Allison Maxim, MA, JD
Partner
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Phone: 651-294-2407
Fax: 651-294-2361
Contact Allison >
About Allison Maxim
Behind Allison Maxim’s calm and deliberate demeanor is the intellect and ability of a true legal advocate and counselor at law. Allison began her career in family law at the premier family law firm of Walling, Berg & Debele, PA where she worked for 8 years before starting Maxim Smith. Allison is regarded throughout the family law community for her integrity and unwavering commitment to the families and individuals she serves and has been named a Minnesota Rising Star attorney by her peers for 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Allison takes a problem solving approach to her cases and works closely with each client to develop a strategy that will maximize results. Allison is a compassionate legal advisor to her clients as well as an intense and effective advocate on clients’ behalf. Whether advocating in settlement negotiations or in the courtroom – as your trusted advisor, Allison has your back.
In 2011 Allison Maxim was asked to contribute to a family law reference book entitled, Family Law Jurisdictional Comparisons, 1st Edition. Allison participated with her colleagues, as well as lawyers across the United States and around the world. The chapter Allison worked on was on Jurisdiction in the U.S.: Minnesota, and can be found on pages 429 – 445 of the book.
In 2018, Allison established a social justice scholarship for college and graduate school students. The purpose of the scholarship, granted twice per year, is to acknowledge students interested in pursuing fields of study leading to expanding and enhancing social justice in our nation. You can read more about the Maxim Smith Social Justice Scholarship here.
As a Volunteer Peer Support Attorney for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, Allison works with lawyers in Minnesota who are experiencing high levels of stress, which, at times, can lead to depression or chemical/alcohol abuse. In addition, Allison supports lawyers who are currently going through the lawyer disciplinary system in Minnesota. You can read more about Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers here.
Allison was on a panel at a CLE on January 10, 2018 speaking about her mindfulness approach for clients. The panel, Practice Well: Health and Resilience for Lawyers, was part of a full-day program taking “The Path to Lawyer Well-Being” report seriously.
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota
- U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 2008
- U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 2012
University of St. Thomas School of Law, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Juris Doctorate
Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University
- B.S., Bachelor of Science summa cum laude
- Major: Psychology
Minnesota School of Professional Psychology
- M.A. magna cum laude
- Major: Clinical Psychology
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Hennepin County Bar Association, 2012/2013 Board Member
- Family Law Section of the Hennepin County Bar Association, 2012/2013 Co-Chair
- Ramsey County Bar Association
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Family Law and International Family Law Sections of the American Bar Association
- Minnesota Women Lawyers
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
Pro Bono Activities
- Volunteer Attorney at Volunteer Lawyers Network, 2012 – Present