Mitchell Hamline Law Winter 2019

MITCHELL HAMLINE

LA WINTER 2019

Navigating

Change Alums grapple with the shifting landscape of immigration law

A Message from the Interim Dean

Dear Alumni, During the All School Reunion this last September, I was again reminded what amazing alums this school has. I was happy to have the opportunity to talk with many of you over that weekend and privileged to be present when the school honored alums Justice Anne McKeig ’92 (HUSL), former Justice Helen Meyer ’83 (WMCL), and Taylor Levy ’18 (MHSL). Be sure to take a look at the story about the reunion. The weekend was wonderful, and if you didn’t get a chance to join us, I hope I will see you there next year. The next All School Reunion will be September 11-12, 2020.

Reading through the copy for this magazine reconfirmed my appreciation for the astonishing range of work all of you have been doing. You can read more about Taylor Levy’s work at the border, as well as the important contributions many other alums have made in the immigration field. Look inside and you’ll also find a story about four alumni who are using their legal training to do work in the field of equine law.

I’m confident that our current students will find their way to legal fields just as varied. Sooner than any of them realize, our existing students will be joining your ranks and doing amazing things themselves. Our building is filled with wonderful students who come from all 50 states and all walks of life. Enrollment in our full-time on-campus program is the largest our new school has yet had.

And 40 new students have joined our part-time evening program. Though we now have a few competitors, enrollment in our blended-learning programs remains very strong. If you haven’t had the chance to meet our students, I encourage you to take your next opportunity to do that. Sooner than you expect, they’ll be your colleagues.

All this means that our new dean—whoever she or he is—will come to a school that is strong, vibrant, and deeply committed to its mission of educating lawyers. You’ll be hearing more from us in the weeks to come about the dean search. And sometime early next year, we’ll all learn who our dean will be starting July 1.

I’m excited to find out what the next year will bring, and you should be, too.

Sincerely,

Peter B. Knapp Interim President and Dean

MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW VOLUME 3 Published by Mitchell Hamline School of Law 875 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minn. 55105 651-227-9171 alumni@mitchellhamline.edu mitchellhamline.edu/alumni Interim President and Dean Peter B. Knapp Executive Editor Doug Belden Art Director and Designer Karl Peters Designer Todd Spichke Writers Allison Burke Suzy Frisch Emily Gurnon Ann Harrington Sherri Hildebrandt

The pace of change in immigration law and policy under the Trump administration has been startling. We talked with four alums—two immigration attorneys in private practice, a retired immigration judge, and the chief deputy attorney general for Minnesota—about how their work has been affected. Story, Page 16.

Photographers Chris Dang Tim Post Jordyn Rozensky

Rob Hubbard Todd Nelson Tim Post Heidi Raschke

Rebecca Slater Amanda Spilde Brady Willette

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair Lisa A. Gray ’86 (WMCL)

All School Reunion Two-day gathering in September

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A recent grad is becoming an authority

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on the law around music transactions

A Question of Balance Alums are working to help horse racing

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thrive while ensuring safety

The Chief A remembrance of Warren Burger ’31 (SPCL) 50 years after he became chief justice

Secretary Steven J. Kirsch ’76 (HUSL) Treasurer Nicole James Gilchrist ’03 (WMCL)

reconnects former classmates

Law and Music

Vice Chair Frank V. Harris ’75 (HUSL)

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Judge Reynaldo A. Aligada ’02 (WMCL) Brian Batzli ’85 (WMCL) Gregory L. Buck ’87 (WMCL) Christine Chalstrom ’91 (WMCL) John. J. Choi ’95 (HUSL) Gloria Contreras Edin ’05 (HUSL) Jeanne M. Forneris Judge Donovan W. Frank ’77 (HUSL) Judge Sara Grewing ’03 (WMCL) Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks ’85 (WMCL) Mark A. Hallberg ’79 (WMCL) Dr. Linda N. Hanson Jean F. Holloway James J. Hoolihan ’79 (WMCL) Jim Jacobson Charles H. Johnson ’75 (HUSL) Christine Kucera Kalla ’94 (WMCL) Frances L. Kern ’13 (WMCL) Richard L. Mack ’93 (HUSL) Dr. Fayneese Miller Christopher Pham ’09 (WMCL) David D. Ransom ’91 (WMCL) Judge Denise D. Reilly ’83 (WMCL) Susan C. Rhode ’85 (HUSL) Ellen G. Sampson ’84 (WMCL) David M. Sparby ’80 (WMCL) Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson ’95 (WMCL) Ugo Ukabam ’02 (WMCL) Wendy K. Watson ’97 (HUSL)

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Dancers perform at a celebration to honor the contributions of Minnesota’s Asian American judges, hosted by the Mitchell Hamline Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Saturday, May 11.

Photograph by CHRIS DANG

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ALUMNI NEWS

All School Reunion reconnects, honors alums

BY TIM POST

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ver two days in September, Mitchell Hamline’s All School Reunion reconnected former classmates, celebrated generations of those who attended the law school and its legacy institutions, and honored the accomplishments of alumni for their work on behalf of the school.

Alums gathered on Friday, Sept. 13, for the Legacy Dinner, recognizing families with more than one member who attended the school.

Among them were the Dietz family and its three generations of alums: Chuck Dietz ’57, who graduated from William Mitchell; daughter Robin Dietz-Mayfield ’93, who graduated from Hamline University School of Law; and her daughter Megan Mayfield ’07, who also earned a J.D. from Hamline Law. Robin Dietz-Mayfield said the Legacy Dinner gave her a chance to meet some of the people her father worked with over the years, both at the law school— where he taught and served on the board of trustees—and in his time in 3M’s Office of General Counsel.

Chuck Dietz with daughter Robin Dietz-Mayfield and granddaughter Megan Mayfield.

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Landon Ascheman and Mara Ascheman with their son.

Sara Wahl and grandchildren Abby Wahl and Alex Davis.

She said there was never any pressure from her father to become a lawyer, but he taught his children to speak their minds, which still makes for “spirited” discussions when the Dietz clan gets together.

“I’m very proud of my dad,” she said. “I’m glad he raised a daughter and a granddaughter who wanted to be lawyers. We’ve all had amazing careers.”

The Legacy Dinner also celebrated connections made during law school, like Landon Ascheman ’09 and Mara Ascheman ’09. The couple met while attending William Mitchell and were friends throughout law school. “Three years after law school we started hanging out more and then started dating,” Landon said. “One thing led to another and now she’s stuck with me.”

The dinner also gave members of Rosalie Wahl’s family a chance to reflect on her legacy. Wahl was a 1967 graduate of William Mitchell, helped establish the school’s clinical program in 1973, and became the first woman appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1977. Her daughter Sara Wahl ’76 and grandchildren Abby Wahl ’12 and Alex Davis ’15 all graduated from William Mitchell. Abby Wahl said she was inspired to enter the legal field in part by a book she read as a teenager about her grandmother’s jurisprudence.

“I may not have inherited her legal genius, but fighting for justice is something that Alex and I definitely do,” she said.

On Saturday, Sept. 14, Mitchell Hamline opened its doors so alums could tour the law school, get updated on all that’s happening on campus, and connect with their favorite professors.

After the open house, alumni gathered for a reception with their classmates and to honor three alums for their accomplishments and service with Mitchell Hamline Alumni Awards.

Former Justice Helen Meyer ’83 (WMCL) received the Outstanding Alumni Award for her deep commitment and significant service to Mitchell Hamline. Meyer, who served on the Minnesota Supreme Court from 2002 to 2012, was a member of the school’s board of trustees from 2010 to 2019 and served as chair for two years. She also co-founded the Child Protection Program, the predecessor to the Institute to Transform Child Protection.

Justice Anne McKeig ’92 (HUSL) received the Distinguished Alumni Award for her professional accomplishments and contributions to the legal field. In 2016, McKeig, who grew up on the Leech Lake Reservation, became

ALUMNI NEWS

Left to right: Alumni Association President Frances L. Kern; Alumni Award winners Taylor Levy, Former Justice Helen Meyer, and Justice Anne McKeig; and Interim President and Dean Peter Knapp.

the first Native American appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court. She is known as a tireless advocate for children who has worked to develop protocols and programs for child protection.

Taylor Levy ’18 (MHSL) received the Recent Alumni Award for her contributions to Mitchell Hamline and the community as a whole. Levy,

a graduate of the Hybrid J.D. program, is an immigration attorney on the U.S.-Mexico border. Her work has been featured by major media outlets including NBC, the New York Times, The Atlantic, and NPR. Peter Knapp, interim president and dean of Mitchell Hamline, congratulated the award winners but also acknow-

ledged the stellar work being done by all of the school’s alumni.

“You make these awards choices tough every single year we have to make them,” Knapp said. “We’re fortunate to have so many incredible contributions to consider in selecting the winners for these awards each year.”

Alums honored with Mitchell Hamline Law Review awards The Mitchell Hamline Law Review honored Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright ’06 (WMCL) and Victor Vieth ’87 (HUSL) for their work on the student-edited legal journal during their time in law school—and the work they’ve done in their careers since—at the law review’s annual banquet in March. The two alums each received a 2019 Wallace-Lerner Award for Excellence in Leadership.

The Mitchell Hamline Law Review publishes timely articles of regional, national, and international interest for legal practitioners, scholars, and lawmakers.

The Wallace-Lerner Award is a combination of two awards that were handed out by Mitchell Hamline’s predecessor

Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright and Joseph Nelson, editor in chief of the 2019 Mitchell Hamline Law Review

Photographs by REBECCA SLATER

schools. The Marcy Wallace Award was named after the first editor in chief of the William Mitchell Law Review, who graduated in 1974. The Gwen Lerner Award was named after the first editor in chief of the Hamline Law Review, a 1978 grad.

Judge Wright was sworn in as a U.S. magistrate judge on Sept. 4, 2018. Before serving as a judge, she litigated patent cases for the firm Faegre Baker Daniels.

Vieth is the founder and former senior director of Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center. He’s currently the director of research and education for the Zero Abuse Project.

Victor Vieth

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ALUMNI NEWS

Judge aims to inspire low-income teens with his example JaPaul Harris: ‘Working with underserved people is a passion of mine’

BY SHERRI HILDEBRANDT

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rowing up in public housing, receiving public benefits, his mother working as a teacher’s aide, JaPaul Harris ’03 (HUSL) didn’t know any lawyers—let alone judges—as a youngster in upstate New York. Now a district court judge in Minnesota’s Second Judicial District, Harris tries to be an example of what is possible for young people growing up in poverty.

“Working with underserved people is a passion of mine,” Harris says.

Early on, he anticipated playing a role in public service.

“I thought I was going to be a teacher,” he recalls. But studying the law revealed to him an opportunity to help people struggling with issues involving—among other things—law enforcement, housing eviction, mental health, and poverty. “When I got into legal aid,” he said, referring to his work with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, “I was sold. The way they became lawyers was by being lawyers. They were problem solvers.”

In addition to his legal aid work, Harris has also worked as an employee relations attorney with Minneapolis Public Schools and as a judicial referee in Hennepin County. In the referee role, he had the opportunity to work directly with teens, helping them make changes and pointing them toward services to help them move forward. The goal was “to effect a rapport with them by speaking plainly,” he said. “Kids have a good B.S. meter and know when you’re being straight with them.” Appointed to the bench in June 2018 by Gov. Mark Dayton, he currently presides over adult felony cases.

Harris’ nearly 20 years of work in the legal system, and the awards and honors he’s received, confirm that his work is making a difference. He was recently honored by Minnesota Lawyer magazine with a Diversity and Inclusion Award for his ongoing statewide work training court staffs in diversity and inclusion. In 2018, he received an Excellence Award from the Hennepin County Bar Association for Improving Access to Justice.

A self-described news junkie, Harris and his wife, Jana Kooren (whom he met when they both worked in the Hamline law library), have two children, ages 6 and 9.

He has coached football at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center in St. Paul for 15 years, and just the mention of it puts a smile on his face. It’s another place where he believes he can make a difference. “I feel it’s important for young men who look like me to see me not only as a judge, or a lawyer, but as a person. When you don’t know something, you don’t know to reach for it. I want young men, particularly young black men, to see someone who has attained this position and to know—I was just like you.”

He keeps in touch with his players, too. “I coached one kid 12 years ago,” he says with a note of pride, “and now he’s coaching with me.”

Sherri Hildebrandt is a freelance editor and writer in St. Paul.

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JUDGE HONORED FOR EFFORTS TO DIVERSIFY LEGAL PROFESSION Peter Reyes: ‘I want to put other people in a position to succeed’

BY EMILY GURNON

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hen he stood before an audience at the American Bar Association’s mid-year meeting in Las Vegas in January, Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Peter M. Reyes Jr. ’97 (WMCL) decided it was time to share a story he had never before told publicly.

Reyes was there to accept the ABA’s 2019 Spirit of Excellence Award, which honors those who have traveled “to the stars through adversity” by embodying excellence and supporting others in their legal careers. He was singled out in particular for working to diversify the legal profession.

He had previously talked about how his grandparents were migrant farm workers who moved to Minnesota from Mexico. What he hadn’t disclosed was that his father, an alcoholic, almost choked his mother to death one night in a drunken rage until Reyes dragged him off her.

He was 12.

“My mother later told me that if I had not stopped him, she would be dead, he would be in jail, and we would be orphans,” he said.

Reyes didn’t want to become a man like his father. Instead, he modeled his life after his mother’s. “She’s someone who is always working in the best interest of others, and I’ve always tried to emulate that,” Reyes said. “My personal brand is I want to put other people in a position to succeed.”

That commitment is reflected in the numerous leadership positions Reyes has held throughout his career.

In law school, he discovered a love of intellectual property law, which he went on to practice at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi; Cargill; and Barnes and Thornburg. Reyes found that while Latinos are under-represented in the legal profession generally, they are even more scarce in IP law. When he became president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, he initiated a program that brings 25 Latino law students from across the country to Washington, D.C., each year for a weeklong intensive introduction to various areas of IP. Reyes has also served three terms as president of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, where he founded a judicial endorsements committee to increase Latino

Photograph by BRADY WILLETTE

representation among judges. And he works hard to hire and mentor diverse clerks—defying the tendency to look for talented attorneys only among white men.

“I’ve had some incredible clerks,” he said. “My experience has been that there are a lot of extremely qualified people of color and people of diverse backgrounds who can and should be hired.”

