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Minnesota / Corrections Department / General Counsel 1

Job-title file

General Counsel 1

Provide legal advice, draft and review documents, and represent the agency in legal matters.

7 employees hold this title in Corrections Department. Median total compensation for the role is $138,154, above the department median of $73,261.

Employees
7
Total payroll
$711.2K
Role median
$138,154
Agency median
$73,261
Comparison
Above

Compared with the local labor market

General Counsel 1 pay vs. Minnesota

Across all employers in Minnesota, the median wage for Lawyersabout 12,380 people is $155,140. Corrections Department pays a median base salary of $138,164 for this role, 11% below that figureabout the 41st percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Corrections Department sits in the local pay range

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$79,820
$107,220
$155,140
$216,440
$341,170
Corrections Department median · $138,164

The bar is the range of annual wages for Lawyers across every employer in Minnesota, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Corrections Department’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Lawyersabout 754,500 people is $159,670. Corrections Department’s median base salary is 13% below that national figure, about the 41st percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
$78,360
$102,990
$159,670
$221,370
$351,600
Corrections Department median · $138,164

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Minnesota range relative to the national one.

Computed over the 8 of 10 people in this role paid at least $25,000 in base salary. The rest are part-year or part-time records, whose actual pay isn’t comparable to a full-time annual wage.

Median total compensation for this role at Corrections Department is $138,164, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across Minnesota

General Counsel 1 is held in 20 Minnesota departments. In Corrections Department, the median of $138,154 ranks #14 of 20.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Median total compensation for the General Counsel 1 role in other Minnesotadepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Compare jurisdictions

General Counsel beyond Minnesota

This role is reported in 14 jurisdictions. In Minnesota, the median of $148,326 ranks #9 of 14. See General Counsel across all of Minnesota

Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role

New York City
$219,998 · 5
California
$217,477 · 10
Tennessee
$205,192 · 25
District of Columbia
$190,389 · 41
Georgia
$168,000 · 7
City of Boston
$164,844 · 7
Texas
$162,498 · 343

Median total compensation for comparable General Counsel roles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.

Same department

Other job titles in Corrections Department

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

Daniel Ganin

General Counsel 1/Corrections Department

2025 total comp
$153,055
Sub-department
DOC Legal Services Director
Base pay
$149,458
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$3,598
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$153,055
Hire date
2016-08-04
Employment type
Full-Time
Pay grade
21
Union / bargaining unit
Manager
Pay basis
Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1
Work county
Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025
Yes
Agency Number
P78
Bargaining Unit Number
220
Branch
Executive
Branch Code
Executive
Classified Code
Classified
Classified Status
Classified
Compensation Frequency Code
Hourly

At Corrections Department, Daniel Ganin serves as a General Counsel 1 within Doc Legal Services Director. Hired in 2016, they have about 9 years of service, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $153,055. Union affiliation: Manager.

Kerstin Forsythe

General Counsel 1/Corrections Department

2025 total comp
$149,458
Sub-department
DOC Legal Svcs Dep Gen Counsel
Base pay
$149,458
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$149,458
Hire date
2007-01-18
Employment type
Full-Time
Pay grade
21
Union / bargaining unit
Manager
Pay basis
Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1
Work county
Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025
Yes
Agency Number
P78
Bargaining Unit Number
220
Branch
Executive
Branch Code
Executive
Classified Code
Classified
Classified Status
Classified
Compensation Frequency Code
Hourly

At Corrections Department, Kerstin Forsythe serves as a General Counsel 1 within Doc Legal Services Deputy General Counsel. They have served since 2007 (about 18 years), working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $149,458. They are represented by Manager.

Leslie Strobel

General Counsel 1/Corrections Department

2025 total comp
$138,175
Sub-department
DOC Legal Svcs Dep Gen Counsel
Base pay
$138,175
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$138,175
Hire date
2013-12-04
Employment type
Full-Time
Pay grade
21
Union / bargaining unit
Manager
Pay basis
Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1
Work county
Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025
Yes
Agency Number
P78
Bargaining Unit Number
220
Branch
Executive
Branch Code
Executive
Classified Code
Classified
Classified Status
Classified
Compensation Frequency Code
Hourly

At Corrections Department, Leslie Strobel serves as a General Counsel 1 within Doc Legal Services Deputy General Counsel. Hired in 2013, they have about 12 years of service, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $138,175. Union affiliation: Manager.

John Lauer

General Counsel 1/Corrections Department

2025 total comp
$138,154
Sub-department
DOC Legal Svcs Dep Gen Counsel
Base pay
$138,154
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$138,154
Hire date
2016-10-05
Employment type
Full-Time
Pay grade
21
Union / bargaining unit
Manager
Pay basis
Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1
Work county
Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025
Yes
Agency Number
P78
Bargaining Unit Number
220
Branch
Executive
Branch Code
Executive
Classified Code
Classified
Classified Status
Classified
Compensation Frequency Code
Hourly

John Lauer works as a General Counsel 1 for Corrections Department within Doc Legal Services Deputy General Counsel. Their tenure dates to 2016, about 9 years as a full-time employee. John earned $138,154 in 2025. They are represented by Manager.

Jeanine Putnam

General Counsel 1/Corrections Department

2025 total comp
$55,962
Sub-department
DOC Legal Svcs Dep Gen Counsel
Base pay
$55,962
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$55,962
Hire date
2012-06-04
Employment type
Full-Time
Pay grade
21
Union / bargaining unit
Manager
Pay basis
Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1
Work county
Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025
No
Agency Number
P78
Bargaining Unit Number
220
Branch
Executive
Branch Code
Executive
Classified Code
Classified
Classified Status
Classified
Compensation Frequency Code
Hourly

Jeanine Putnam is a General Counsel 1 at Corrections Department within Doc Legal Services Deputy General Counsel. Their tenure dates to 2012, about 13 years, working full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $55,962. Union affiliation: Manager.

Taylor Mehr

General Counsel 1/Corrections Department

2024 total comp
$53,345
Sub-department
DOC Legal Svcs Dep Gen Counsel
Base pay
$48,182
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$5,162
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$53,345
Hire date
2016-11-09
Employment type
Full-Time
Pay grade
21
Union / bargaining unit
Manager
Pay basis
Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1
Work county
Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024
No
Agency Number
P78
Bargaining Unit Number
220
Branch
Executive
Branch Code
Executive
Classified Code
Classified
Classified Status
Classified
Compensation Frequency Code
Hourly

At Corrections Department, Taylor Mehr serves as a General Counsel 1 within Doc Legal Services Deputy General Counsel. Their tenure dates to 2016, about 8 years, working full-time. Their 2024 pay totaled $53,345. They are represented by Manager.

Piper Wold

General Counsel 1/Corrections Department

2025 total comp
$23,024
Sub-department
DOC Legal Svcs Dep Gen Counsel
Base pay
$23,024
Overtime
$0
Other pay
$0
Benefits
$0
Total compensation
$23,024
Hire date
1997-08-04
Employment type
Full-Time
Pay grade
21
Union / bargaining unit
Manager
Pay basis
Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE)
1
Work county
Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025
Yes
Agency Number
P78
Bargaining Unit Number
220
Branch
Executive
Branch Code
Executive
Classified Code
Classified
Classified Status
Classified
Compensation Frequency Code
Hourly

Piper Wold holds the role of General Counsel 1 at Corrections Department within Doc Legal Services Deputy General Counsel. Hired in 1997, they have about 28 years of service as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $23,024. Union affiliation: Manager.