News

2L Ben Rogers spent the summer as an intern for the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He was detailed to Defense Service Office West at Naval Base San Diego in California — the busiest defense office in the Navy. DSO West provides legal representation to military service members at courts martial, boards of inquiry, and administrative separation boards. 

Could you describe a little bit about your summer experience working as an intern in the Navy JAG Corps?

Two adjunct professors were on the leading edge when they introduced courses in patent prosecution and patent portfolio management at Minnesota Law 18 years ago. While those courses are now much more commonplace, Minnesota Law’s innovative and robust intellectual property program enjoys a top-level national reputation for its excellence.

Minnesota Law this fall welcomes three new members to its faculty. Alan Z. Rozenshtein and Caleb Smith, who have been visiting professors at the Law School, have joined the permanent faculty; Professor Maria Ponomarenko comes to Minnesota Law from New York University School of Law.

The Indian Child Welfare Act Clinic (ICWA Clinic) is a full academic year, four-credit program beginning in the fall semester. The casework focuses on litigation involving the ICWA and Tribal Code. The clinic is led by two adjunct faculty members from the Minneapolis-based ICWA Law Center—Executive Director Shannon Smith ’99 and Litigation Director Andrea Braun. Smith recently took the time to answer a few questions about the clinic and how it impacts students, clients, and the community.

Please briefly describe the work of the ICWA Clinic.

Six Minnesota Law alumni were recently named “Up & Coming Attorneys” by Minnesota Lawyer.

Up & Coming Attorneys are recognized for their professional accomplishments, leadership and service to their community and profession, and achievements in their first 10 years of being admitted to the bar.

The alumni selected for the award are: 

Lauren Graff ’19 is taking her Minnesota Law degree to the Chicago office of McGuireWoods LLP, an Am-Law 100 law firm with offices in more than 20 locations worldwide. It’s a familiar locale to Graff, who spent two years in that same office as a paralegal. Having successfully made the leap to the lawyer side of the ledger, she is joining the firm’s Private Equity group as an associate. Graff recently took time out from her busy bar exam prep schedule to answer a few questions on her Minnesota Law experience.

Why did you go to Law School?

The Ronald M. Mankoff Tax Clinic scored a precedential victory in a recent U.S. Tax Court ruling that may benefit many low-income taxpayers nationwide.

The issue in the case, Feigh v. Commissioner, 152 T.C. No. 15 (2019), revolved around whether the Internal Revenue Service can use an administrative notice to deny earned-income tax credits (i.e., refundable tax credits for low- to moderate-income working individuals and couples) to recipients of Medicaid waiver payments.

As a professor, author, and faculty chair of the environmental and energy law concentration at Minnesota Law, Alexandra Klass knows a thing or two about the topic. Then an opportunity to teach at Uppsala University in Sweden this April and May opened a door for her to learn even more about global environmental and energy policy and law while sharing her knowledge with others.

Rising 3L Mike Villafranca, a Minnesota Law transfer student, recently answered a few questions about his journey to the Law School and how his experience has helped advance his academic, professional, and personal goals.

Why did you transfer to Minnesota Law?

My wife grew up in Minnesota, and we wanted our son to grow up near his grandparents. When we decided to move to Minnesota, I wanted to transfer to Minnesota Law because it has a reputation as the best law school in the Twin Cities.

Rising 2L Navin Ramalingam was born and raised in the city of Chennai in southern India. He currently serves on the Law School’s Wellness Initiative and is a student member of the Diversity Committee. Recently featured in Minnesota Law magazine, Navin sat down for a brief Q&A on his experience at the Law School.

Why did you choose to study at Minnesota Law?