One of those clerks was Jennifer Anderson ’17 (MHSL).

Anderson, who is Native American, said Reyes makes an effort to recognize qualities in addition to a prospective clerk’s GPA or whether he or she served on the school’s law review.

“He looks at things such as prior work experience, he looks at life experiences, he breaks outside the mold of just people who went straight to law school (from college),” she said.

She was inspired by Reyes’ generous mentorship and the leadership he displays, such as his service work for a number of bar associations. “He taught me there’s more to life in the legal community than just the practice of law.”

Emily Gurnon, a former newspaper reporter, is a writer and editor in St. Paul.

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WHAT’S POPULAR ON FACEBOOK? You like it when we share good news about Mitchell Hamline. We know that because our most popular Facebook posts over the last year are about the great things that alumni, students, and faculty have accomplished!

Aug. 6, 2019:

Reynaldo Aligada '02 (WMCL) named as a judge in Minnesota’s Second Judicial District.

453 likes Feb. 19, 2019:

Prof. Peter Knapp named interim president and dean by Mitchell Hamline’s board of trustees.

433 likes Dec. 27, 2018:

Mitchell Hamline students spend their holiday break in Texas providing legal assistance to immigrant families seeking asylum.

395 likes

More than 5,700 people follow Mitchell Hamline on Facebook. We have more than 18,000 followers on LinkedIn, more than 1,500 on Twitter, and more than 900 on Instagram.

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Feb. 20, 2019:

Prof. John Sonsteng makes snow angels on the Mitchell Hamline front lawn during a stormy morning.

390 likes April 5, 2019:

Professor Colette Routel, director of Mitchell Hamline's Indian Law Program, testifies before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources.

376 likes May 12, 2019:

Classmates of Elise Brown ’13 (HUSL), who died from cancer in 2014, wrote a letter of encouragement for students taking final exams and put it on display at Mitchell Hamline.

373 likes Facebook: @MitchellHamlineSchoolofLaw Twitter: @MitchellHamline Instagram: @MitchellHamline LinkedIn: Mitchell Hamline School of Law

ALUMNI NEWS

Recent grad focuses on legal issues surrounding use of music

BY ROB HUBBARD

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hile still an undergrad, Alexandria (Alex) Mueller ’16 (MHSL) was a composer full of curiosity. Her music was starting to win competitions, with one resulting in a publishing deal.

When she received the contract about publication and performance rights, she wondered about how this system worked. Her composition professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point recommended she take her questions to a business law professor at the school. When that professor sensed the depth of Mueller’s interest in the ins and outs of intellectual property law, he suggested she consider law school.

It was a fortuitous move. Three years after graduating from Mitchell Hamline, Mueller is gaining a reputation as an authority in the area of music transactions. She wrote a chapter on the subject in the recently released 4th edition of the “Intellectual Property Deskbook for the Business Lawyer.” She’s also joined the Minneapolis firm of Hellmuth & Johnson in its Business & Corporate Law, Entertainment Law, and Intellectual Property practice groups, and she chairs the Minnesota State Bar Association Art and Entertainment Law Section.

At Mitchell Hamline, Mueller was mentored by Professor Sharon Sandeen, director of the Intellectual Property Institute. “I started working with her during my second year of law school,” Mueller said. “I wanted to do an independent study on music transactions. What I wrote was for musicians, but she was the one who said, ‘I have an idea that you could write another version of this that’s geared toward lawyers.’”

It was that version that became the chapter in the “Deskbook.” In it, Mueller provides an overview of the legal issues related to the use of music by a business through an extended analogy of driving on a road. “To actually use the music road, you need permission in the form of a license.

In the case of driver’s licenses, you need only obtain a single license from the state,” she writes. “This is not the case with

Photograph by EMMA HALET

music, chiefly because the music road is typically not owned by any one entity. Instead, you need a separate license to use each street on the music road.”

The new edition of the “Deskbook,” co-edited by Sandeen, also features updated chapters from earlier editions by two other Mitchell Hamline alumni: Kimberly Holst ’05 (HUSL) and Mike Gray ’86 (HUSL).

Mueller continues to compose. In addition to a piece premiered at her May 2016 Mitchell Hamline commencement, she has some film scores in the works. She also plays viola in the St. Paul Civic Symphony and the Boom Island String Quartet.

Rob Hubbard is a St. Paul-based freelance writer. He writes about music and the arts for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is the author of a history of the Minneapolis comedy theater Brave New Workshop.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Country Esquire

BY RETURNING HOME TO PRACTICE LAW, RECENT GRAD TRAVIS NEZ IS HELPING CLOSE A GAP FELT IN MANY RURAL COMMUNITIES

BY HEIDI RASCHKE

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n a map of Wisconsin, the town of Phillips is just a little dot up near the top. But that dot represents a big problem in our legal system, says Travis Nez ’19 (MHSL).

“The average age of attorneys here is at retirement or beyond retirement,” Nez says. “I worked in a general practice law firm up here as a summer associate for two years. That’s when I got a good feel for the situation. It opened up my eyes to some of the injustices happening because of the lack of attorneys.

“The whole rural community is underserved, and especially the tribal communities,” he says.

Nez knew he had to go back and help fill the need once he had his J.D. Not that it was a difficult choice for the 26-year-old, who loves fishing, hunting, and the pace of small-town life.

“I compared it to the quality of a big firm life. I could live up here, work less and still make more money than a law firm in Minneapolis or St. Paul. And with technology I can still do document review,” he says. Plus: “You’re not stuck in traffic jams. You just have to watch for deer.”

A desire to serve his community is what led Nez to pursue a law degree in the first place. While working on his associate degree at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC), Nez, who is a member of the Colorado River

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Indian Tribes, became interested in legal issues his tribal community was facing. Water rights, for example.

“Our reservation is south of Las Vegas. We have the largest water allotment in the West, higher than the state of Nevada.

Everyone is eyeing our water,” he says. “The closest law school to me was Mitchell Hamline, and it happens to be one of the law schools with a great Indian law program.”

Now that he’s done with school, Nez—who plans to take the Wisconsin bar exam in February— is eager to modernize the practice of law in his remote corner of the world. “Technology can help us serve the underserved legal market,” he says. Technology can also help those who want to earn a law degree without picking up and moving to the big city.

Mitchell Hamline’s partly online blended-learning option is designed precisely for those who want to earn their J.D. and then practice law where they live.

“Basically, if we don’t have enough attorneys to represent the people up here, our jails become a revolving door,” Nez says. “Every contact we can have with these people is another opportunity to get them headed in the right direction.”

Heidi Raschke is a Twin Cities writer.

A Pro at Pro Bono

ALUMNI NEWS

Trial lawyer Patrick Arenz works to ensure access to the courtroom for clients with limited means

BY HEIDI RASCHKE

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atrick Arenz ’06 (WMCL) jokes that he decided to become a trial lawyer when he realized in high school that he wouldn’t have a pro baseball career. As it happens, his sports-dream heartbreak turned out to be a lucky break for his clients because Arenz, a partner at Robins Kaplan, has dedicated his life to winning in another arena—by seeking justice for underdogs.

“I’ve always had a competitive streak in me and a will to win,” says Arenz, as he ticks off high-profile intellectual property trials that he’s had a hand in.

There’s the celebrity chef who sued to protect her name in a battle over vegan fast-casual restaurant chain By Chloe, and the small inventor who received a $13.5 million settlement from La-ZBoy after a successful verdict. He’s taken on Apple, Sony, and Disney.

But the work he finds most rewarding, he says, is the work he does for free.

“One of the core values of our firm is access to justice and access to the courtroom, and pro bono work has always been a core part of my practice,” says Arenz, who joined Robins Kaplan immediately after graduating from William Mitchell in 2006 and chaired his firm’s pro bono committee from 2015-18. “We recognize that the principle of access to justice requires lawyers to represent those who cannot afford representation.”

He’s handled pro bono asylum cases, orders of protection for survivors of domestic violence, and a dispute over where a child should live if the parents live in different countries.

“I enjoy that the work I’m doing requires the greatest attention and the greatest performance to achieve an excellent result no matter who the client is. In 2017, I tried a case that generated a lot of attention,” Arenz says. “It was a sex-tourism case that involved a U.S. citizen who traveled to Laos, where he raped a 14-year-old girl.” The defendant was never charged criminally, but after a multi-day trial in federal court in Minneapolis in which the defendant was found to have sexually assaulted the girl, she received an unprecedented civil judgment.

Buck Lewis, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service; Patrick Arenz; and Erin Law, chair of the ABA Pro Bono Publico Awards Subcommittee.

“We obtained a $950,000 jury verdict for her,” Arenz says, “and equally important, a finding that what he did was wrong and not acceptable in our community.”

Not long after that case made headlines, Arenz was one of five attorneys nationwide in 2018 to receive a prestigious ABA Pro Bono Publico Award for enhancing “the human dignity of others by delivering outstanding volunteer legal services to the poor and disadvantaged.”

“There are few professions that allow someone to really change another person’s life forever,” Arenz says.

“Being able to practice law is a privilege.

And it’s my view, and the view of our firm, that it’s not just a privilege but a responsibility to do pro bono work.”

Heidi Raschke is a Twin Cities writer.

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Mitchell Hamline helps engineers make lucrative change to patent law

BY ANN HARRINGTON

E

r ic Phillips gets the question all the time: Why would you give up a perfectly good career as an engineer to go to law school to be a patent attorney?

His answer: I was looking for something more. A few years ago, Phillips recalls, after a bad day at work, he ordered a patent-law textbook and read it cover to cover.

Soon he was taking a practice LSAT. By its very nature, Phillips says, patent law is always dealing with new products and processes. “It’s the same thing that attracted me to engineering,” he said. “You get to be the ultimate student. You’re meeting with inventors constantly, they’re teaching you their cutting-edge thing, and you’re helping them protect that and leverage it to build their business.”

“It’s the same thing that attracted me to engineering. You get to be the ultimate student.”

— Eric Phillips on patent law

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Now a 3L at Mitchell Hamline, Phillips is one of 87 “patent-eligible” students at the school who have the science and engineering backgrounds required to take the patent bar exam. Many, like Phillips, are taking advantage of the school’s part-time enrollment options so they can continue working while they earn their J.D. These students are likely to significantly improve their earning potential when they graduate. According to Professor R. Carl Moy, associate director of Mitchell Hamline’s Intellectual Property Institute, science and engineering grads in the Twin Cities market typically earn $70,000 their first year, but some new patent law attorneys can earn twice that.

Over a lifetime, the contrast is even more stark: While median engineering salaries level off around $100,000 a year, Moy said, the median for patent attorneys who become partners in their firms is $400,000, according to a recent survey by the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

Those kinds of numbers can get an engineer’s attention.

But Phillips still needed to make sure the numbers worked to pay for law school. A scholarship from Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, a Minneapolis-based patent-law firm, helped.

Schwegman is one of the largest of the couple dozen or so boutique firms in the Twin Cities specializing in patent law, many of which employ significant numbers of Mitchell Hamline students upon graduation. Many also hire current students to work as patent clerks.

Phillips left 3M earlier this year to clerk at Kinney & Lange in Minneapolis. He says his new job complements what he’s learning at school, with no loss in take-home pay.

Jim Baker ’03 (WMCL) also set up a scholarship to help patent-eligible students pay for law school. Baker, senior intellectual property counsel at 3M, started law school part time, in his early 40s, after earning a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and while working at a 3M spinoff. Like Phillips, he found patent law immediately compelling. “My wife noticed. I think she thought I was having an affair,” he jokes, “because I couldn’t stop talking about it.”

He figures law school has increased his lifetime earnings more than two times over what he would have earned as an engineer. The scholarship is a way to give back. “I’m grateful to the law school for giving me a second career,” Baker said.

Ann Harrington is a writer and editor in St. Paul.

Question of Balance A

BY SUZY FRISCH

ALUMS ARE WORKING TO HELP HORSE RACING THRIVE WHILE ADDRESSING EMERGING ISSUES OF SAFETY

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Horse racing, one of the country’s oldest sports, is seeing its practices—and, in some cases, its very existence—called into question after repeated catastrophic injuries at the nation’s racetracks. Nearly 500 thoroughbred racehorses died in the U.S. in 2018, including those euthanized after injury and those that died suddenly from a major system failure.

We checked in with four Mitchell Hamline alumni who are applying their legal prowess to various aspects of the horse racing industry. They strive to ensure a clean and equitable playing field as well as a safe working environment. They also share a love for the animals and an interest in balancing protection of their health and welfare with a desire to see the sport thrive.

Tom DiPasquale Tom DiPasquale ’81 (WMCL) parlayed a nearly 30-year career as a 3M attorney into his current role as executive director of the Minnesota Racing Commission.

Seem like a stretch?

It actually makes perfect sense. Take someone who delved into all manner of regulations, health and safety matters, and policy for a corporation and change the venue to cover many similar issues. Add an enthusiasm for horse racing, and it’s a great fit.

“I’m fortunate to be in a position where I can make a difference,” says DiPasquale, who was named executive director in 2013 and has announced he will retire in 2020. “I was looking for something that married my passion with my skillset. And the idea of public service made it a very attractive job for me.”

The work isn’t always easy. “There are big challenges in horse racing,” DiPasquale says.

“There are a lot of reforms being put in place that are important to maintain the trust of the public.

They don’t want to see horses break down on the racetrack. They don’t want to go to the track and feel that the racing wasn’t fair because trainers are doping horses. The sport is in the situation now where the big race days draw huge crowds and a lot of public attention, but the day-to-day grind of racing has a lot of challenges.”

At the commission and as a board member of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, DiPasquale dives into a host of regulatory and constitutional issues covering the licensing of 6,000 people in Minnesota’s $400 million horse racing industry. That can include background checks, drug screenings of humans and horses, investigations and appeals, instituting data 14

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practices policies, and legislative lobbying.

“We’re kind of like the Federal Reserve,” he adds.

“We have a dual mission to regulate the sport as well as to promote its growth in the state.”

Dr. Dionne Benson Dr. Dionne Benson ’00 (WMCL) unites her expertise in equine medicine and law in her position as chief veterinary officer for the Stronach Group, which owns five racetracks, including Santa Anita Park in California. Santa Anita has become a focal point in the national debate over horse racing because of the 36 horse fatalities there since December 2018.

