An Austin attorney was recognized last month for his contributions to real property law.

Austin attorney Craig W. Johnson has received the Minnesota Bar Association Real Property Council’s Distinguished Service Award, an award which recognizes a lawyer’s significant contributions to the field of real property law in Minnesota.

The award was presented to Johnson on Oct. 23 in St. Paul as part of the bar association’s annual Real Estate Institute, which is the largest single continuing education seminar for lawyers in Minnesota.

“Our firm has always been fortunate to have an attorney of Craig’s skill and reputation, and it was wonderful to see him recognized by such an accomplished group of his peers,” said David V. Hoversten, a partner in the Hoversten law firm, said in a press release.

Johnson was a partner in the Austin law firm of Hoversten, Johnson, Beckmann & Hovey, LLP., 807 W. Oakland Ave., Austin, from 1972 to 2013. He is currently “of counsel” with the firm, meaning that he is mostly retired from the day to day practice of law.

During his career, he practiced primarily in the area of real estate transactions, land development, and estate planning.

Johnson currently serves on the Hormel Foundation Board of Directors, and he received the Austin Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

Johnson has been greatly involved in the state bar association, serving on the Real Property Council from 1990 to 2015 and serving on the Minnesota Title Standards Committee from 1980 to the present.

The award is given to one lawyer in Minnesota each year.