Mondale Hall at sunset

News

Bloomberg Law Honors Law in Practice for Overall Excellence in Practical  Skills Training for the Second Year in a Row

Adjunct Professor Imani Jaafar wasn’t surprised to learn that the Law in Practice (LiP) course at Minnesota Law earned national recognition from Bloomberg Law for the second year running. In her four years as an adjunct professor for the class, Jaafar has witnessed its innovative approach to teaching 1Ls the day-to-day skills they will need to practice law.

The LIP Program

Emanual Williams ’23 and the Clemency Project Clinic Successfully Advocate to Have a Client's Sentence Commuted

Emanual Williams ’23 had just graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School and was studying for the bar when he argued for and won a commutation from the Minnesota Board of Pardons (BOP) for the client he had represented as a student in the Law School’s Clemency Project Clinic. The client, Hansakda Souvannarath, had been the driver in a drive-by shooting when he was just 19 years old. In 1995, he was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, followed by an additional sentence of 17 consecutive years.

Emanual Williams '23

Minnesota Law Mourns the Passing of Former Professor Dan L. Burk

The University of Minnesota Law School joins together with the University of California Irvine School of Law (UCI Law), colleagues, friends, family, and the legal community to mourn the passing of former Minnesota Law professor Dan L. Burk, who served on the Minnesota Law School faculty from 2000 to 2008. Professor Burk was a Distinguished and Chancellor’s Professor of Law and founding faculty member and the first Chancellor’s Professor at UCI Law. He passed away on Sunday, February 4.

Professor Dan Burk

Minnesota Law students from the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic and the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic built a case in preparation for oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court

Has a noncitizen truly been notified of their immigration-related removal hearing if the federal government fails to follow its statutory requirements to provide written notice? In January, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the question of proper notification and whether the federal government may remove noncitizens in absentia if they were not duly informed of their hearing date.

Minnesota Law clinic teams posing outside SCOTUS after presenting their arguements

Clemency Project Clinic and Civil Rights Appellate Clinic Collaborate to Secure Major Victory in Tanya Wager et al. v. DOC

The University of Minnesota Law School’s Clemency Project Clinic—in collaboration with the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic, ACLU-MN, and Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners Clinic—has secured a major victory for four individuals it was representing in a lawsuit against the Department of Corrections (DOC). In Tanya Wagner et al. v. DOC, the plaintiffs had challenged the DOC’s decision to return them to prison.

Emma Kruger ’24, Professor JaneAnne Murray, and Professor Elizabeth Bentley

Tribute: Minnesota Law Mourns the Passing of Michael Berman ’64

Michael Berman ’64 passed away earlier this month after a short illness at his home in Washington, D.C. He is survived by his beloved spouse, Debbie Cowan. Berman, a Minnesota native, notably served as deputy chief of staff and counsel to Vice President Walter Mondale ’56 and as a subsequent advisor to several elected officials.

Michael Berman

Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin Named Honorary King's Counsel by His Majesty The King of England

Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin has been named Honorary King's Counsel (KC Hon) by His Majesty The King of England, who approved the appointment of 95 barristers and solicitors as new King’s Counsel (KC) in England and Wales and five new Honorary King’s Counsel (KC Honoris Causa). Honorary KCs are awarded to those who have made a major contribution to the law of England and Wales, outside practice in the courts.

Fionnuala NiAolain

Tribute: Minnesota Law Mourns the Passing of William McGrann ‘64

Minnesota Law alum William McGrann ‘64, died Jan. 19 at his family's cabin on the shore of Lake Superior in Schroeder, Minnesota at the age of 86.

As a founding partner of McGrann Shea Carnival Straughn & Lamb law firm, McGrann was a longtime presence at Minneapolis City Hall and the State Capitol.

Minnesota Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley knew and worked with McGrann for decades. "He was smart, connected, and highly regarded," Bagley said. "We will miss the twinkle in his eye and wry smile that made him a joy to work with."

William McGrann ‘64

Tribute: Minnesota Law Mourns the Passing of Professor Emeritus Stephen Burns Scallen ‘59 

Professor Emeritus Stephen Scallen ‘59 passed away peacefully at his home earlier in January. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 24, 1932, he graduated from St. Thomas Academy and the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School where he was President of the Law Review and also received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He served as a Captain in the United States Air Force from 1955-1957. 

Professor Emeritus Stephen Burns Scallen ‘59