Benson was a commercial litigator before she earned a veterinary medicine degree from the University of Minnesota. She was hired in 2019 to institute policies and protocols at Stronach’s tracks to better protect horses from the risks of racing, with the goal of influencing similar changes nationwide. She came to the position from the nonprofit Racing Medication and Testing Consortium in Kentucky, where she served as executive director and COO. When the Stronach position opened, Benson seized the opportunity to implement stricter medication regulations and reporting systems at a prominent racetrack company.

Among the changes: Horses that receive joint injections of corticosteroids now cannot race for 14 days, up from the previous rule of seven days.

The Stronach tracks also tightened training

regulations, requiring that horses planning to train at one of its tracks be signed up in the racing office 48 hours before their training date. That way, track veterinarians can review their health history, past injuries, and medication usage, and then conduct physical exams based upon each horse’s risk profile.

These rules aim to prevent horses that are in pain or lame from training or racing, which reduces the risk of serious injury and death, Benson says.

She says her legal background is extremely relevant to her work, helping her write sensible rules and regulations, understand the legislative process, and decipher laws implemented by each state, which vary widely. It also provides an understanding of the rights of horses and the people who work in the industry.

“I love animals. I wouldn’t have become a veterinarian if I didn’t,” Benson says. “We have to treat them as the stars of the show and do whatever we can to protect them. When issues become concerning, we think of a way to address them.”

Jim Lane Jim Lane ’67 (WMCL), chair of the Minnesota Racing Commission, brings significant industry experience, having represented major thoroughbred breeders and owners for 15 years or more.

Though he returned to private practice in 1991, focusing on business law, Lane has remained involved in equine law, the commission, and animal welfare organizations including the Animal Humane Society and the Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition, which he helped co-found.

A former polo player who grew up having horses, Lane always has found equine business and law intriguing. Regulating the industry is a challenge because each state makes its own rules, Lane says.

This creates a patchwork of laws that the Minnesota Racing Commission considers adopting to promote uniformity and best practices. Lane also relies on his legal training when it comes to commission hearings—a quasi-judicial process where licensed participants like horse owners and trainers appeal penalties for rules violations.

Lane says he is committed to the work because of his affinity for horses and his desire to improve horse racing. “I do think that those of us who have

industry knowledge and love for the animals, as well as professional experience, can be forces for good in terms of regulating the sport and making it better and more popular with the public at large,” he says.

Barbara Colombo Similarly, Barbara Colombo ’89 (WMCL), an assistant teaching professor and director of Mitchell Hamline’s health care compliance program, says her work in horse racing is rooted in her concern for animals.

She’s an avid equestrian who sits on the Minnesota Racing Commission and helped start the Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition. Colombo has worked on numerous efforts to protect horses, including a program to help find work for the animals after their racing careers are over.

It’s a major concern because horses are generally still young and healthy when their racing work ends, yet they need training to move into other jobs. “I feel strongly that we have an obligation to these animals,” says Colombo, who has helped develop pathways and training for them. “They participate in a beautiful sport with pageantry and intrigue, and they don’t know anything else other than to do their best. The quid pro quo is that we do our best for them.”

In her work with both the commission and the coalition, Colombo champions the enforcement of laws and regulations, ensuring that they are applied consistently and equitably, and seeks to hold local law enforcement accountable for prosecuting cases of animal cruelty and neglect. She takes full advantage of her legal training in regulatory matters, interpreting statutes, and advocacy.

“I think that a law degree gives you such a tremendous set of tools and assets that can be used for things you are passionate about,” Colombo says.

“I am passionate about animals and doing right by them. What I’m able to accomplish by having a law degree exponentially improves my ability to make a difference.” n Suzy Frisch is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities.

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ALUMS NAVIGATE THE FURIOUS PACE OF CHANGE IN IMMIGRATION LAW AND POLICY

F

rom the Mexican border to Minnesota jailhouses, from statewide community meetings to bursting court dockets, graduates of Mitchell Hamline are on the front lines of one of the country’s most controversial issues—immigration.

Perhaps nothing in modern politics elicits stronger emotional reactions than the question of who gets admitted to the United States, who has to leave, and the process by which those things happen. But even many who would disagree about the changes in immigration law and policy under President Trump would agree that the scale and pace of those changes has been significantly greater than under any other recent administration.

We talked with four alums who work in various areas of immigration law to see how the upheaval of the last few years has affected what they do.

BY TODD NELSON

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PORTRAITS BY BRADY WILLETTE AND JORDYN ROZENSKY

“I retired because I didn’t want to end up six feet under from the stress and the burnout.”

– Kristin Olmanson

Case load, stress prompt immigration judge to retire

K

ristin Olmanson ’88 (WMCL) loves retirement. But she’s still also “decompressing” after nearly 20 years as a judge in the U.S. Immigration Court’s Bloomington district, based at Fort Snelling.

Olmanson stepped down from the bench at the end of May after 30 years in the U.S. Department of Justice, which oversees immigration courts. That total includes 10 years as an attorney with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Olmanson began her duty as an immigration judge on July 4, 1999, and served four administrations—Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump.

“I would say there have been more changes under President Trump and his administration,” Olmanson said, speaking in her personal capacity and not on behalf of the Department of Justice or its Executive Office for Immigration Review, the overseer of immigration courts.

“There were more cases and less time,” Olmanson said.

“I retired because I didn’t want to end up six feet under from the stress and the burnout.”

Photograph by BRADY WILLETTE

Among the changes was then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ May 2018 decision ending the practice of administrative closure, under which immigration judges could temporarily remove cases from their dockets without deciding them.

That reportedly added 300,000 cases to judges’ dockets nationally. The backlog in the Bloomington district was close to 10,000 when Olmanson retired and may have risen to 14,000 by the fall, Olmanson said.

Then in October 2018, the Justice Department imposed quotas requiring immigration judges to complete 700 cases a year. “That didn’t stress me out as much to reach that because I knew I was retiring,” Olmanson said.

The increasing complexity and grim nature of some cases did wear on her.

“You hear a lot of sad stories, people who have had family members killed or themselves been injured or tortured,” Olmanson said. “That takes a toll on judges when you hear the worst of the worst of what’s happening to people.” n

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“It’s shocking how much danger people are in.”

– Taylor Levy

‘Incredibly heavy work’ south of the border

T

aylor Levy ’18 (MHSL), a private immigration attorney in El Paso, Texas, has done much of her work since April south of the border as a result of the government’s Migrant Protection Protocols. Also known as “Remain in Mexico,” the program sends asylum seekers back to Mexico to await their hearings.

For migrants applying at or near El Paso, that means getting sent to Ciudad Juarez, regarded as one of the world’s most violent cities. Some migrants have reported being sexually assaulted, kidnapped, and tortured there, Levy said.

Clients have difficulty making decisions about their cases when they are “so incredibly viscerally terrified” of what may happen to them in Mexico, said Levy, who is not immune to such concerns.

“I’m doing large amounts of work in Mexico now, which is never what I was doing before,” Levy said. “It’s incredibly heavy work, and it’s very different being afraid for my own personal security and safety in choosing to do that work in Juarez.”

Levy is a graduate of Mitchell Hamline’s partially online Hybrid J.D. program, which allowed her to study law without leaving El Paso, which does not have a law school.

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She moved to El Paso a decade ago to work at Annunciation House, a migrant shelter, and went to law school with the intent of working in immigration law. Her work has been featured in several national media outlets. In July, she quit working at Annunciation House to focus on Remain in Mexico.

Rather than taking on a big caseload, her role largely is training attorneys on Remain in Mexico cases and serving as a local contact for U.S. lawyers whose clients are trying to locate or negotiate for the release of relatives returned to Mexico.

Levy finds support in immigration attorney groups on social media, lawyers who help with last-minute needs, and occasional long weekends away.

While her work always has been difficult, since Remain in Mexico took effect “it’s just been really horrific,” Levy said. Asylum seekers, returned to the same place at the same time every day, may be kidnapped by the cartels less than an hour after their arrival, she said. “They’re sitting ducks.

It’s shocking how much danger people are in.” n

Photograph by JORDYN ROZENSKY

“This daily unleashing of intolerance and racism that people were sharing with us was pretty disturbing.”

– John Keller

Bringing immigration law experience to AG’s office

J

ohn Keller ’96 (HUSL), former executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM), joined Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office in February as chief deputy attorney general.

Trump’s actions represent “the biggest change and most dramatic punitive change in immigration law and policy in the 20 years I’ve been doing this, most likely in a generation or more,” Keller said.

ILCM previously focused on “doing positive work that gave people protection,” such as serving those who had qualified for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Keller said.

In response to administration policy changes, the organization stepped up fund-raising and worked to increase staff and pro bono capacity to do deportation defense. The number of community meetings ILCM conducted in churches, mosques, and libraries across the state increased dramatically in response to demands to help people understand their rights.

“Fear was very palpable,” Keller said. “This daily unleashing of intolerance and racism that people were sharing with us was pretty disturbing.

Photograph by BRADY WILLETTE

“That was hard and exhausting work, but I was very glad and very grateful that we had grown and strengthened ourselves and our system to be in a position to respond as strongly as we did.”

In his current job, Keller focuses on running the law firm of the Attorney General’s office: managing, training, and working with state government partners as well as attorneys and legal assistants on Ellison’s staff.

He also uses his two decades of experience to advise Ellison on immigration law. And he works with other state attorneys general offices to coordinate challenges to federal policies including, most recently, the “public charge” rule that would deny permanent residency to low-income immigrants.

“We have been part of a state attorney general community that has been litigating some of these major immigration changes,” Keller said. “The issues don’t seem to be slowing down.” n

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“I’ve realized that secondary trauma is real and is something that we as practitioners are learning to manage.”

– Mirella Ceja-Orozco

A personal calling, and dealing with burnout

A

s administration policies on immigration changed, Mirella Ceja-Orozco ’12 (HUSL) left private immigration practice to join the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) as a staff attorney.

The choice was personal for Ceja-Orozco, who describes herself as coming from a “multi-status” household.

Her father is from Mexico and is now a citizen but had been deported before becoming a permanent resident and then getting naturalized. Her mother is a third-generation Swedish-American whose family entered through Ellis Island.

Other family members have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status, hold green cards, or are in the country illegally, she said. Some relatives hold “U visas” as victims of crime while in the United States. One is here on asylum.

“Growing up with that experience, that’s why I felt that this was my calling,” Ceja-Orozco, an ILCM intern during law school, said of returning to ILCM. At ILCM, Ceja-Orozco saw a growing number of Cubans— detained while crossing the southern border—being held in the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River. She printed out maps to help some who didn’t know where they were or where Minnesota is located.

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As a member of ILCM’s community defense team, CejaOrozco primarily represented clients facing deportation who often were ineligible for bond and would remain in custody throughout the proceeding.

The stakes and the anxiety are high in these “detained removals” because those clients—if deported—potentially face going into “a life-and-death situation abroad,” Ceja-Orozco said.

Burnout is becoming widely discussed among immigration attorneys generally and at ILCM, and continuing legal education programs on the subject are being offered.

“I’ve realized that secondary trauma is real and is something that we as practitioners are learning to manage,” said Ceja-Orozco.

Secondary trauma was part of Ceja-Orozco’s recent decision to leave ILCM and return to private practice as an immigration attorney, where she has more control of her caseload and the types of cases she handles. She still works on detained removals but at a slower pace and as part of a greater mix of cases. Detained removal cases “consume you as an individual,” Ceja-Orozco said. “It made it so that you’re in a job that’s very constantly negative. It played a role in my health.” n

Photograph by BRADY WILLETTE

FACULTY NEWS

Professors in the

edia

Mitchell Hamline faculty are often interviewed for their legal expertise on the news of the day.

Here’s a sampling of recent media coverage featuring our faculty: “It was surprising, and I think that it is important to note that they were very clear that they were not making [a] new law.”

THADDEUS POPE on a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling saying physicians can be sued for malpractice even in situations without a traditional doctor-patient relationship, 5/27/19, Star Tribune

"If there are 500 numbers waiting to be called, that's about 5,000 people.

So it's a crazy backlog and the people at the end of the list potentially could be waiting months before it's their turn to present.”

ANA POTTRATZ ACOSTA on the immigration situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, where she volunteered to assist asylum seekers, 1/01/19, MPR News

“I don’t think there’s necessarily more [conflict] now, but I think we are paying more attention to it. It would be great if everyone could really focus on being proactive before things blow up.”

SHARON PRESS on the League of Minnesota Cities providing a full-time facilitator to help city councils avoid conflict, 6/12/19, Star Tribune

“Tens of millions of American workers have inadequate retirement savings.

If gig economy workers experience an extended illness or serious injury, then it can have a catastrophic impact on their lives.”

DAVID LARSON on how the gig economy is changing the nature of work, 8/27/19, WalletHub

“White Earth is really just reiterating very old traditional legal principles and putting them in a modern code. I think we’re at the start of the recognition of these types of rights.”

ANGELIQUE EAGLEWOMAN on the White Earth Band of Ojibwe passing a tribal law granting wild rice its own enforceable legal rights, 2/9/19, Star Tribune

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AROUND MITCHELL HAMLINE

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, left, and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Anne McKeig ’92 (HUSL) help celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day along with student Daryl Alkire and Visiting Professor Angelique EagleWoman, October 2019

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks with students about the criminal justice system, April 2019

The Minnesota Supreme Court hears a case on campus, November 2019. Presenting his argument at left is Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Jon Schmidt ’03 (WMCL).

The Dispute Resolution Institute hosts a symposium titled “Eviction, Poverty and Other Collateral Consequences,” October 2019

Jacqueline Perez ’19 (MHSL) celebrates with others at a gathering prior to graduation hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, May 2019 22

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Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Sam Hanson, left, with student Muteeat Lawal and her son Kaden at the Scholarship Dinner, March 2019

Professors, left to right, Tony Winer, Mike Steenson, and Raleigh Levine discuss the landmark First Amendment case Near v.

Minnesota and how it applies to current issues of free speech, April 2019

Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich ’55 (SPCL), left, chats with student Cara DiMare at the Tea for Women in Law, April 2019

Child advocate Patty Wetterling delivers the keynote address at a daylong symposium exploring residency restrictions for sex offenders, February 2019 MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

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FACULTY NEWS

Prof. Sandeen furthers research as Fulbright scholar in Finland Professor Sharon Sandeen is spending the fall semester in Finland as the Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics, a position sponsored by the Fulbright Finland Commission. Sandeen is one of approximately 40 recipients awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Chair for 2019-20.

