News

Fourteen clients represented by the Law School’s Clemency Project, directed by Professor JaneAnne Murray, were among the list of commutation grants announced by President Trump yesterday. All were represented pro bono and their clemency petitions were filed with the Office of the U.S. Pardon Attorney.

Dean Garry W. Jenkins joined 156 other deans from law schools across the country in issuing a public statement addressing the 2020 election and the events that took place in the U.S. Capitol last week. It is highly unusual for so many law deans to join together to speak with one voice on an issue not directly related legal education.

Minnesota Lawyer recently recognized 20 Minnesota Law alumni and an adjunct professor as part of its annual Attorney of the Year awards. One of the honorees, retired Court of Appeals Judge Edward J. Cleary ’77, was recognized for his lifetime service. Congratulations to all the award recipients, whose names appear below by category:

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20 Day Revocable Trust Trial

It wasn’t long after graduating from University of Minnesota Law School in 1987 that Niel Willardson ‘87 started giving back by teaching legal writing. That inclination and commitment to helping an important institution in his life has continued for 30 years, culminating in Minnesota Law recently naming him the first fellow of its Institute for Law and Economics. 

Dorothy Marie Perry, who with her husband Michael Perry ’64 made significant contributions to the Law School and other programs at the University, passed away Dec. 8 at the age of 79.

Born in Starbuck, Minnesota, and raised on a farm near Donnelly, Perry became a registered nurse and had a long and distinguished career in the field, working in labor and delivery at Fairview Hospital, as a public health nurse for Morrison County, and as a health facility evaluator for the state of Minnesota.

Professor Perry Moriearty, Kaitlyn Falk, 2L, and Matthew DiTullio ’20 played key roles in gaining freedom for Myon Burrell, who earlier this week was granted a commutation of a life sentence that he received as a teen.

As student attorneys in the Child Advocacy and Juvenile Justice Clinic., Falk and DiTullio worked “shoulder-to-shoulder” with Moriearty, spending hours gathering information, writing and speaking to Burrell, his family and supporters to prepare a petition seeking Burrell’s release for the Minnesota Board of Pardons.

Thad Lightfoot, a prominent Minneapolis attorney and an adjunct environmental law professor, passed away unexpectedly yesterday. 

While this semester was Lightfoot’s first time teaching Environmental Law at the Law School, many members of our community have enjoyed working with him in his legal practice, and in his leadership roles in our state and local bar associations. His death is a loss to the Law School and to the entire Twin Cities legal community.

Professor Francis X. Shen, who conducts empirical and interdisciplinary research at the intersection of law and the brain sciences, was part of an interdisciplinary team that just released a study concluding that current safety measures protecting soccer players from concussions are inadequate.

Sharon Sue Hale, who with her husband James Hale ’65 generously supported the Law School for many years, passed away at the age of 80 on Oct. 24.

AccessLex has awarded a $5,000 scholarship to Frances Daniels, 2L.

AccessLex is a nonprofit organization that seeks to further access, affordability, and the value of legal education through research, policy, advocacy, and direct member and student educational services.

Daniels, a frequent user of its resources, learned of her scholarship on Friday during a video conference call with AccessLex representatives and Assistant Dean of Students Erin Keyes ’00. (See video clip below.)