Faculty News
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Prof. Richard Frase Quoted in the Star Tribune Regarding the Decision to Hold Derek Chauvin's Trial in Connection With George Floyd's Death Separately From the Other Three Officers Involved
January 14, 2021Professor Richard Frase is quoted in the Star Tribune regarding the decision to hold Derek Chauvin’s trial in connection with George Floyd’s death separately from the other three officers involved. Of the separation Frase said, “There’s always the guilt-by-association problem, and it flows downhill to the accomplices.”
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Prof. Hickman Quoted in Tax Notes on Implications of Presidential Transition for Tax Regs
January 13, 2021Professor Kristin Hickman was quoted in an article in Tax Notes, Biden’s Coming Reg Freeze Raises Novel Issues for Tax Regs, regarding the implications of the presidential transition for tax regulations. In addition to a pending freeze on new regulations that is anticipated, the article also addressed Treasury Department efforts to claim good cause for avoiding a Congressional Review Act requirement that regulations be submitted to Congress sixty days before their effective date. Professor Hickman was quoted at length regarding the requirements for establishing good cause and the courts’ potential reaction to Treasury’s claims. Professor Hickman was also quoted regarding the distinction between effective dates and applicability dates for tax regulations and as expressing hope that the regulation freeze will not last long for many tax regulations.
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Prof. Vaaler Speaks with WCCO about Corporate Campaign Spending in Wake of Capitol Violence
January 13, 2021Professor Paul Vaaler spoke with WCCO’s Dave Lee about political action committee (PAC) donations in light of recent corporate announcements of reductions in campaign contributions in the wake of the mob violence at the U.S. Capitol last week.
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Federal Court Quotes Professor Cotter's Comparison of Patent Law's Standing Doctrine to Frankenstein's Monster
January 12, 2021In two recent decisions, Uniloc USA, Inc. v. Motorola Mobility LLC, 2020 WL 7771219 (D. Del. Dec. 30, 3030), and ChromaDex, Inc. v. Elysium Health, Inc., ___ F.Supp.3d ___, 2020 WL 7360212 (D. Del. Dec. 17, 2020), U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly cited Professor Thomas Cotter’s article, coauthored with Roger D. Blair, titled The Elusive Logic of Standing Doctrine in Intellectual Property Law, 74 Tulane Law Review 1323 (2000). On both occasions, Judge Connolly cited the article for its statement that “the standing rules in [patent] law appear to be as much a patchwork as Dr. Frankenstein’s monster, and only marginally more coherent.”
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Prof. Klass Quoted in Energywire on Challenges and Opportunities for President-Elect Biden's Energy Secretary Nominee Jennifer Granholm
December 21, 2020Professor Alexandra Klass was quoted in an article about opportunities for Energy Secretary Nominee Jennifer Granholm to use existing provisions of federal law to spur the growth of long-distance electric transmission lines needed to better integrate renewable energy resources into the electric grid.
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Prof. Smith Quoted in Bloomberg Tax Article on Challenges in Representing Low-Income Taxpayers During Pandemic
December 21, 2020Professor Caleb Smith and Mollie Wagoner, 2L, were quoted in a Bloomberg Tax article on the challenges that the Tax Clinic faces in representing low-income taxpayers. Professor Smith discussed the challenges of providing education and outreach to low income populations during the pandemic, and Mollie Wagoner discussed the difficulties in creating rapport with clients while working remotely.
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Prof. Rozenshtein Featured in the Law Library of Congress's Human Rights Day Event
December 21, 2020Professor Alan Rozenshtein was a panelist at the Law Library of Congress’s Human Rights Day Event 2020, held on Dec. 10, 2020. The topic was “Contact Tracing and the Right of Privacy” and addressed the legal and public-policy implications of using digital surveillance tools to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Time Magazine Covers Release of Myon Burrell, Client of Prof. Moriearty, Child Advocacy and Juvenile Justice Clinic
December 17, 2020Professor Perry Moriearty with two of her students, Kaitlyn Falk, 2L, and Matthew DiTullio ’20, represented Myon Burrell before the state Board of Pardons through the Law School’s Child Advocacy and Juvenile Justice Clinic. Burrell was released on Dec. 15 after 18 years in prison for a crime he was convicted of when he was a juvenile. His life sentence was commuted to 20 years, with the remaining portion to be served on supervised release.
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New York Times Covers Release of Myon Burrell, Client of Prof. Moriearty, Child Advocacy and Juvenile Justice Clinic
December 16, 2020On Dec. 15, the Minnesota Board of Pardons commuted the sentence of Myon Burrell, client of Professor Perry Moriearty and the Child Advocacy and Juvenile Justice Clinic. Burrell, a juvenile when he was imprisoned, had been incarcerated 18 years. His sentence was commuted to 20 years and he will serve the remainder of his sentence on supervised release. “I can’t for a minute imagine what that must have felt like for him,” said Moriearty, who was with Burrell when he was released.
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Prof. Murray Co-Authors Model "Second Look" Legislation for States, with Accompanying Report
December 10, 2020Professor JaneAnne Murray, Director of the School’s Clemency Project and also a board member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), co-authored NACDL’s model “Second Look” legislation and accompanying report. The legislation provides a vehicle that legislatures can use to safely reduce the number of individuals serving excessive, counter-productive sentences: guaranteeing all incarcerated individuals a “Second Look” once they have spent at least a decade in prison. As noted in the accompanying report, it essentially takes up where the drafters of the Model Penal Code at the American Law Institute left off. In December 2018, the ALI advocated systematic “Second Look” legislation, setting forth guiding principles but leaving states to develop fully fledged legislation. Professor Kevin Reitz was the reporter for the sentencing provisions of the revised version of the Model Penal Code, and a key drafter of its “Second Look” provision.