News & Politics

Julie Adair Minerva: 40 Under 40

The young lobbyists with the most influence in Washington

Name: Julie Adair Minerva
Firm: Holland & Knight
Age: 34

For Minerva, focusing on large water and transportation projects comes with a reward. “If I’m helping a client on an infrastructure project, you actually see it built,” she says.

The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act presented a wealth of new opportunities for Minerva’s clients, many of which are local government entities in her home state of California. She successfully secured $400 million from the stimulus bill to break ground on San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center, a high-speed-rail station. She helped win funding for the Port of West Sacramento as well as money that allowed the Sacramento County sheriff’s department to hire 50 new officers.

Aside from the client work, Minerva stands out for another reason. When she started at Holland & Knight, she was told it was possible for a non-attorney to make partner, though no one had ever done it. After she started attracting new clients to the firm, she became the first non-lawyer to get promoted to partner. 

This article appears in the June 2011 issue of The Washingtonian.

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Senior Editor

Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 and was a senior editor until 2022.