The host institution is the Hanken School of Economics, Department of Accounting and Commercial Law, in Helsinki.

“Being a Fulbright scholar is a great honor and a rewarding experience,” Sandeen says. “It is allowing me to learn more about the implementation of the EU Trade Secret Directive and to further my research concerning the emerging practice of information governance.”

Sandeen’s Fulbright-funded research is focusing on how companies in the United States and the European Union manage the information they create and receive.

Sandeen, the Robins Kaplan Distinguished Professor in Intellectual Property Law and director of the Intellectual Property Institute at Mitchell Hamline, has recently expanded her research to explore the ways that businesses create, collect, manage, and discard information of all types, an area of law and practice known as information law and governance.

In August, West Publishing released a new textbook co-authored by Sandeen and Elon Law Associate Professor David S. Levine on the topic. “Information Law, Governance,

and Cybersecurity” explores how businesses handle the information they collect and create on a daily basis, including issues related to intellectual property protection, privacy, data breaches, and government transparency.

In addition to her research, Sandeen says living in Finland has also given her a chance to learn more about the history of the country, its diplomatic ties with the U.S., and her own family tree—her maternal grandparents were born there.

Prof. Levine named to Kelley Chair in Tort Law Professor Raleigh Levine has been awarded the James E. Kelley Chair in Tort Law, a professorship created by James E. and Margaret H. Kelley in 1966. James Kelley graduated from Mitchell Hamline predecessor school St. Paul College of Law in 1917. After a successful trial practice, he went on to become general counsel of Hamm’s Brewing Company. He also served on the school’s faculty and board of trustees. Kelley died in 1989.

Levine, whose academic interests focus on the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and press, said she’s “truly honored” to be named as the Kelley Chair.

“I always look forward to teaching torts to Mitchell Hamline’s first-year students,” she said. “I am excited to continue my exploration of the intersection between tort law and First Amendment law.”

Before she attended law school, Levine was a news editor and producer for CNN Headline News. After graduating with honors from Stanford Law School and clerking for the Ninth Circuit, she spent the first years of her legal career as a litigator specializing in speech and press issues, serving as an attorney for the Southern California ACLU and other public interest-oriented law firms.

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FACULTY NEWS

Mitchell Hamline welcomes five new faculty members Mitchell Hamline added five new members to its faculty this academic year. Thomas Cobb, Daniel Pi, and Jennifer Randolph Reise ’07 (HUSL) began teaching this fall. Kimberly Slay Holmes and Nathan Kavlie will start at the beginning of the spring semester.

Before coming to Mitchell Hamline to serve as director of Lawyering, Thomas Cobb was a senior law lecturer at the University of Washington School of Law. Cobb’s current research includes legal rhetoric, statutory interpretation, immigration law, and evidence.

Visiting Assistant Professor Daniel Pi was visiting assistant professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law

Thomas Cobb

School since 2017. Pi’s research focuses on the intersection between law, economics, and philosophy.

Visiting Professor Jen Randolph Reise practiced securities law at Briggs and Morgan before joining Regis Corporation in 2014 as counsel and assistant corporate secretary. She recently founded a startup called JD Navigator to help lawyers, law students, and prospective law students make career decisions. She was elected to the Hamline Law alumni board in 2009 and was president of the board when the combination with William Mitchell was announced in 2015. She served as co-president of the Mitchell Hamline

Kimberly Slay Holmes

Nathan Kavlie

alumni board until 2016. She recently rejoined the Corporate and Business Law section at Briggs and Morgan.

Visiting Professor Nathan Kavlie is an attorney with Minneapolis law firm Notesong & Nathan and is cofounder and manager of Thoughtful Wills, which concentrates on estate planning.

Visiting Professor Kimberly Slay Holmes was general counsel and deputy chief of staff for Governor Mark Dayton from 2015 to 2019. Holmes spent 15 years as general counsel and owner of Holmes Law Firm and also taught at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from 1991-98.

Jennifer Randolph Reise

Daniel Pi

Prof. Woolman named to new chair honoring former Justice Meyer An endowed chair has been established at Mitchell Hamline that aims to position the school as a leader in advancing the protection of children in the courts and through public policy reform.

The Justice Helen M. Meyer Chair in Child Protection will support teaching, research, and the development of best practices that yield the most benefits for children at risk because of abuse, neglect, or other adverse circumstances.

The new chair has been awarded to Professor Joanna Woolman, director of the Institute to Transform Child Protection. In addition to direct legal representation in cases where families are at risk, the institute has worked on legislative and policy initiatives in Minnesota to improve the child welfare system.

The chair was created by Meyer ’83 (WMCL) and William Bieber in honor of Meyer’s public service, commitment, and passion for ensuring the best outcomes for children who end up in the courts. During her 10 years on the Minnesota Supreme Court, she served as chair of the Minnesota Judicial Council’s Workgroup on Legal Representation of Parents in Child Protection Cases and as the Court’s liaison to the Photographs by TIM POST

Judicial Branch’s Children’s Justice Initiative (CJI). She and Bieber created the Child Protection Clinic at the law school in 2010, aimed at preserving families when it is safe to do so and igniting in students a passion for working in the field.

Helen Meyer

Prof. Joanna Woolman

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STUDENT NEWS

Four new graduates honored with merit awards Four Mitchell Hamline students who graduated in 2019 received the Student Award of Merit during a ceremony in May for their academic accomplishments and their commitment to stay engaged with Mitchell Hamline after graduation.

During his time at Mitchell Hamline, Scotty DuCharme served as secretary of the Student Bar Association and advocated on behalf of clients in the Child Protection Clinic.

Julie Le was an active member of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association and helped plan Mitchell Hamline events highlighting the contributions of Asian Americans to the legal field. Le served as a mentor to students while attending Mitchell Hamline and hopes to continue that role as an alum.

Caroline Moos served as Student Bar Association president and was editor in chief of the Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice. Moos took part in the National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court competition, worked as a certified student attorney in the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office’s child protection division, and was a summer associate at Robins Kaplan.

Maddie (Madhulika) Vishwanathan came to the United States with a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences and was a regular contributor to a well-known patent blog by

From left, Scotty DuCharme, Julie Le, Caroline Moos, and Maddie (Madhulika) Vishwanathan.

the time she started at Mitchell Hamline. Vishwanathan distinguished herself as a scholar and member of both the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association and the Student Intellectual Property Law Association.

ENROLLMENT Fall 2019 Incoming Class: 361

students

1,300 applications 143 of the 1Ls are enrolled in the full-time J.D. program 218 are enrolled in part-time J.D. program 51% come from outside Minnesota 20% are students of color or indigenous students 57% are women

18 students are receiving veterans educational benefits Total Enrollment: 1,194

486 full time

students

708 part time 50 states and District of Columbia represented 37 foreign countries represented 26

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CAMPUS NEWS

Announcement of new president and dean expected early in 2020 Mitchell Hamline School of Law is planning to announce its new president and dean shortly after the first of the year.

In November, a search committee appointed by the board of trustees selected candidates for fly-in interviews near the Twin Cities airport. After those interviews, four finalists were chosen and scheduled for on-campus interviews in December. The committee plans to make a recommendation to the board in late December, with the announcement of the new leader in January.

The committee has been working since the spring and has hosted listening sessions with students, faculty members, administrators, staff, alumni, adjunct faculty, and board members about what they’d like to see in the next leader. The committee is being assisted by WittKieffer, an Oak Brook, Illinois-based executive search firm with a particular focus on higher education.

Mitchell Hamline’s next president and dean is expected to start on July 1, 2020.

Mark Gordon, who served as the combined school’s first president and dean from 2015-19, is on a sabbatical until July 2020, at which time he plans to return to Mitchell Hamline as a tenured professor of law.

Professor Peter Knapp has been serving as Mitchell Hamline’s interim president and dean. He has said he will not be a candidate in the dean search.

For the latest developments in the search, along with more information about the process, go to mitchellhamline.edu.

Board of trustees adds five members The board of trustees of Mitchell Hamline School of Law added five members as of July 1.

Two board members, former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric J. Magnuson ’76 (WMCL) and former Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Helen M. Meyer ’83 (WMCL), completed their service and stepped down from the board.

Board membership now stands at 33.

The new members are:

Judge Reynaldo A. Aligada ’02 (WMCL) 2nd Judicial District of Minnesota

John Choi ’95 (HUSL) Ramsey County Attorney

Gloria Contreras Edin ’05 (HUSL) Contreras & Metelska

Jim Jacobson Senior vice president and general counsel, Medica

David Ransom ’91 (WMCL) Partner, McDermott Will & Emery

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CAMPUS NEWS

New blended-learning enrollment option launches next fall Mitchell Hamline is extending its position as the leader in online/ on-campus legal education with the launch next fall of a single blendedlearning enrollment option.

The new offering consolidates elements of the Hybrid program, which was the first online/on-campus J.D. program at an ABA-approved law school when it debuted in 2015, as well as the Executive and Weekend programs, which were built on the Hybrid model and started in 2017.

Blended learning will allow students to customize their legal educations in terms of format, content, and pace, and all graduates will be eligible to sit for the bar exam in all 50 states.

In the first four semesters, students will come to campus twice each semester and spend the rest of their time studying online, on a schedule that’s convenient for them. In semesters 5-8, students will have access to a range of courses in a variety of formats, including on-campus and fully online in addition to blended on-campus/ online. Beginning in semester 5, students who want to specialize in an academic discipline—such as dispute resolution or health law or Indian law— can begin taking courses toward a certificate in that area.

Blended learning is a part-time offering that is designed to be finished in four years but can be finished sooner, in part because of expanded summer course offerings.

“Blended learning offers students an experiential legal education that allows them to tailor their J.D. to fit their interests and personal circumstances,” said Professor Gregory Duhl, faculty director for blended learning.

In addition to the new blendedlearning option, Mitchell Hamline will continue enrolling students in three on-campus J.D. tracks: full time, parttime evening, and part-time day.

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New in-house effort aims to improve cultural competence

Dean of Students Lynn LeMoine, left, and Sharon Van Leer, manager for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, lead a campuswide meeting on cultural competence in September.

After engaging an outside consultant on diversity and inclusion in 2018-19, Mitchell Hamline took the process inside for this school year, focusing on staff and faculty development and training opportunities.

About 35 faculty, staff, and administrators began meeting over the summer as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee.

The committee includes the head of every major department, or that person’s designee. In a process led by the YMCA, each participant took the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to assess his or her intercultural competence, and then created a plan with individual goals for growth. As part of the process, committee members participated in trainings about intercultural leadership, unconscious bias, cultural differences, and other topics.

An all-campus event was organized in September to introduce the work to a wider audience and to encourage a second wave of faculty and staff to take

part. That second cohort is scheduled to go through the IDI training this fall, with another in the spring and a fourth in the summer.

The expectation is that as many faculty and staff as possible go through the training, with the ultimate goal of promoting diversity, creating a welcoming school climate, and fostering collaboration across the school.

“I believe this work is about empowering people,” said Sharon Van Leer, manager for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and leader of the new internal effort.

“We want to make this institution more effective by capitalizing on all of our strengths. The work is about understanding values and using our differences to make us stronger. It will lead us toward building and supporting a common goal and vision.”

Richard McLemore spoke to law students at Mitchell Hamline about serving time in prison for murder before turning his life around. The school’s Reentry Clinic helps people transition from prison back into society.

REENTRY CLINIC EXPANDS WITH HELP OF GRANT A $145,000 grant from the Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundations is helping expand the work of Mitchell Hamline’s Reentry Clinic.

The clinic, directed by Jon Geffen ’97 (WMCL), helps people transition from prison back into society by offering legal representation and connections to other resources and services such as community education.

The clinic also gives Mitchell Hamline students realworld legal experience. Under the supervision of faculty and experienced attorneys, students assist the clinic’s clients with a host of legal matters, including family law, criminal record expungement, and civil rights lawsuits. Students interview clients, draft pleadings, and appear in court with their clients.

“More than 8,000 people are released from prison in Minnesota every year, and thousands more are released from local facilities,” said Peter Knapp, Mitchell Hamline’s interim president and dean. “But being out of lockup doesn’t mean you’re not locked out. Formerly incarcerated individuals face great barriers, many of them legal. This grant enables us to

Photograph by JERRY HOLT, STAR TRIBUNE via Getty Images

expand the clinic’s representation and support as our clients navigate legal and other challenges that people face as they return home.”

The Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundations also awarded a nearly $40,000 grant to fund SEEN, a project to collect portraits, audio, written works, and video of people in prison.

Eric J. Jolly, president and CEO of the Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundations, said both projects are aligned with the foundation’s key strategies: advocating for equity and investing in community-led solutions.

“The Mitchell Hamline Law School Reentry Clinic and the SEEN project are both working to make reentry less difficult and more equitable, and to humanize justice-impacted people, by tackling barriers and sharing narratives about what it means to be incarcerated. We are honored to support the innovative work of both organizations,” Jolly said.

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CAMPUS NEWS

HLI to launch Food Law Center in 2020 In recognition of the growing connections between law and issues of food production and consumption, Mitchell Hamline will add a Food Law Center as part of its Health Law Institute early next year.

“Nothing speaks to health more than the food we consume,” said Barb Colombo ’89 (WMCL), assistant teaching professor and director of HLI’s health care compliance program. Food is connected to chronic disease, illness outbreaks, package labeling, and myriad other issues involving health and health law, she said.

“Not only is food interesting from a legal and policy perspective,” said David Graham ’87 (HUSL), senior counsel at Dykema Gossett and the driving force behind the creation of the Food Law Center, “but we live in a food production region providing many resources on which to draw for academic study and opportunities for employment for lawyers.”

Establishment of the center formally integrates into HLI an academic focus that began in 2016 with the creation of the Food Law Council, conceived as a way to promote the study of law and regulation related to food production and consumption.

Prof. Sonsteng leads Center for Law and Business

New name incorporates institute’s child-protection focus In an effort to better align with its mission, the Institute for Children, Families, and Communities at Mitchell Hamline renamed itself this past spring as the Institute to Transform Child Protection.

