Dorsey & Whitney has elected Kim Severson to serve as chair of its 11-person policy committee, making the veteran tax lawyer the first woman to lead what amounts to the board of directors for the 105-year-old, Minneapolis-based Am Law 200 firm.

Severson has served on the partner-elected policy committee for about three-and-a-half years, and she will serve at least one year in the chair position. The chair, nominated and voted on by the policy committee members, is elected once a year and has a term limit of two years. Severson replaces New York-based trial partner Richard Silberberg, who had served in the chair role the past two years.

As chair, Severson will work closely with managing partner Kenneth Cutler to manage the firm and lead the policy committee meetings. In particular, Severson said that she will focus on growing Dorsey & Whitney and has an interest in helping the firm's younger lawyers and junior partners transition to leadership positions as older partners retire or transition out of the firm's relationships with clients.