William Kirschner

Born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, Willie attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Brighton Beach. He attended Brooklyn College, where he graduated “cum laude,” and won a scholarship to spend his junior year studying in Leeds, England.  Willie graduated Fordham University Law School, where he graduated in 1976 in the top third of his class. While at Fordham, he served on the staff of the Urban Law Journal, and served an internship with the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

After graduation from Law School, Willie took and passed the bar examinations in New York and Georgia, and lived in Athens, Georgia for 4 years where he practiced mainly in the areas of collections and divorce.

In 1980, Willie relocated to Fargo/Moorhead where he went to work for attorney Brian Nelson, Esq. handling criminal and civil matters. Willie was admitted to the bar in North Dakota in 1980 and in Minnesota in 1981.

In 1983, Willie established the Kirschner Law Office, where he maintained a general practice of law, emphasizing representation in criminal defense, family law, civil rights, bankruptcy and other matters.

Willie founded the Fargo/Moorhead Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and has been an active long term member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Lawyers Guild. Willie attended the National Criminal Defense College in 1992 and served on the Board of the North Dakota Trial Lawyers Association where he was in charge of organizing the annual criminal defense seminar. Willie has served as an adjunct instructor at Moorhead State University where he taught criminal law and procedure.  In addition, Willie and Laurie have taught jury selection at UND Law School and presented other materials to the bar at various meetings and conferences.

From 2001 to early 2005, Willie practiced law in New Mexico. He had passed the New Mexico bar in 1995. He served as Assistant Dona Ana County Attorney handling litigation for the County and serving as legal consultant to the Sheriff and the Detention Center. He drafted several ordinances, including a revised animal control ordinance, and worked with County Government officials and employees in resolving issues for the County. Willie left Dona Ana County to become City Attorney for the City of Alamogordo, New Mexico. While City Attorney he provided counsel to the City Commissioners, and City Manager and staff. In 2003, Willie returned to private practice and joined the Las Cruces law firm of Holt & Babington, handling civil matters, and family law matters. In 2004, Willie moved to Albuquerque and went to work for the Jaffe Law Firm, handling civil and criminal matters for the firm.

In 2005, the Kirschners decided to return to North Dakota, and to reopen the Kirschner Law Office in Fargo, their home.

In addition to his legal work, Willie and Laurie have served as co-hosts of the Viewpoint radio program on WDAY-AM for several years. Willie has written several articles for business publication and is currently writing a column about legal issues for the F-M Extra. Willie has also been involved in several community organizations.

 Kirschner Law Office
1351 Page Drive
Suit 104
Fargo, North Dakota 58103
Phone:  (701) 293-5297
Fax: (701) 293-6701
Email: kirschnerlaw@cableone.net