“While we remain committed to supporting families and communities, of course, the new name reflects the reality that it is through our work with children and the child protection system that strong families and communities are made possible,” said Professor Joanna Woolman, executive director of the institute.

Through a focus on innovative policy, substantive research, training, and community engagement, the institute works to create a more effective nationwide child protection system that preserves families, prevents trauma, and builds resilience within communities.

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As the new director of Mitchell Hamline’s Center for Law and Business, Prof. John Sonsteng wants to go beyond teaching students business law to preparing them to be business lawyers and successful business professionals.

“Mitchell Hamline can be a national leader in teaching students the business of doing business,” Sonsteng said. “In the ever-changing world of legal practice, it’s critical that students understand the needs of business clients.”

Through courses in business law, business principles, and ethical problem-solving, the center gives students in the school’s full- and parttime programs an opportunity to supplement their J.D. degrees with a certificate in law and business. Areas explored include international business negotiation and intellectual property—giving students the knowledge, skills, and experience they need to succeed as business leaders, lawyers, and managers. Students also receive practical experience through clinics and externships and engage with the business and legal communities through mentoring and networking.

Sonsteng continues to teach classes in advocacy at Mitchell Hamline and leads the school’s Expert Witness Training Academy as well as a study-abroad program in London that teaches International Comparative Law. Sonsteng began teaching in 1979 at William Mitchell College of Law. Before his teaching career, he served as Dakota County Attorney for nearly a decade. He started his career as assistant county attorney in Hennepin County after earning a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Minnesota.

CLASS NOTES

1971

1980

DAVID T. MAGNUSON (WMCL) was named a 2019 Distinguished Alumni at Stillwater Area High School.

TIM P. GROSHENS (WMCL) retired after 34 years as executive director of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

1972 STEPHEN B. BONNER (WMCL) was elected to the board of directors at Talent Plus.

1975 JEFFREY R. ANDERSON (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for group work with the law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates.

1976 JOHN E. TROJACK (WMCL) was named a 2019 Leading with Faith honoree from The Catholic Spirit newspaper.

BRIAN L. WEBER (HUSL) retired after 41 years of practicing law in Dodge County, Minn., with the firm Weber, Leth & Woessner.

1978 PETER W. GORMAN (HUSL) retired from the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office after a 43-year career.

MARK S. RUBIN (HUSL) was sworn in for a third term as county attorney in St. Louis County, Minn.

1979 KATHLEEN A. GAYLORD (WMCL) was elected for her fifth term as Dakota County (Minn.) commissioner.

GARY J. PAGLIACCETTI (HUSL) retired after almost 30 years on Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District bench.

STEPHEN L. HOPKINS (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation and was named a 2020 Best Lawyers Honoree.

LOUIS H. SCHIFF (HUSL) was featured in the online newspaper MinnPost for a class he developed at Mitchell Hamline called Law and the Business of Baseball.

PAUL J. SCHOENECKER (HUSL) was elected to the Grey Cloud Island Township (Minn.) Council.

SUE B. STINGLEY (HUSL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year for Outstanding Service to the Profession by Minnesota Lawyer.

1981 JEROME B. ABRAMS (WMCL) received the Trial Judge of the Year Award from the American Board of Trial Advocates.

TOM DIPASQUALE (WMCL) has announced he will step down as executive director of the Minnesota Racing Commission in February 2020.

GARY R. MATZ (WMCL) retired from Time Warner Cable as senior vice president of government relations in Washington, D.C. He currently serves as a docent at the United States Supreme Court giving lectures and tours.

MARK A. MUNGER (WMCL) retired after 20 years on Minnesota’s 6th Judicial District bench. He was the longest serving judge in Duluth, Minn.

KATHLEEN FLYNN PETERSON (WMCL) joined Ciresi Conlin as partner.

PETER M. ROSENE (WMCL) was elected shareholder at the Minneapolis office of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren.

1982 KENNETH J. ABDO (WMCL) was included in the 2019 Top Music Lawyers by Billboard magazine.

DAVID E. SCHAUER (WMCL) is now working full time as the Sibley County (Minn.) Attorney.

MARCIA E. URBAN (HUSL) joined the Minneapolis office of Cresset as partner and managing director, wealth strategist for the Midwest region.

1983 JEFFREY W. COOK (HUSL) is senior member (law) and senior treasurer/director of rowing for Hughes Hall at Cambridge University, England.

HELEN M. MEYER (WMCL) was awarded the Mitchell Hamline Outstanding Alumni Award for her deep commitment and significant service to the school. She was also named a 2018 Minnesota Icon by the Twin Cities newspaper Finance & Commerce.

LAWRENCE M. ROCHEFORD (HUSL) earned a recertification in civil trial law with the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a partner with Jardine, Logan & O’Brien.

BRIAN P. THYSELL (WMCL) joined the Community Foundation of Teton Valley in Driggs, Idaho, as a program manager.

JEAN C. WAGENIUS (WMCL) was reelected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, District 63B. She has announced she will not seek reelection in 2020.

1984 CHARLES W. BATES (WMCL) was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for career longevity and excellence.

PAUL W. GODFREY (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

JOSEPH LEONI (WMCL) was awarded the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

He works at the Trenti Law Firm in Virginia, Minn.

1986 DIANNE P. LATHAM (WMCL) was sworn in as the Minnesota state regent for the Daughters of the American Revolution.

CLARK D. OPDAHL (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

INTA M. SELLARS (WMCL) retired after 29 years from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

JANET S. STELLPFLUG (HUSL) was appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court to serve on the State Board of Legal Certification.

1987 JAMES P. CAREY (WMCL) was honored as a WCCO Radio and Popp Communication Good Neighbor award winner for his work raising money to support active military members and their families. He is managing partner of SiebenCarey and serves on the board of directors at the Minnesota Military Family Foundation. He also received a 2019 Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers designation.

MARYJO A. JENSEN-CARTER (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for group work with the law firm Buckley & Jensen.

WMCL: William Mitchell College of Law HUSL: Hamline University School of Law MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

31

CLASS NOTES

DAVID N. KRAGSETH (WMCL) was elected to the American Law Institute.

KATHRYN D. MESSERICH (WMCL) received the Trial Judge of the Year Award from the American Board of Trial Advocates.

KEVIN P. STAUNTON (WMCL) was elected to the city council in Edina, Minn.

1988 SUSAN M. HOLDEN (WMCL) received both a 2019 Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers designation and a Top 50 Women Super Lawyers designation.

ARTHUR C. KOSIERADZKI (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

ROBERT T. KUGLER (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for group work with the law firm Stinson.

KURT R. MATTSON (WMCL) was featured in Attorney at Law Magazine.

BROOKS C. SMITH (HUSL) was named a 2018 CFO of the Year

by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. He is CFO and general counsel at Innovative Office Solutions.

STEPHEN J. T’KACH (WMCL) retired as director of St. Croix County’s Emergency Support Services in Hudson, Wis.

1989 KATHRYN M. KEENA (HUSL) was named chief deputy county attorney by the Dakota County (Minn.) Attorney’s Office. She is the first woman to hold this position.

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MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

1990 DAVID M. JANN (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

1991 NANCY E. ANDERSON (WMCL) was named senior vice president and head of Wealth Strategy and Trust Services at Calamos Wealth Management in Naperville, Ill. ROBERT T. BRABBIT (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

MICHAEL J. BROSE (WMCL) was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers of Wisconsin to his Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.

1992 DEAN R. BORGH (WMCL) was named vice president of strategic accounts at Black Creek Capital Markets, the distribution group of real estate investment firm Black Creek Group. The company is based in Denver, Colo.

PAUL K. DOWNES (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers designation.

ANNE K. MCKEIG (HUSL) was awarded the Mitchell Hamline Distinguished Alumni Award for her professional accomplishments, high ethical standards, and lasting contributions to the legal field.

1994 MICHELLE A. DIETRICH (HUSL) was re-elected to serve as chief judge of Minnesota’s Fifth Judicial District by her fellow judges.

JONATHAN D. HOLLISTER (WMCL) joined GVM Law in Napa, Calif.

BRENT R. JOHNSON (WMCL) was elected to a two-year term on Lommen Abdo’s board of directors and also serves on the finance committee.

YVONNE M. FLAHERTY (WMCL) received both a 2019 Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers designation and a Top 50 Women Super Lawyers designation.

ANNE G. MCCULLOUGH (WMCL) was named head of sales at Vendor Surf.

CONNIE A. LAHN (WMCL) was elected to the American College of Bankruptcy. She is the managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s Minneapolis office.

CINDY P. MOY (HUSL) and her tech startup, Vorsdatter Limited, were chosen to present at Pitch@Palace, a platform founded by the Duke of York to amplify and accelerate the work of entrepreneurs. Vorsdatter developed mySysters, a mobile app for women to manage perimenopause symptoms.

1995

MATTHEW R. MALLIE (HUSL) was appointed to Minnesota’s 9th Judicial District Court bench.

TERESA NELSON (HUSL) was named a 2018 Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for group work. She is legal director of the ACLU of Minnesota.

MITCHELL R. ORNSTEIN (WMCL) was named managing director of the Chicago office of Stanton Chase.

KARI S. BERMAN (HUSL) joined the Minneapolis office of Cozen O’Connor.

SUZANNE BLANKENSHIP (HUSL) was named a board certified condominium and planned development lawyer by the Florida Bar. ANDRIEL M. DEES (WMCL) was featured in Rolling Out for her focus on excellence through diversity in higher education.

She is the civil rights and Title IX compliance officer for Minnesota State College and Universities’ 37 two- and four-year institutions.

HEIDI M. DREWESSILTON (WMCL) received both a 2019 Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers designation and a Top 50 Women Super Lawyers designation.

ROBERT J. LIGHTFOOT (HUSL) was named in the 2020 Best Lawyers in America.

1996 HEATHER J. CUSICK (WMCL) was named a 2019 Bush Fellow by the Bush Foundation.

MICHAEL D. REISBIG (HUSL) joined Baylor Evnen as a member of the firm’s Workers’ Compensation practice group.

MICHAEL F. SCULLY (HUSL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

MARKUS C. YIRA (WMCL) received the 2018 Member of the Year Award from the Minnesota Association for Justice.

1997 PATRICIA A. AANES (HUSL) was appointed to Minnesota’s 9th Judicial District Court bench.

SUZANNE M. BROWN (HUSL) was appointed to Minnesota’s 10th Judicial District Court bench.

CLASS NOTES

LISA A. CRUM (WMCL) joined the Minneapolis office of Faegre Baker Daniels.

MICHELE J. THURNBLOM (WMCL) rejoined the Minneapolis office of Dorsey & Whitney as partner.

1998 BETH BARBOSA (WMCL) is now a named partner at Gilbert Alden Barbosa.

ERIC W. BEYER (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

BRIAN P. HODGKISS (HUSL) started a personalinjury law firm, Brian Hodgkiss Injury Lawyers, in Appleton, Wis. LINDA K. HOPKINS (WMCL) was elected director of the Minneapolis branch of Constitution in the Community, an initiative of the American Constitutional Society.

JOHN P. LESCH (HUSL) was reelected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, District 66B.

GARY L. HANSEN (WMCL) was reelected to the city council in Eagan, Minn.

JOSHUA C. HILLGER (WMCL) joined the Minneapolis office of Messerli Kramer.

KATHLEEN M. LOUCKS (WMCL) was certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a civil trial law specialist.

She is a litigator at Lommen Abdo.

STEVE M. SITEK (HUSL) was certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a civil trial law specialist. He is a shareholder at Bassford Remele.

ROB A. STEFONOWICZ (HUSL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

2000 WENDY BADGER (WMCL) was awarded the James K. Erickson Continuous Service Award at the ACA International’s Annual National Awards Ceremony.

DIONNE M. BENSON (WMCL) was appointed chief veterinary officer for the Stronach Group.

KELLY O. MOLLER (HUSL) was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, District 42A.

JOSHUA A. HASKO (WMCL) was elected president of the Minneapolis office of Messerli Kramer.

JEFFREY M. MONTPETIT (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for work as part of a team. He also received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation. He is a shareholder at SiebenCarey.

CORY P. WHALEN (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

1999 SEAN P. DUFFY (WMCL) retired from the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented Wisconsin’s 7th District. He will serve as senior counsel and head of the Financial Services Practice Group at BGR.

KAFI C. LINVILLE (WMCL) was named a shareholder of Arthur, Chapman, Kettering, Smetak, & Pikala.

2001

CHRISTOPHER A. CARLISLE (HUSL) was elected to the board of directors at Gray Plant Mooty.

PATRICK H. GOGGINS (WMCL) was appointed to Minnesota’s 1st Judicial District Court bench.

DAVID W. LAW (WMCL) was named the 2019-20 Superintendent of the Year by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. He has been superintendent of the AnokaHennepin School District since 2014.

ANDREW R. PETERSON (WMCL) was appointed to Minnesota’s 6th Judicial District Court bench.

JEFFREY S. SIEBEN (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers designation.

LISA T. SPENCER (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers designation and a Top 50 Women Super Lawyers designation. She was also named 2020 Lawyer of the Year for Family Law in the Minneapolis area by Best Lawyers.

BRYANT D. TCHIDA (HUSL) joined Moss & Barnett. He will work on the firm’s litigation, financial services, and business law teams.

J. M. TECSON (WMCL) was elected shareholder at Hogan Marren Babbo & Rose.

2002 KIRK D. ADAMS (WMCL) was promoted to northern market president of Deerwood Bank.

REYNALDO A. ALIGADA (WMCL) was appointed to Minnesota’s 2nd Judicial District Court bench. He was also appointed to serve on Mitchell Hamline's board of trustees.

JASON E. ENGKJER (WMCL) was elected to a two-year term on the board of directors at Lommen Abdo.

MARCIA K. MILLER (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

DAMIEN A. RIEHL (WMCL) joined Fastcase as managing director of the legal research platform.

GERI C. SJOQUIST (HUSL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

LAURENCE J. STRATTON (WMCL) was appointed to Minnesota’s 8th Judicial District Court bench.

KATE G. WESTAD (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

2003 GENHI G. BAILEY (WMCL) joined Perkins Coie as chief diversity and inclusion officer.

STEPHANIE A. HAEDT (HUSL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

CAMERON R. KELLY (WMCL) is now a shareholder at Lommen Abdo.

