Our Community

Our Community: Active and Committed

Minnesota Law cultivates diverse academic, collegial, and community networking opportunities for students through a wide array of student-led events convened by student affinity organizations and groups that sponsor a large number of diversity, equity, and inclusion-focused events each year.

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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion News

Rising 2L Naphtalie Librun-Ukiri featured in the Star Tribune on the importance of building diversity in law

Rising 2L Naphtalie Librun-Ukiri is the first Minneapolis-based law student to be selected to participate in Ballard Spahr’s—one of the nation’s largest law firms—Diversity Fellowship Program. “Opportunities like [fellowships aiming to give women and people of diverse races hands-on experience early in their legal studies] open up all the different roads that law students can take,” said Librun-Ukiri. “Sometimes you just need to plant a seed.” Read full story.

 

Yu Zhang ’19 Wins Minnesota Law’s Equity and Diversity Award

Congratulations to J.D. graduate Yu Zhang for being named Minnesota Law’s 2019 recipient of the Equity and Diversity Award. As a fellow student fittingly notes, Yu is “an enthusiastic, motivating, and inspiring community leader who truly cares about the well-being of her peers.” While growing up in the Northern Shanxi Province of China, Yu “was the person classmates came to when they had disputes or difficulties and the one who organized the class to protest against a teacher’s misconduct.” That early advocacy expanded to her efforts to highlight economic inequities in her community, and to later pursue public law studies at the Peking University Law School in Beijing. Read full story.

Student Spotlight: Navin Ramalingam, Rising 2L

Navin Ramalingam was born and raised in the city of Chennai in southern India. Prior to law school, he was a business consultant at Deloitte and Ernst & Young. This summer, he is working at Gray Plant Mooty in Minneapolis. He currently serves on the Law School’s Wellness Initiative and is a student member of the Diversity Committee. He enjoys biking, running, reading, and traveling. Read Q&A.

 

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Diversity Committee Student Takeover of Instagram

In March, 1L Catherine Ulrich, a student member of the Diversity Committee, led a social media takeover of the Law School’s Instagram account that focused on ways students and the Law School are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Cat profiled students, committees, student organizations, and events.

Check out our Instagram to see the first successful takeover by students!

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Faculty Perspectives on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Catherine Ulrich, 1L, recently interviewed Professor Neha Jain and Professor Chris Roberts about the faculty perspective of equity, diversity, and inclusion at the Law School.

Read the interviews with Professor Jain and Professor Roberts.

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Wellness and Wellbeing

Welcome & Wellness Room

Minnesota Law offers several ways for students, staff, and faculty to engage with the Law School and surrounding communities. However, we know that self-care is also important. 

Minnesota Law offers a Welcome and Wellness room in N20. Students can relax in a quiet space, take yoga, read, or meditate during the day.

PAWS: Pet Away Worries and Stress

Stressed out? Come de-stress and forget about your worries with Boynton Health. PAWS sessions feature registered therapy animal teams—including dogs, bunnies, chickens, and other therapy animals like cats, miniature horses, Guinea pigs and fancy rats—that you are welcome to interact with and pet.

Check Minnesota Law’s Event Calendar for the schedule of PAWS sessions at the Law School. Sessions are FREE and open to the University of Minnesota community.

Additional Student Resources

Managing stress and addressing personal or health barriers are keys to success in law school and legal practice. Minnesota Law encourages students to seek help for personal, family, academic, or health challenges that arise during law school. Additional student support resources are always available to our community.

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Student Perspectives