Meet Esther
Esther Agbaje is an Associate with Ciresi Conlin LLP. She practices in general civil litigation and medical malpractice. She also has experience in class action lawsuits. This year she was part of a team that settled with the Minnesota Department of Corrections to allow prisoners who qualify access to potentially life-saving Hepatitis C medication.
Prior to practicing law in Minnesota, Esther attended Harvard Law School. There, she spent two years as a student attorney defending tenants from eviction with the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. Through this experience, Esther developed a passion for housing justice after seeing many of her clients living in unsafe or unhealthy buildings or paying rents they could barely afford. She continues supporting tenants by volunteering with the Volunteer Lawyers Network Housing Court Project in Hennepin County.
Before turning to law, Esther was a Foreign Affairs Officer with the U.S. Department of State. There, she managed rule of law projects in the Middle East focusing on Egypt and the Gulf states. She also facilitated exchange and scholarship projects for judges, lawyers, journalists, and students between the region and the U.S. In this role, she learned how to manage varied stakeholders while pursuing programs that focused on outcomes. Her work emphasized how the government can be a supportive partner to advocates and community members looking to build their own future.
While earning her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, Esther worked with local government offices to develop their performance management systems. These systems helped to better track and report on the impact and outcomes of city programs. Additionally, Esther developed indicators for recreation centers and homeless shelter programs in the City of Philadelphia. She also presented a research project on best practices in city management to advance the goal of creating healthy and sustainable communities.
Esther studied Political Science at The George Washington University and was active in mentoring incoming students and advocating for labor rights in different internships. Upon graduation, she received the Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship which led to her career at the State Department.
Minnesota has always been home for Esther and she is glad to be back. She looks forward to contributing to a community that provided her with a strong foundation of support and values. Esther enjoys spending time with her friends and family and is also known to play the flute or dance salsa on occasion.
Prior to practicing law in Minnesota, Esther attended Harvard Law School. There, she spent two years as a student attorney defending tenants from eviction with the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. Through this experience, Esther developed a passion for housing justice after seeing many of her clients living in unsafe or unhealthy buildings or paying rents they could barely afford. She continues supporting tenants by volunteering with the Volunteer Lawyers Network Housing Court Project in Hennepin County.
Before turning to law, Esther was a Foreign Affairs Officer with the U.S. Department of State. There, she managed rule of law projects in the Middle East focusing on Egypt and the Gulf states. She also facilitated exchange and scholarship projects for judges, lawyers, journalists, and students between the region and the U.S. In this role, she learned how to manage varied stakeholders while pursuing programs that focused on outcomes. Her work emphasized how the government can be a supportive partner to advocates and community members looking to build their own future.
While earning her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, Esther worked with local government offices to develop their performance management systems. These systems helped to better track and report on the impact and outcomes of city programs. Additionally, Esther developed indicators for recreation centers and homeless shelter programs in the City of Philadelphia. She also presented a research project on best practices in city management to advance the goal of creating healthy and sustainable communities.
Esther studied Political Science at The George Washington University and was active in mentoring incoming students and advocating for labor rights in different internships. Upon graduation, she received the Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship which led to her career at the State Department.
Minnesota has always been home for Esther and she is glad to be back. She looks forward to contributing to a community that provided her with a strong foundation of support and values. Esther enjoys spending time with her friends and family and is also known to play the flute or dance salsa on occasion.