ALLISON L. O’TOOLE (WMCL) joined Second Harvest Heartland as president and chief executive officer.

SCOTT PRYOR (HUSL) wrote and directed a film called “Blackbear.”

ROBERT T. SCOTT (WMCL) is now a shareholder at Flaherty & Hood.

MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

33

CLASS NOTES

2004 CREIG L. ANDREASEN (WMCL) joined the Minneapolis office of Lommen Abdo.

DORA A. VILLARREALMILLER (HUSL) was named interim Rock Island County (Ill.) state’s attorney.

2006

LORI L. BRAUCKS (WMCL) was elected to the city council in Hastings, Minn.

MEGAN I. BRENNAN (HUSL) joined the Minneapolis office of Littler Mendelson.

MICHAEL G. FINNEGAN (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for group work with the law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates.

LAURA J. BUSIAN (WMCL) joined Leuthner & Huether.

NICOLE L. JOHNSON (WMCL) was elected partner at Morrison & Foerster. She was also recognized as a Law360 Rising Star.

RENEE N. COURTNEY (HUSL) was promoted to city attorney in St. Cloud, Minn.

BARBARA M. KRISTIANSSON (WMCL) joined the Minneapolis office of Messerli Kramer.

MICHAEL M. MILLER (WMCL) became a named partner at Sieben Edmunds Miller.

JONATHAN D. OLSON (WMCL) was named chief financial officer of Alexandria Industries.

MELISSA M. SATERBAK (WMCL) was appointed to Minnesota’s 10th Judicial District Court bench.

MICHELE L. THEISSATTERLUND (HUSL) was recognized by Virginia Lawyers Weekly in its inaugural class of “Influential Women of Law.”

2005 JULIE L. PADILLA (WMCL) joined Twin Metals Minnesota as chief regulatory officer.

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MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

SHANNON C. CAREY (WMCL) received a 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers designation.

KRISTIN L. GARLAND (WMCL) was appointed as an associate city judge in Auburn, New York. She is the first female judge in the history of the city.

ALEXANDER J. KIM (WMCL) joined the Minneapolis office of Greenberg Traurig as shareholder.

RUTH A. RICHARDSON (WMCL) was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, District 52B. ANDREA N. DERBY WORKMAN (WMCL) was elected shareholder at Henschel Moberg.

ORION M. WRIGHT (WMCL) joined the Fort Myers (Fla.) office of Banker Lopez Gassler.

2007 JOY R. ANDERSON (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for group work with the law firm Gray Plant Mooty.

MEREDITH A. ARMSTRONG (WMCL) was promoted to vice president of the Minnesota Trucking Association.

NJ AYUK (WMCL) was featured in Forbes for running one of Africa’s most successful law conglomerates, Centurion Law Group.

RACHEL M. DAHL (HUSL) was named partner at Hellmuth & Johnson.

PETER J. DIESSNER (WMCL) was named president of KrausAnderson Realty & Development.

SAMUEL J. EDMUNDS (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

MICHELLE M. JUNGERS (WMCL) was included in the “20 under 40” series in the WaterlooCedar Falls (Iowa) Courier for her legal aid work.

JODEE K. MCCALLUM (WMCL) was named vice president of human resources and equity at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn.

SARAH J. MCELLISTREM (WMCL) was elected president of the Ramsey County Bar Association.

JEN RANDOLPH REISE (HUSL) has rejoined the Corporate and Business Law section at Briggs and Morgan. She also started this fall as a visiting professor at Mitchell Hamline.

2008 AMBER L. DONLEY (WMCL) joined Melchert Hubert Sjodin as an associate.

MARTHA J. ENGEL (WMCL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney

by Minnesota Lawyer.

BRETT M. LARSON (WMCL) became chair of the Minneapolis division of Messerli Kramer.

JOHN S. NYS (WMCL) joined Fryberger, Buchanan, Smith & Frederick.

JOSHUA E. SCHAUB (WMCL) was appointed commissioner of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

AARON G. THOMAS (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for group work with the law firm Briggs and Morgan.

LETTY M. VAN ERT (WMCL) was named shareholder at Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O’Connell.

ANGELINE E. WINTON (WMCL) was appointed to the Washburn County (Wis.) Circuit Court bench.

2009 MICHAEL A. CAVALLARO (HUSL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.

CHRISTINE E. HINRICHS (WMCL) was elected shareholder at Bassford Remele.

ROBIN R. TUTT (WMCL) joined Fox Rothschild as partner.

JEFFREY A. WIELAND (WMCL) joined Moss & Barnett.

ADINE S. MOMOH (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year

by Minnesota Lawyer.

CLASS NOTES

LUCAS R. NESSE (WMCL) was named president and chief executive officer of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans.

CHRISTOPHER D. PHAM (WMCL) was named one of the Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leaders

by Diversity MBA. He was also elected shareholder at Fredrikson & Byron. The law firm recognized him as the 2019 Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year.

JOCYLYN M. POEHLER (HUSL) was honored by the Minnesota State Bar Association with the Bernard P. Becker Award for Emerging Leader for her legal work with low-income clients.

TAMRA J. ROBERTS (WMCL) was appointed to Iowa’s 7th Judicial District Court bench.

AMIE E. PENNY SAYLER (WMCL) was elected shareholder at Bassford Remele.

2010 JENNELL C. BILEK (WMCL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney

by Minnesota Lawyer.

ANDREW DOSDALL (WMCL) joined Briggs and Morgan.

BRADEN M. KATTERHEINRICH (WMCL) was made partner at Faegre Baker Daniels.

JENNIFER LAUERMANN (HUSL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.

LAUREN E. NUFFORT (WMCL) was elected shareholder at Lommen Abdo.

COURTNEY R. SEBO SAVICA (WMCL) joined Wendland Utz. KODI J. VERHALEN (WMCL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney

by Minnesota Lawyer.

JEREMY E. WARRING (WMCL) joined the Minneapolis office of Messerli Kramer.

2011

2012

JAMIE BECKER-FINN (WMCL) was reelected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, District 42B.

MATTI R. ADAM (WMCL) was elected Itasca County (Minn.)

Attorney.

CASEY F. BERNDT (HUSL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

NIKOLA L. DATZOV (HUSL) was elected shareholder at the Minneapolis office of Fredrikson & Byron.

PATRICIA E. DAVIS (WMCL) was promoted to shareholder at Kendricks, Bordeau, Keefe, Seavoy & Larsen.

ANJALECK M. FLOWERS (HUSL) was promoted to deputy general counsel for Minneapolis Public Schools.

JULIE L. GUSTAFSON (WMCL) was elected to city council in Dayton, Minn.

JESSICA L. KLANDER (WMCL) was elected shareholder at Bassford Remele.

KARA M. LYNUM (WMCL) joined the Senate Judiciary Committee as immigration counsel working for Senator Dianne Feinstein. She was also awarded the 2019 Paul Marino People’s Lawyer Award by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

WILLIAM B. MAGUIRE (HUSL) joined Churchwell White in Sacramento, Calif.

ANDREW D. MORAN (WMCL) was promoted to shareholder at Larkin Hoffman.

TIMOTHY A. RYE (HUSL) was promoted to shareholder at Larkin Hoffman.

JOHN D. SCHROEDER (WMCL) was named the Young Grower of the Year by the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association.

BELMA DEMIROVIC CHINCHOY (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Top 25 Immigration Attorneys in the U.S. by the EB5 Investors.

LACY E. SCHUMACHER (HUSL) is now an assistant county attorney in Chisago County (Minn.).

CHANTAL M. TRINKA (HUSL) joined Holmes Weddle & Barcott.

2014 KAITLIN J. EISLER (WMCL) joined Nilan Johnson Lewis.

JOSEPH H. DUNHAM (WMCL) was elected shareholder at Briggs and Morgan.

GRIFFIN R. LEITCH (WMCL) was made partner at Anderson Larson Saunders Klaassen & Dahlager.

MICHAEL J. HERRING (WMCL) was elected to the school board in Robbinsdale, Minn.

JENNIFER E. OLSON (HUSL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.

BHUPESH A. PATTNI (WMCL) joined Trenti Law Firm.

LUCIA G. MASSOPUST ROBB (WMCL) opened Thr3 Jack, a restaurant that also features golf simulators, in Minneapolis.

ALICIA K. TYZNIK (WMCL) is now a law clerk for Judge Geoffrey Tenney in Minnesota’s 10th Judicial District.

2013 TRAVIS J. ADAMS (WMCL) joined Melchert Hubert Sjodin.

LUCAS V. GREDER (WMCL) was inducted into the Maple Grove High Activities Hall of Fame.

ERICA A. HOLZER (WMCL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney

by Minnesota Lawyer.

ALLYSON J. PETERSEN (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer for group work with the law firm Nilan Johnson Lewis.

JOSEPH M. SANOW (HUSL) was appointed Nobles County (Minn.)

Attorney.

JAMES T. PETERMEIER (WMCL) was named a policy and advocacy associate with World Without Genocide for the 2018-19 academic year.

PETER J. RADEMACHER (WMCL) was named one of the 2018 Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

2015 ELIZABETH M. MESKE (WMCL) was named a policy and advocacy associate with World Without Genocide for the 2018-19 academic year.

ALLISON M. PLUNKETT (WMCL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.

NATHAN J. THOMPSON (WMCL) joined Moss & Barnett.

TOU XIONG (WMCL) was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, District 53A.

MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

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CLASS NOTES

2016 DAVID J. DOBMEYER (MHSL) was elected to the board of directors of the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis.

KELLY J. FERMOYLE (MHSL) rejoined Faegre Baker Daniels’ IP Group.

MATTHEW R. HARTRANFT (MHSL) joined Lommen Abdo.

DILLON J. MCBRADY (MHSL) was named president of the University of Minnesota Morris Alumni Association board of directors.

COREY R. UCHTMAN (MHSL) was named chief executive officer of MISSION.

RASHANDA C. BRUCE (MHSL) joined Fox Rothschild as an associate.

CATHERINE M. LAGRANGE (MHSL) was named an Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.

ALLYSON O. KERR (MHSL) joined Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O’Connell as an associate.

NATHANIEL J. AJOURI (MHSL) joined Maslon’s litigation group.

PAUL FLING (MHSL) joined Fox Rothschild as an associate.

JEREMY D. KRAHN (MHSL) joined Maslon’s litigation group.

2017 SARAH L. ERICKSON (MHSL) was awarded one of the Benjamin B. Ferencz Fellowships in Human Rights and Law from World Without Genocide.

2019

2018

JENNA KROHN (MHSL) joined Hughes White Colbo Wilcox & Tervooren.

TAYLOR K. LEVY (MHSL) was awarded the Mitchell Hamline Recent Alumni Award for her contributions to Mitchell Hamline and the community as a whole.

CODY M. BAUER (MHSL) joined the HKM law firm as an associate in the civil litigation group

LUKAS S. BOEHNING (MHSL) joined the Minneapolis office of Fredrikson & Byron.

MAX W. SCHRAMM (MHSL) joined Maslon’s corporate & securities group.

Submit and read Class Notes online at mitchellhamline.edu/alumni

Several honored with diversity and inclusion awards Several members of the Mitchell Hamline community were honored this fall with Diversity and Inclusion Awards from Minnesota Lawyer magazine. The third-annual awards were handed out in October to groups and individuals the magazine says have “made a significant impact with respect to diversity and inclusion on the greater community or within their organizations.”

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS WENT TO:

• Amran Farah ’13 (HUSL), Greene Espel • Prof. Mark Gordon, former president and dean of Mitchell Hamline • Judge JaPaul Harris ’03 (HUSL), Second Judicial District • Irene Kao ’11 (HUSL), League of Minnesota Cities • Inti Martínez-Alemán ’16 (MHSL), Ceiba Forte Law Firm • Aarik Robertson ’15 (WMCL), Consilio • Jorge Saavedra ’97 (HUSL), Office of the Ramsey County Attorney RECEIVING LEGACY AWARDS WERE:

• Judge LaJune Thomas Lange, former adjunct professor, International Leadership Institute • Cornell Moore, former member William Mitchell board of trustees, Dorsey & Whitney For more information about the honorees and their work, go to: minnlawyer.com/2019/10/10/diversity-inclusion-2019

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Photograph by BRADY WILLETTE

MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

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IN MEMORIAM

Willis Forman, business and community leader Willis “Bill” Forman ’59 (WMCL), who died on March 19, 2019, at the age of 93, will be remembered as a business and community leader.

He was a graduate of St. Paul Central High School and the University of Minnesota.

He attended law school after serving as an AAF navigator during World War II. After law school, he spent 40 years at Paper, Calmenson. He served as treasurer, president, and CEO, and he retired in 1999.

Forman served as a member of the William Mitchell board of trustees from 1977-92, including a stint as chairman. He co-chaired the campaign steering committee that raised $6.8 million to build the Warren E. Burger Library.

He also served as treasurer and trustee of the Saint Paul Foundation, president of the Paper Foundations, and as a member of many other boards and associations.

Paul Baillon ’85 (WMCL) said of Forman after his passing: “Bill was a great example of someone who made the most of their William Mitchell education and used it to achieve success in all facets of his life. Indeed, Bill’s generous donation of his time, treasure, and talent is part of the foundation upon which the school rests today.”

Forman is survived by children Deborah and James and grandchildren Benjamin and Amelia. He was preceded in death by his wife, Roxanne, and daughter, Carolyn.

1952

1955

ROBERT C. KUCERA (SPCL), 93, died Jan. 30, 2019. Survived by children Debbie (Marc) Vincent, Maureen (Michael) KuceraWalsh, and Chad (Kristi) Kucera; grandchildren Jennifer, Ashley, Tyler, and Sophie; and many nieces and nephews.

LEROY M. RICE (MMCL), 96, died Feb. 26, 2019. Survived by sons Thomas (Carol), Timothy (Nan), Jonathan (Nancy); grandchildren Zeke (Alex) Rice, Nicole (Adam) Rice, Jason (Tarsha) Rice, Eric (Kailey) Rice, and Sarah (Scott) Morgan; greatgrandchildren Zoe, Olivia, Axel, Brynn, Everett, and Beckett.

