Mondale Hall at sunset

News

Minnesota Law Mourns the Passing of Thomas Ray King '65

Thomas Ray King ‘65 died on Feb. 18 at the age of 82.

As an undergraduate at the university of Minnesota, King was a halfback for the Gopher football teams which won both a National Championship and the Rose Bowl.

After graduating from the Law School, King became a recognized securities and finance lawyer. He was known to guide and mentor lawyers, friends, and clients. He spent much of his career at Fredrikson and Byron, where he became chair of the board.

Thomas Ray King ‘65

Immigration and Human Rights Clinic Helps Guinean Woman Win Asylum

The Law School’s Immigration and Human Rights Clinic recently helped a Guinean woman who faced persecution in her native country because of her religious beliefs, women’s rights advocacy, and public health work win asylum in the United States.

Jennifer Melton, 2L, Yemaya Hanna, 3L, and Hanna Stenersen, 2L

Prof. JaneAnne Murray Honored with NACDL Champion of Justice Award

Professor JaneAnne Murray was awarded the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Champion of Justice Legal Award on February 26 during the Association’s Midwinter Meeting in Austin, Texas.

Champion of Justice Awards are bestowed upon those individuals who—through legislative, journalistic, philanthropic, or humanitarian pursuits—have staunchly preserved or defended the constitutional rights of American citizens and have endeavored to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime.

Professor JaneAnne Murray

Two Minnesota Law Teams Compete in the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) in Boston, One Team Advances to Quarterfinals

The ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) is one of the largest, and most challenging, moot court competitions in the country. Two teams from the Law School competed in the Boston Regional in February. Both teams performed admirably and one team progressed to the quarterfinal round at the regional competition. That is the first advancement for the Law School since 2018. 

Image of the ABA National Moot Court Competition Team

Minnesota Law Team Advances in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is the world’s largest moot court competition. Due to their strong performance, the Law School’s team moved on to the advanced rounds for the first time since 2018. The team had a stellar 4th place ranking for their briefs. As a result of the opposing team’s chosen side, 3Ls Sarani Millican and Laura Burns argued at the advanced rounds. 

Photo of Law Students on the Jessup International Moot Court Team

Prof. Steve Meili Appointed Director of Law Clinics


Professor Steve Meili has been appointed as the new director of the law clinics for a three-year term, starting this summer.

Meili, the James H. Michael Chair in International Human Rights Law, joined the Law School in 2008, became a tenured associate professor in 2018. He previously held the James H. Binger Professorship in Clinical Law (awarded in 2019). 

Prof. Steve Meili

Minnesota Law Students, Faculty, and Staff Provide Legal Support to Afghan Refugees

Several Minnesota Law students joined faculty and staff from the James H. Binger Center for New Americans to provide legal support to Afghan refugees on the Fort McCoy military base in Wisconsin late last month. The team helped the refugees understand the complex and often challenging U.S. immigration system, prepare their asylum or special immigrant visa applications, and get connected to a nationwide network of lawyers.

The Minnesota Law team aided an estimated 70-95 Afghan guests over three days.

The Minnesota Law team helping the Afghan refugees included (from left to right): Ben Gleekel, 2L, Nicole Carter, 1L, Deepinder Mayell, executive director of the James H. Binger Center for New Americans, Carli Cortina, 2L, and Mahmoud Ahmed, community outreach and program coordinator for the Binger Center. (Photo: Tony Nelson)