Kassius O. Benson is a nationally recognized criminal defense lawyer that excels in all facets of the profession.  Mr. Benson is renowned as an experienced, battled-tested, and successful trial lawyer, litigator, and negotiator. With over 27 years of experience, Mr. Benson has handled every type of criminal defense.  He generally represents individuals charged with serious criminal matters in the state and Federal courts of Minnesota, Washington, DC, and other jurisdictions throughout the country. Mr. Benson is also licensed to practice before, and has appeared before, the United States Supreme Court as co-counsel in the successful criminal appeal in Greenlaw v. United States, 128 S.Ct. 2559 (2008).  Mr. Benson has tried over 150 felony jury trials to verdict.  He also represents clients in high-value criminal and civil forfeiture matters involving government seizure of assets, automobiles and currency.  In addition to his private criminal defense practice, Mr. Benson takes the opportunity to instruct, lecture and hold demonstrations in the practice of criminal defense and trial advocacy.  Mr. Benson is a founding faculty member at the Minnesota Public Defender Trial School where he has trained lawyers since 2004.  He has also been a faculty member at Gideon's Promise (formerly the Southern Public Defender Training Center) in Birmingham, Alabama.  Mr. Benson was formerly an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School where he taught and directed the Law School's Misdemeanor Defense and Prosecution Clinics.  Mr. Benson has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in Minnesota.

 

Mr. Benson is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School.  He graduated with Honors from Iowa State University in 1993 having received a Bachelor's Degree as an English major and minors in Political Science and African American Studies.  Prior to starting his private practice with the opening of Kassius Benson Law, P.A., Mr. Benson worked as a full-time staff attorney in the Adult Trial Division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia ("PDS") in Washington, D.C..