LOUIS M. OHLY (MMCL), 95, died Aug. 6, 2019. Survived by children Ann Marie Ohly, Catherine T. (Tuck) Nichols, Margaret E. (Warren) Aldridge, Louis M. (Judy) Ohly Jr., Paul M. (Gail) Ohly, Patricia K. Ohly, Jean L. Herbert, Steve J. Ohly, Barbara C. (Tod) Vantrease, John D. (Cindy) Ohly, James C. (Kim) Ohly, Robert T. (Heather) Ohly, and Mary A. Anderson; 33 grandchildren; and 27 great-grandchildren.

1954 RAYMOND L. LEMMONS (SPCL), 91, died May 10, 2019. Survived by children Chad (Mary), Paul, Susan (Pat) Fugina, Kevin, Bruce (Anna), Stephen, and Patricia (Marc) Bowe.

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1959 BRUCE A. POULSEN (WMCL), 90, died May 13, 2019.

ANDREW J. “ANDY” WAMBACH (WMCL), 88, died Jan. 25, 2019.

Survived by children Brent (Gayle) Gish, Barry (Shar) Gish, Marilyn (Marv) Thelen, Theresa (Tony) Wambach-Fox, Jacqueline Holstrom, Nicole Brenny, and Beth (Bruce) Slette; Tom Holstrom; 13 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and many extended family members.

NICKOLAS E. WESTMAN (WMCL), 87, died July 6, 2019.

Survived by his wife, Sharon (Evenson); siblings Connie, Nola, and Owen; children Dean (Bonnie), Nichole Lewis, Kelly (Dyan), and Marit (Tim) Zosel; 10 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

1960 CHARLES F. “CHARLIE” GEGEN (WMCL), 85, died July 4, 2019.

Survived by his wife, Susan (Peterson, Bates); children Chuck Gegen, Patty Gegen, Barb (James) Rohde, Theresa Gegen (Doug Dow), Joe Gegen, Jessica (Kevin) Fischer, and Josh (Indi) Bates; grandchildren Jake, Caleb, Timmy, Charlie, Izzy, LilyAnn, and Baby Boy Bates; sister Kathleen (Michael) Connelly; sisters-in-law Janean and Carol Gegen; many nieces and nephews.

WILTON E. “BILL” GERVAIS (WMCL), 91, died Nov. 29, 2018. Survived by children Celeste and Thomas; grandson Justin Gervais Milo; sister Marjorie Schultz; brother Neil; and many nieces and nephews.

1961 THOMAS J. HARTIGAN (WMCL), 92, died Oct. 31, 2018. Survived by children Janet (Pete) Weidman and Patrick (Louma); and grandchildren Chris, Joe, Laura, and Nyla.

RUSSELL J. JENSEN (WMCL), 88, died Sept. 20, 2019. Survived

by Julia Eszlinger Jensen; sisters-in-law Jean Jensen, Shirley Eszlinger, and Mary Eszlinger; children Laurie, Jamie, Charles (Kitty), Kathleen, Betsy (Kevin Creamer), Kelly (Tory), and Lisa (Larry Fasching); 11 grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren.

THOMAS M. MURPHY (WMCL), 84, died June 11, 2019.

Survived by children Timothy (Joy), Patrick (Laurie), Gregory (Jennifer), and Kathleen Sesker (Scott); grandchildren Thomas (Lorne), Joseph, Megan, Vivian, William, and Jordan; greatgrandson Matthew; as well as many nieces and nephews.

IN MEMORIAM

William Posten, pioneering district court judge Judge William Posten ’59 (WMCL), who died Dec. 4, 2018, at the age of 87, was one of Minnesota’s first black state district court judges. Those who worked with Posten say he’ll be remembered for the respect he showed in the courtroom and his calm demeanor—even in challenging situations. He’s survived by his wife of 43 years, Polly; children Scott, Elaine, and Melissa; 13 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Elizabeth; daughter Karen and son David; and his parents and stepfather.

Born in East Moline, Illinois, Posten served in the U.S. Army, then earned his J.D. by attending night classes while working at Greyhound bus lines.

He worked for the Social Security Administration Office before joining the criminal division of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in 1961. He served as a prosecuting attorney and eventually managed the entire department. In 1973, he was elevated to the Hennepin County District Court bench. Judge Posten was the third African-American to serve the state as a district court judge and spent 23 years on the bench.

Mark Cosimini ’78 (WMCL), a retired Hennepin County public defender and the judge’s law clerk in the early 1980s, told the Star Tribune that Posten treated everyone in his courtroom with respect. “All litigants were heard, even if maybe he should have cut them off,” Cosimini said. “He gave them their day in court.”

1962 SIDNEY M. SCHWARTZFIELD (WMCL), 93, died May 19, 2019.

Survived by his wife, Lorraine Robell Sherman; her children, Cynthia (Allan Schuster), Norman (Mitzi Dunau), and David (Carey Wexler Sherman); sister Esther Miller; nephew Michael Miller; nieces Louise (Jerry) Ribnick and Theresa Miller and their children; eight grandchildren; and one greatgrandson.

1968 HARRY J. COULT (WMCL), 91, died Jan. 22, 2019.

Survived by his wife, Dolores; sons Benjamin (Ann), Anthony (Cindy), and Nicholas (Sarah); and grandchildren Catherine, Natasha, Gillian, Andrew, and Harris.

JAMES W. “JIM” HOOLIHAN (WMCL), 76, died June 27, 2019. Survived by his wife, Brenda; her son, Alex (Kristin) Younger; children Linda (Paul Oberlander), Mark (Pamela Galbraith), and Paul; grandchildren Reed, Rachel, and Barbara; siblings Dan (Rosemary), Cathy (Jerry) Koering, Bob, Patty (Chris), Jane (David) Dooher, Bill (Melissa), and Matt (Rose); and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

1969 JOHN W. CAREY (WMCL), 81, died Dec. 11, 2018.

Survived by his wife, Janet; children Donovan (Connie), Ryan (Tami), and Shannon (Collin); and grandchildren.

GARY A. DAVIS (WMCL), 77, died March 22, 2019. Survived by his wife, Marilyn (Schwartz) Davis; children Gary (Julie) Davis, Shannon (Daniel) Pezolt, Thomas (Marie) Davis, and Julie (Michael) Piehl; grandchildren Nicholas, Zachary, Madison, Andrew, Matthew, Vincent, Donalson, Alexander, and Olivia; brother John (Jack) Davis; and nephews and niece John, Michael, Denton, and Katherine.

CAROLD J. “JIM” JOHNSON (WMCL), 75, died Dec. 13, 2018.

Survived by children Anne Johnson and Jim Jr. (Barbara); grandchildren Nicholas, Michael, and Samuel; mother Geneva; siblings Connie, Nancee (Norm), Mark (Sue), and Martha (Jeff); sister-in-law Mary Ann; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

THOMAS P. O’MEARA (WMCL), 88, died April 2, 2019. Survived by his wife, Mary Ann; children Tom (Leslie), Jane (David), John, Tricia (Jon), and Gerry (Efonda); sister Rosemary (Michael) Jordan; grandchildren Kerri, Tommy, Cassi, Michael, Taylor, Willi, Oliver, Elli, Kesha, Sterling, and Phoenix; sister-in-law Joan O’Meara; brothers-in-law Michael Gillen and Doug (Jane) Gillen; and many nieces and nephews.

1970 MARTIN N. KELLOGG (WMCL), 88, died March 21, 2019. Survived by his wife, Esther; children Joe (Joanne), Doug (Needhi), Bill (Jennifer), and Jeannine; grandchildren Sarah, Ian, Ben, Erik, Sam, Elias and Kiran; and sister Christine.

SPCL: St. Paul College of Law MMCL: Minneapolis-Minnesota College of Law WMCL: William Mitchell College of Law HUSL: Hamline University School of Law MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

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IN MEMORIAM

1972

1975

GLENN FROBERG (WMCL), 92, died April 8, 2019.

Survived by his wife, Virginia; children Debra (Gary Christensen), Jacki (Ron) Troxel, and Bill (Nan); six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

BRUCE D. PECK (WMCL), 75, died Nov. 14, 2018.

Survived by daughter Robyn (Lian) Tan; grandchildren Andrew and Alayna; brothers Roger (Jamie Hubbard) and Ronald (Julie); nieces and nephews Donald, Lisa, David, Regina, and Nora.

EARL D. REILAND (WMCL), 75, died July 27, 2019.

Survived by his wife, Sandra; children Don (Lori), Wendy (Matt) Baudhuin, Paul (Tracy), and Jessica; grandchildren Samantha, Alex, Kobe, Cohen, Nicholas (Jenn), Hunter, and Henley; and brother David.

1973 WILLIAM B. BARTE (WMCL), 85, died Jan. 8, 2019.

Survived by children Gerald Barte, Diane Weinhold, Joyce (Tom) Sedgeman, Karen Bjorkman (Duane Kelling), and Paul Barte; 10 grandchildren; 13 greatgrandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and other family.

DARYL L. ZIMMER (WMCL), 76, died April 8, 2019. Survived by his wife, Bonnie Chelstrom Zimmer; siblings Valeria Doroff, Dennis (Karen), and Joan; and numerous nieces and nephews.

1977 THOMAS B. AABY (WMCL), 68, died Sept. 20, 2019.

Survived by sister Theresa Aaby; son Mike Aaby; grandchildren Anthony, Alexia, Alyssa, and Ashley; and aunts and uncles.

TERENCE P. “TERRY” DURKIN (HUSL), 67, died April 16, 2019.

Survived by his wife, Marian; daughters Maggie (Kevin) and Annie (Brad); grandchildren Grace, Sean, and Ryan; siblings Charlotte, Ginny (Al), Bill (Katie), Maureen (Jack), David (Trish), Martha (John), Ellen (Jim), and Angela (Rich); and other family.

JOHN M. GIBLIN (WMCL), 68, died Jan. 30, 2019.

Survived by his wife, Randee; daughters Meredith and Paige; sons-in-law Paul Willis and Nolan O’Neill; grandchildren Parker, Spencer, Fiona, Landyn, and Sawyer John; brothers-inlaw Michael and Stuart Held; and brother Jim (Cindy) Giblin.

1978 PAMELA M. MAGADANCE (WMCL), 73, died Sept. 8, 2019.

Survived by her cousin, Sheila (Lewis) Haroldson.

1979 VIVIAN U. LEITH (HUSL), 84, died Dec. 25, 2018.

Survived by her husband, Stewart Skinner Hudnut; her children and their spouses, Jeffrey and Jodi Upin, David and Marissa Upin, Nan Upin and Ed Murphy; her grandchildren, Elliot, Aaron, Heather, and Emily Upin; her stepsons, Alec, Andrew, Parker Hudnut, and their families; and her brother, Gerald Schwartz, and his wife, Heather Reisman.

1980 SHARON R. WATSON (WMCL), 67, died Aug. 26, 2019. Survived by son Robb Watson; sisters Marie Watson Ballard, Barb (Allen) Watson Nicholson, Dawn (Kenneth) Watson Splittstoesser; and brothers Mark (Joanne) Watson, Stan (Laurie) Watson, and Andrew (Judy) Watson.

Paul Fogelberg, educator and patient advocate Paul Fogelberg ’78 (HUSL) pivoted from a successful career in professional education for attorneys to advocating for those with pulmonary fibrosis, using his own diagnosis as an opportunity to fight for a cure and support others with the disease. Fogelberg died June 26, 2019, at the age of 68.

Fogelberg was born in St. Paul and attended Highland Park Senior High and the University of Minnesota. He demonstrated a passion and talent for advocacy early, demonstrating against the war in Vietnam and working to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 in Minnesota. After graduating from Hamline Law, he founded The Professional Education Group (P. E.G.), offering high-quality continuing legal education. He served as president of P. E.G. for 32 years.

Following his diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2004, Fogelberg became passionate about advocating for others with the disease. Recognizing the need for additional funding and political will to find a cure, he joined with others to form Pulmonary Fibrosis Advocates (PFA) in 2011. Since PFA began lobbying, funding for research has increased by nearly $200 million and federally funded research grants have doubled.

Fogelberg is survived by his wife, Melissa; daughters Emily, Julia, and Sara; and five grandchildren.

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IN MEMORIAM

Barb Kallusky, Mitchell Hamline library director Barb Kallusky ‘78 (WMCL), a beloved member of the Mitchell Hamline community, passed away May 31, 2019, at the age of 70.

Kallusky, who was Mitchell Hamline’s library director at the time of her death, is remembered by friends and colleagues as helpful, cheerful, hardworking, and professional. She is survived by her parents, James and Virginia Johnson; children Elizabeth Deschu and Brett Kallusky; granddaughter Elsa Kallusky; and brothers and sisters Cathy, Randy, John, Jamie, and Brian.

Kallusky was particularly dedicated to helping countless law students with their research or other library needs as well as caring for their well-being. Kallusky supported many popular initiatives in the library, including 24-hour library access and coffee and snacks during finals, as well as the school’s wellness activities. She worked in various law libraries over the last 25 years, including at Mitchell Hamline predecessor school Hamline Law. In 2014, she was named an “Unsung Hero” by Minnesota Lawyer magazine.

Kallusky told the publication that providing service to students and faculty was what she enjoyed most about her work. “I like helping people and I like making sure people get connected with the information they need so that everybody goes away happy,” she said.

1999 ROBERT E. COOMBS (WMCL), 70, died Feb. 20, 2019. Survived by his wife, Sheila Ann (Johnson); son Robert Vernon (Elizabeth Mueller); daughter Shana E; brother John J. (Cynthia) Coombs; brother Richard A. Coombs; three grandchildren; three nieces and one nephew; and nine grand nieces and nephews.

MICHAEL J. MAHONEY (WMCL), 50, died August 22, 2019. Survived by his wife, Julie; children Cora Rose and Rowan Francis; parents William and Patricia Mahoney; siblings Keith (Mara), Michelle (Mark) Johnston, Paul, Erin (Joel) Ross; many aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

2005 LEAH K. WEAVER (WMCL), 45, died November 2018. Survived by mother Ann (Liisa) Jalonen Weaver; sister Laura Teachworth; daughters Maisie and Ella Weaver Dieter; uncles Bob and Emil Jalonen; cousins Saara Hipp, David Jalonen, and Robert Jalonen.

2019 1984

1985

1987

TIMOTHY J. GUTH (HUSL), 61, died Sept. 27, 2019. Survived by parents Orville and Patt Guth; sister Catherine (Jeff) Guth Gray; brother Eric (Sue) Guth; nephew Jordan (Yanire) Guth; and nieces Sophia (Tristan) Beyer, McKenzie (Austin) Bowman, and Alexis Gray; and many other loving relatives.

