Wood is a member of the Delivery Working Group on Recruitment and Retention, National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and the Project Advisory Group. (Location: Alton, Illinois.)

Susan Schneider joined FLAG’s Board in 2008 and currently serves as FLAG’s Board Secretary. Susan is a law professor and serves as the Director the LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law. This Program is the only advanced legal degree program in the U.S. that provides an integrated study of our food system, from farm to fork. Susan has taught agricultural and food law at Arkansas since 1997. Prior to that, she represented farmers and farm advocates in private practice, working with firms in Arkansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Washington, D.C., including work as a FLAG staff attorney. In 2010, Susan was awarded the American Agricultural Law Association (AALA) Distinguished Service award, demonstrating “sustained excellence” in contributing to the development of agricultural law. In 2011, her article, Reconsidering Agricultural Law: A Call for the Law of Food, Farming, and Sustainability received the AALA legal scholarship award. She is the author of the Agricultural Law text, Food, Farming & Sustainability: Readings in Agricultural Law. (Location: West Fork, Arkansas)

Benny Bunting, a farmer and the Lead Farmer Advocate with The Rural Advancement Foundation International–USA based in North Carolina, is a self-taught authority with encyclopedic knowledge of federal, state, and local farm programs. Years ago, Benny had to fight to save his own farm and has since helped countless farm families avoid bankruptcy and foreclosure. According to the calculations compiled by RAFI-USA, he “has been successful 90 percent of the time and has saved farm families an estimated $42 million.” In 2008, Benny received the Nancy Susan Reynolds Award for Personal Service from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, in honor of his many years of hard work as one of “the unsung heroes of North Carolina whose vision, determination, resourcefulness and strength of character have caused them to make a positive difference in the state…often…at great personal or professional sacrifice.” (Location: Oak City, North Carolina)

Thomas W. Mitchell is a professor at Boston College Law School where he holds the Robert F. Drinan, S.J. Endowed Chair and serves as the Director of the Initiative on Land, Housing & Property Rights. He is a national expert on property issues facing disadvantaged families and communities and has published leading scholarly works addressing these matters.

Professor Mitchell has engaged in extensive law reform and policy work, most prominently serving as the principal drafter of a uniform act (model state statute) named the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA), which is designed to substantially enhance the ability of disadvantaged families to maintain ownership of their property and their property-related generational wealth. Twenty-one states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted the UPHPA into law thus far and several other states are considering it at this time, making the UPHPA one of the most successful uniform acts (and the most successful uniform real property act) the Uniform Law Commission has promulgated in the past thirty years. Professor Mitchell also has helped to develop other state and federal policy proposals to help disadvantaged farmers and property owners.

In 2020, Professor Mitchell was named one of twenty-one recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship – and the only lawyer in his MacArthur class – in recognition of the substantial impact his overall professional work has had in assisting disadvantaged farmers and property owners. In 2021, he was awarded the Howard University Award for Distinguished Postgraduate Achievement, an award that Thurgood Marshall and Vice-President Kamala Harris, among other Howard luminaries, also have received.

Professor Mitchell is a graduate of Amherst College, the Howard University School of Law, and the University of Wisconsin Law School where he received an LL.M. and served as a William H. Hastie Fellow. He is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.

Terry VanDerPol farms in the western part Minnesota outside of Granite Falls, raising cattle. She is also a member of Land Stewardship Project (LSP) and is LSP’s Community Based Food Systems Program Director. (Montevideo, Minnesota)

Chue Vang is a farmer who lives in Minneapolis and raises vegetables to sell at our local Twin Cities farmers’ markets. She loves farming and has become a community leader, serving as a member of the Hmong Advisory Group for a Harvesting Healthier Food project through the University of Minnesota’s Healthy Foods Healthy Lives program. In February 2012, Chue was one of a handful of Hmong American farmers to testify in a White House-initiated listening session on issues facing immigrant farmers. (Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota)