Kurt began his career prosecuting gang-related gun and drug offenses in Detroit, Michigan. Criminal law has been the focus of his career since entering private practice in 1992. He has served a City Attorney for a variety of cities in the Twin Cities. Kurt honed his skills by working "both sides of the fence" as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. As a defense attorney, he has had many high profile cases and primarily works in Federal court. A feature of his professional history is his distinguished service to the U.S. District Court, which has reappointed him annually to the Criminal Justice Act Panel since 1998 to serve the Court in complex criminal litigation. Kurt has appeared in criminal matters before the Minnesota Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and regularly appears before the United States Court of Appeals.