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1L Jessica Bontemps, a first-generation college student in her family, has served as tutor, coach, and mentor to at-risk youth in New York City. She has a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Hunter College and, in addition to being an aspiring lawyer, is an aspiring writer.

Welcome to the Minnesota Law class of 2022! Could you talk a little bit about your experience working with disadvantaged youths in New York City? 

1L Daniel Raddenbach, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, last spring interned at the U.S. embassy in London. He plans to study international law and hopes to put his legal education to work in foreign policy.   

Welcome to the Minnesota Law class of 2022! You interned in a U.S. ambassador's office. Could you describe a little bit about that experience and how, if it all, it connects to your decision to study law?

When Professor Fred Morrison came to the University of Minnesota Law School in 1969, the entering class was nearly all male, there were no international students, Minnesota statutes fit tightly into two volumes, and the faculty was as big as the second largest law firm in the state.

Times have changed.

Today, 12 volumes of Minnesota statutes line Morrison’s shelf, and many law firms outnumber the collective faculty. More than half of the class is female and there are more than 50 foreign students.

Fabiola Gretzinger hails from San Jose, Costa Rica. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, she works part-time as a paralegal at Igbanugo Partners, an immigration law firm in Minneapolis. Last spring, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and minors in Economics and Portuguese.

Welcome to the Minnesota Law class of 2022! You have an interesting background as a paralegal. Could you discuss that experience?

In this final installment of our “Meet Minnesota Law's LL.M. Class of ’20” series, we introduce you to Yu-Chen Wang, a Taiwanese public interest lawyer who received his bachelor’s and master’s legal degrees from National Taipei University.

Could you describe what work or educational experiences motivated you to come to the U.S. for an LL.M.?

Seowoo Jang, LL.M. ’20, hails from South Korea, where she studied some aspects of American law and developed an interest in it. She also tutored immigrant children and their parents, providing them with legal assistance. 

You received your bachelor’s degree from Kookmin University in Seoul. Could you describe what work or educational experiences there motivated you to come to the U.S. for an LL.M.?

Cody Humpherys, 2L, spent this summer in Australia working in the employment group of Baker McKenzie’s Sydney office.

Could you describe a little bit about your summer experience in Australia?

Mubanga Kalimamukwento, LL.M. ’20 is a Fulbright scholar and a native of Zambia. She is also a novelist who plans to continue to pursue her twin interests of law and literature.

You are a human-rights attorney in Zambia. Can you describe a little bit about that experience?

Michelle Rodenburg, 3L, spent the summer as an intern for the Office of the International Co-Prosecutor in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). It was a rare opportunity to learn about international criminal law firsthand for the Human Rights Center fellow, who obtained the placement through her connection with the HRC.

Could you describe a little bit about your summer experience working in the courts in Cambodia?

Governor Tim Walz appointed Rachna Sullivan ’96 as District Court judge in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District. 

Sullivan is a shareholder at Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., where she serves as the lead lawyer in commercial litigation cases. Previously, she was a partner at Rider Bennet LLP, law clerk to the Hon. James M. Rosenbaum, former Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, and an Assistant District Attorney at the King’s County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York.