News

Minnesota Law students and teams fared well at the recent William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Competition.

The team of Jackie Fielding, 3L, Nadia Mezic, 2L, and Chuqiao Yu, 2L, finished among the Top 3 briefs overall and advanced to the quarterfinals. Fielding also took home the Best Oral Advocate Award for the entire competition. 

The other team composed of 3Ls Jake Gray, Emily Franco, and Andrew Prunty also made an excellent showing among a field of 26 teams from across the country. 

The teams were coached by Professor Jon Lee.

Editor’s note: Alumni Voices is an occasional series of articles by alumni sharing their perspectives. Minneapolis attorney Victoria Spichinetsky ’07 serves as an adjunct professor and lead section instructor in Minnesota Law’s Legal Writing Program.

Retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page ’78 has been fighting the good fight for decades, mostly on behalf of equality in race and education—and all the intertwined areas those topics touch. At 74, he shows little sign of slowing down.

Michael William Wright ’63, who captained the University of Minnesota football team and built Supervalu into one of the nation’s leading grocery chains, passed away at his home on Monday, Jan. 27, of complications from pneumonia. He was 81.

Mike Freeman ’74 has logged more than 20 years of service as Hennepin County Attorney. He was first elected to the office in 1991 and served until 1998, when he launched an ultimately unsuccessful campaign for governor of Minnesota. In 2007, Freeman reclaimed the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office after Amy Klobuchar vacated it to run for U.S. Senate. He continues to serve there today. A tradition of public service runs in Freeman’s family. His late father, Orville Freeman ’40, was governor of Minnesota from 1955 to 1961, and served as U.S.

Editor’s note: Alumni Voices is an occasional series of articles by alumni sharing their perspectives. Minneapolis attorney Peter Doely ’13, who co-teaches Minnesota Law’s Insurance Law Clinic, contributed this piece.

Bernadette Foh, LL..M. ’11, J.D. ’18, who arrived in Minnesota 16 years ago as a refugee from Sierra Leone, was recently appointed executive director of Bridges of Hope, a faith-based, nonprofit organization in Brainerd, Minnesota. The group helps families in crisis in Crow Wing County and surrounding areas by connecting them with community resources.

Editor's note: Alumni Voices is an occasional series of articles by alumni sharing their perspectives. We debut this web feature with a piece contributed by James Roth '77, who last semester returned to Mondale Hall as a senior student.

Last fall, Cayla Ebert ’18 joined the Washington, D.C., office of Hogan Lovells as an associate. Prior to joining the global firm, she clerked for Minnesota Supreme Court Justices G. Barry Anderson ’79 and Paul C. Thissen.

Fifteen Minnesota Law alumni are among the members of the state bar singled out for recognition as “Attorneys of the Year” for 2019 by Minnesota Lawyer. In addition, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Joan N. Ericksen ’81 of the District of Minnesota was honored for her lifetime service with an Outstanding Service to the Profession award.