An attorney who has focused on construction law since 1998, Kristine Kubes holds a national leadership role within her specialty, chairing the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law. She is a thought leader on national legal issues and plans to stress ways to diversify the professionals who work in the niche. Based in Minneapolis, Kubes also is well-known in the Minnesota legal community as a mediator for construction and design disputes. In 2020, she plans to spearhead efforts to connect nonprofits to construction lawyers who can provide them with pro bono legal services.