News
Robina Institute Executive Director Kelly Lyn Mitchell Honored by NASC with Richard P. Kern Memorial Award
Kelly Lyn Mitchell, executive director of Minnesota Law's Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice and a lecturer in law, received the Richard P. Kern Memorial Award for 2022 from the National Association of Sentencing Commissions (NASC). The award recognizes an individual who “has contributed greatly to the development of sentencing policy and research.”
After 17 Years as Assistant Dean of Students, Erin Keyes ’00 Prepares to Embark on a New Chapter
Assistant Dean of Students Erin Keyes ’00 has long been one of the first people 1Ls meet when they arrive at Minnesota Law and one of the last to wish them well as they cross the stage at commencement. As students navigate the stresses of law school and life, Keyes has served as an essential support system throughout their time at the University.
Nine Minnesota Law Alumni Named Up & Coming Attorneys by Minnesota Lawyer
Nine Minnesota Law alumni were among a select group of lawyers recognized with Up & Coming Attorney award by Minnesota Lawyer newspaper.
The award recognizes “new attorneys off to a fast start in their legal careers and the legal professionals who work to make sure the job gets done.” All honorees are in their first decade of practice.
The following Minnesota Law alumni were among the honorees:
President Biden Taps Jessica Looman '01 to Lead the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division
President Biden has nominated Jessica Looman '01 to serve as administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Looman has served as the principal deputy administrator of the Division since Jan. 20, 2021. She previously served as the executive director of the Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council, representing 70,000 union construction professionals working in 15 construction trades.
Ra'Shya Ghee '13 Appointed Minnesota Law's Inaugural Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Ra'Shya Ghee '13 will join Minnesota Law in mid-August as its assistant dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In this newly created role, Ghee will be part of the Law School’s senior leadership team and will be responsible for leading and aligning the Law School’s critical work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The role will focus on:
Dean Jenkins Joins the Board of the National Women’s Law Center
Garry W. Jenkins, dean and William S. Pattee Professor of Law, has joined the board of directors of the National Women’s Law Center, a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization that fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society—working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls.
Alumni Q&A: Lariss Maldonado '12, Board Chair of ACLU Minnesota
Lariss Maldonado '12, who last April became the board chair of the ACLU of Minnesota, recently shared her thoughts on her new leadership role, career path, and time at #MinnesotaLaw.
Minnesota Law Mourns the Passing on Mary Davidson ’75, Former Hennepin County Judge
Mary Davidson ’75, a former Hennepin County District Court judge who once served as chief judge of Family Court, passed away in Plymouth, Minnesota on June 21 at the age of 82.
Q&A: Visiting Assistant Professor Elizabeth Bentley
Elizabeth (“Betz”) Bentley recently joined Minnesota Law as a visiting assistant professor of law and the director of our new Civil Rights Appellate Clinic. Her impressive legal background includes serving as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, as well as clerking for two other federal judges. She also worked at Jones Day and served as special counsel to Senator Amy Klobuchar and the Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson.
After a Banner Year, Minnesota Law Is Now Ranked #18 in the Country for Moot Court Competition
The exceptional performance of multiple Minnesota Law moot court competition teams led to an unprecedented year at the University of Minnesota Law School.
“The Law School’s strategic investment in moot courts, combined with the hard work and dedication of students and their coaches, paid off in so many ways,” says Randall Ryder '09, assistant professor of appellate advocacy and director of Law in Practice. “Our moot court students develop advanced advocacy skills that allow them to excel as new lawyers and throughout their legal careers.”