LUTHER C. THOMPSON (WMCL), 74, died Oct. 2, 2018. Survived by daughters Courtney (Chad) Anderson and Christine; former son-in-law Matt Johnson; grandchildren Daniel, Sella, John, and Paul; dear friend and companion Sandy Rolstad; Sandy's mother, Bernice; brother Randy; sister Karen (Patrick) Callahan; nieces Anna and Amy; uncle Oliver Torkelson; aunts Valborg Torkelson, Marie Braaten, and Louise Becker; former wife, Joan Davis; sisterin-law Rebecca Thompson; and many cherished cousins.

SUSAN J. SMOLEY ALQUIST (WMCL), 66, died March 30, 2019.

Survived by son Aaron and sister Pat (Roger) Wischnewski.

CHARLES S. MASSIE (WMCL), 62, died March 15, 2019. Survived by son Charles Ryan Massie; daughter Lauren Massie; and their mother, Diana; Francie and her mother, Nancy; mother Mary Attwood Massie Crosson; siblings Pam Massie, David (Michele) Massie, and Mary Kay (Doug) Welsh; nephews Woody and Charlie; nieces Brittany and Becca; many cousins and their children.

1986

JOHN S. “MAC” MACARTHUR (WMCL), 58, died April 22, 2019.

Survived by sons Hayden, Chet, and Henry.

1993

MARIA ANN PITT (MHSL), 47, died November 12, 2019.

Survived by her husband, David; daughters Emmelia and Theodora; parents Wallace and Rose Malkiewicz; in-laws Roger and Valerie Pitt, Kim and Michael Male; nephews Andrew and Matthew Male; and uncles, aunts, and cousins.

TAMMI A. FREDRICKSON (WMCL), 53, died June 3, 2019.

Survived by her husband, Tom; children Kate and Mike; sister Wendy (Rob) Hayes; and mother-in-law Dee Dee. DANIEL W. HOMSTAD (HUSL), 51, died May 28, 2019. Survived by his wife, Heidi Larson; children Sean and Jordan Homstad; mother Candice Homstad; father Daniel F. (Shari) Homstad; sister-in-law Elizabeth Woods; mother-in-law Nancy Larson Will; and other relatives.

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IN MEMORIAM

Joyce Traynor, longtime registrar at Hamline Law Joyce Traynor was a longtime staff member at Hamline University School of Law, and she will be remembered for her committed service.

She died on April 24, 2019, at the age of 75.

Traynor joined the staff at Hamline Law in 1990, serving as administrative assistant to Dean George Latimer. She also served under former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Sheran during his tenure as interim dean from 19931994. Following her service as administrative assistant to the dean, she served as registrar from 1995 until her retirement in 2006.

As registrar, Traynor had a practice of keeping M&Ms on hand for students, and over time she collected various dispensers for the candy in her office. When she sustained an injury that required the use of a cane, Dean Edwin Butterfoss provided her with a plastic cane filled with M&Ms. That cane is now part of the Mitchell Hamline archives.

A scholarship was established in Traynor’s honor following her retirement. The Joyce Traynor Endowed Fund provides annual support for services and other essential learning aids and assistive technology utilized by students with disabilities and/or to provide annual scholarships to one or more students with disabilities. Traynor also made a gift of her own to Mitchell Hamline by including the law school in her estate.

Traynor is survived by her brother, Tim, nephew Emmett, niece Andrea, a great nephew and niece, a step-brother, and several cousins.

Ken Port, Mitchell Hamline professor Professor Ken Port, who died Sept. 27, 2019, at age 58, is remembered by colleagues as a vigorous scholar and dedicated teacher in the world of intellectual property—with a particular passion for Japan. He loved traveling with his family, teaching abroad, writing articles and books, spending time at his cabin in Wisconsin, and cooking for friends and family.

Port joined Mitchell Hamline predecessor school William Mitchell in 2001 as a visiting professor, was named a professor in 2002, and spent the rest of his career at the law school. He founded the Intellectual Property Institute and served as its director until 2016. He was an associate director of the institute at the time of his death.

Port wrote 10 books and authored dozens of law review articles focusing on domestic, comparative, and international intellectual property law. His work was consistently some of the most downloaded legal research on the online research community SSRN. He had a lifelong fascination with Japan and Japanese history and culture. Port received two Fulbright Research Grants to study Japanese trademark law at Tokyo University and served on ABA committees and international panels addressing the topic. He was not only fluent in Japanese but also read, wrote, and made presentations in the language. Port lived in Japan several times over the years with his wife and daughters. He also served as president and a board member of the Japan America Society of Minnesota.

Port is survived by his wife, Paula; daughters Emily and Elissa; parents Robert and Jean Port; and siblings Kathy, Mary Jean, Mike, Terri ’06 (WMCL), Nancy, and Brenda.

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IN MEMORIAM

Alphian Metoxen, 4L student Alphian Metoxen, a fourth-year student who studied Indian law at Mitchell Hamline and was planning to work for a tribe after graduation, died unexpectedly on Oct. 27, 2019, at age 46.

A member of the Oneida tribe of Wisconsin, Metoxen worked as a tribal police officer for 19 years before law school. At Mitchell Hamline, he was active in the Native American Law Student Association, participated in the NNALSA Moot Court, and was in the Indian Law Clinic for several semesters. He interned with the Federal Defender's Office and also worked at the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.

Metoxen is remembered as a treasured friend, classmate, and colleague. He loved going to movies, watching the Packers, reading comic books, golfing, and spending time with his son, Kaden. A memorial gathering was held for him on campus, and the school will award his degree posthumously at January’s commencement. The Minnesota American Indian Bar Association has also named a scholarship in Metoxen's honor.

Metoxen is survived by his son, Kaden; siblings Dale (Tammy), Lynn, Kenneth, Laurie “Lobie,” Lyle (Laurie), and Mitchel (Glenda). He is also survived by Kaden’s mother, Rochel Smith, and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

Steven Rau, U.S. magistrate judge Magistrate Judge Steven E. Rau ’83 (WMCL) will be remembered for his remarkable intellectual curiosity, his commitment to justice, and his generous service to others. He died Nov. 8, 2019, at age 63.

Following law school, Rau clerked for Chief Justice Douglas Amdahl on the Minnesota Supreme Court. He practiced law for 28 years before his appointment in 2011 as magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Rau was a partner at both Flynn, Gaskins & Bennett (now Gaskins Bennett & Birrell) and Lindquist and Vennum (now Ballard Spahr) during his years in practice.

During his tenure on the bench, he played a critical role in establishing the Pro Se Project—a partnership between the federal court and the Federal Bar Association which provides unrepresented parties free access to representation. He also helped create the Federal Transportation Program, which assisted children with travel to visit their mothers who were incarcerated in out-of-state prisons.

Rau made great contributions to the Mitchell Hamline community. He was a founding member of the Warren Burger Inn of Court in 1990 and served as an adjunct professor in Legal Writing for several years. In 2016, he was honored by the Mitchell Hamline Law Review with the Marcy S. Wallace

Award for Excellence in Leadership. He served on the school’s board of trustees from 2016-2018.

“Steve Rau was a proud alum of William Mitchell, and we are so proud of him,” said former President and Dean Eric Janus. “His career—and his life—exemplified our values. Smart and engaged, he brought energy to all of his efforts. He showed up. Steve was a constant at bar and community gatherings. His efforts pushed projects that made access to legal services more real. We all mourn his early departure from this earth but celebrate and are grateful for his outsized contributions to our school and to the cause of justice.”

Rau is survived by his wife, Christine Meuers, and their children, Victoria, Alex, and Edward. His family has established the Hon. Steven E. Rau Scholarship Fund, creating an annual scholarship that will support Mitchell Hamline students.

Contributions can be made online by noting the gift is in memory of Judge Rau. If you have questions, please email Allison Burke at allison.burke@mitchellhamline.edu or call 651-695-7608.

MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW

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Upholding the promise of Gideon as a chief public defender

BY DAN LEW

I

traveled 1,500 miles to the middle of America and ended up staying for life because justice called.

I really had no clear aspiration of pursuing a law degree except that it was something important to do after graduating from Queens College in New York City, and I believed in serving others for the greater good. I adjusted pretty well to Midwestern life. I worked hard at school while working part time in catering and clerking for Minnesota’s first Asian judge, Tony Leung. I graduated from Hamline Law in 1995.

Little did I know life would steer me into the Scandinavian realm of northeastern Minnesota and into public defense.

Gaining skills and acquainting myself with the tight-knit, majority white community proved interesting and challenging—but thanks to my New York upbringing and resilience, I found a home for a lifetime.

After 10 years working as a staff attorney, then eight years as managing attorney, I was appointed chief public defender, overseeing legal services for indigent people for the entire northeast corner of Minnesota. I am the first Asian appointed to such a position in the state’s history, and I am part of a small cohort who hold the same position throughout the country.

It’s humbling for a kid from Astoria, Queens, who earned a C average in high school.

Today, my colleagues and I serve over 9,400 clients each year in northeastern Minnesota, inspired by the landmark case Gideon v.Wainwright, which established the right to counsel in criminal proceedings. We travel to six courthouses and advocate with tenacity and spirit despite losses and systemic bias. Much work needs to occur as we strive to be clientcentered, holistic in our practices, and community oriented.

We continue to struggle with difficult challenges. How can we end mass incarceration of black, brown-skinned, and indigenous peoples? How do we best advocate for our neighbors who suffer from adverse childhood experiences, mental health crises, and the too many who battle substance use disorders?

This happens each day with a strong public defender organization that’s reaching out to communities in multiple ways. Our warrant resolution programs in northeastern Minnesota have helped hundreds of residents clear warrants, saving needless nights in jail and potential job losses. Our

SHARE YOUR STORY This space is for alumni to share reflections about their personal experiences with the profession of law. If you have a story you’d like to submit for “A Life in the Law,” please send about 650 words to magazine@mitchellhamline.edu.

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A

Life in the Law

NEXT STEP program pairs social work interns with clients to find a pathway to the most basic needs: a bus pass, housing, medicine, treatment, and mental health services. And we continue to reach out to our indigenous community to build trust.

Yet, as I always remind myself, the United States of America is 5% of the world population but incarcerates almost 30% of the world’s prisoners. On those days when I need to answer the basic human question Why am I here? I can look into the eyes of our success stories, beautiful souls whom my many talented colleagues have helped live better, mindfully battle substance abuse, heal from childhood trauma, seek personal wellness, and share our community as engaged citizens.

Gideon’s promise pushes me to do this work every day, but in practice it takes compassion and perseverance. This work is about seeking the well-being of our neighbor. Because, after all, aren’t many of us just one paycheck away from hitting rock bottom?

Even the most honest and kind people sometimes find themselves in unfortunate circumstances with the law. Thank goodness for Gideon, and thank goodness for fellow public defenders who uphold justice and equity.

DAN LEW ’95 (HUSL) is chief public defender in the 6th Judicial District of Minnesota, based in Duluth.

Photograph by AMANDA SPILDE

The Chief Warren E. Burger, a 1931 graduate of Mitchell Hamline predecessor school St. Paul College of Law, became chief justice of the United States 50 years ago. Professor Emeritus Douglas D. McFarland marks this milestone with a personal remembrance.

C

hief Justice Warren Earl Burger held the office for 17 years, from 1969 to 1986, the fifth longest-serving chief justice in our nation’s history. I was privileged to work for him the last two years.

We should remember that the title is chief justice of the United States, not chief justice of the Supreme Court. The chief justice is the CEO of the entire federal judiciary. In addition to voting and writing as one of nine justices, the chief has some 70 additional duties assigned by Congress, such as chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution. Judicial administration, in which this chief reveled, is the brief focus here. Here are only three of many accomplishments.

Alternative dispute resolution today is part of every law school curriculum and almost every litigation. Mitchell Hamline prides itself on its ADR focus. Prior to the Pound Conference of 1976, conceived and convened by Chief Justice Burger, the field of ADR did not exist. With his initiative, plus his continuing advocacy, alternative dispute resolution became what it is today. Chief Justice Burger was the father of ADR. Mitchell Hamline also prides itself on its commitment to skills training.

Forty years ago, law schools paid almost no attention to skills training.

Not until Chief Justice Burger began advocating strongly for this addition to legal education did law schools begin to offer skills training. Also, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy for practicing lawyers was created due to his initiative.

Inns of Court started under this chief. Judges, practitioners, and law students meet, eat, and train together with the goal of improving legal advocacy and ethical practices.Today, over 400 American Inns of Court meet regularly. The Warren E. Burger

American Inn of Court at Mitchell Hamline is active and successful.

Who was the man? Warren E. Burger was a proud Minnesotan who grew up in St. Paul. He was reserved and decorous, as befit his office. I never heard a single person, justice or janitor, call him “Warren.” Everyone called him “Chief.” He referred to his wife as “Mrs. Burger.” This sense of decorum was not unusual. Every justice acted similarly. People don’t know the justices always act in seniority order, going so far as to shake hands and to line up at a graveside service by seniority.

The Chief had power. People in the Court knew it was one-man rule. Yet the Chief exercised his authority with discretion and kindness. His style was always to try to outtalk the opposition, not to rule over it.

The Chief was thoughtful. On a trip to an ABA meeting in Detroit, he invited a law clerk and me to join him for breakfast; he made tea for the three of us—using one tea bag. At a Court dinner, a messenger handed me the Chief ’s place card: on the back, he had written instructions for which guests were to receive the table floral centerpieces.

This man from St. Paul succeeded because he worked hard. In fact, he was a workaholic. Even into his 80s, after retirement from the Court, he regularly clocked 80-hour weeks as chairman of the Commission on the Bicentennial. No one else could keep up with him.

The Chief had a wonderful sense of humor. He loved to tell stories, and often the joke was on him. I remember his animation in telling his favorites. Over 30 years later, I would love to hear him tell those stories again.

Douglas D. McFarland is professor emeritus, Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He served on the staff of Chief Justice Burger from 1984-86, first as a Judicial Fellow and then as the administrative assistant (now called counselor) to the chief justice. For more, see Chief Justice Warren E. Burger: A Personal Tribute, 19 HAMLINE L. REV. 1 (1995).

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