About Us

On November 23, 1992, John Raboin opened The Raboin Law Office. His first year was a real adventure!

The Firm was located next to a local salon, and the “perm” smell filled the Firm’s only entrance. The office was outfitted with used furniture from a hotel that had gone out of business. Particle board bookshelves were used as walls to create a very small conference room.

John hired one legal assistant/paralegal he could barely afford. The Firm had no advertising in place. John spent most of his time meeting people in the community, networking and trying to drum up business. Somehow, The Raboin Law Office survived that first year.

By 1994, the phone was ringing, and the firm was able to construct a new building on Woida Road in Baxter with mostly trees for neighbors. The firm officially moved in on October 1, 1994.

Michelle Francis joined the firm in 2012 and became a partner January 1, 2017, starting the newly formed: Raboin & Francis Law Firm. Today, the Firm remains at their Woida Road location. Over the years, the Firm has grown and is now one of the busiest personal injury firms in North Central Minnesota.

John Raboin

John received his undergraduate degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1981 and his law degree from Arizona State University in 1989. He received numerous local and regional awards in trial advocacy and graduated with selection to the prestigious Order of Barristers.

Before establishing his personal injury practice, John spent several years representing insurance companies and is familiar with their tactics. Since 1992, John Raboin has won a number of high profile cases in North Central Minnesota that have received local and statewide recognition.

On a personal note, John has been married to his wife, Laurie, since 1990. He has two children, a son, JJ, and a daughter, Lilly. When he’s not practicing law, John plays trumpet in a local band and skips a curling team during the winter months with the Brainerd Lakes Curling Association.

John’s areas of concentration:

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Personal Injury

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Employment Law

Michelle Francis

Michelle graduated Summa Cum Laude from Park University in 2005. She attended law school at the University of Dayton School of Law and graduated with honors in personal and transactional law in 2011.

Michelle married her husband, Jim, in 1997. They have two daughters, Rebecca and Allison, and two grandchildren. Michelle enjoys giving back to the community through service on local boards and as a member of The Rotary Club of Brainerd. When she’s not at the office, Michelle enjoys hunting, fishing, biking and snowmobiling.

Michelle’s areas of concentration:

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Personal Injury

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Social Security Disability