I have been reminded over the course of the past year what amazing alums you are. During the Alumni Awards last fall, the law firm visits over the past several months, and the other events and activities during the year, I have been able to meet with many of you and hear all the remarkable things that you are doing. And if I did not get a chance to meet with you yet, I hope we have the chance soon.
We have had a busy year here at Mitchell Hamline. Reading through the pages of this magazine gave me even more pride in all the ways our consequential institution has helped transform the lives of our students and impact the legal community.
Our students continue to be our major strength, and their individual accomplishments reveal the wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and goals each student brings to our campus. As you will see, one of our recent graduates, Tacota LeMuel ’24, had a particularly noteworthy time as a law student. After her career as a staff sergeant performing maintenance on F-16s, Tacota immediately shined as a law student at Mitchell Hamline and became one of very few students to ever argue a case in front of the Minnesota Supreme Court (see page 10).
With student success as our guide, we have made some important changes over the past year. For example, our admissions team and the faculty admissions committee, along with the support of our board of trustees, updated our admissions process to comply with the Supreme Court affirmative action decision while maintaining our commitment to providing opportunity and diversifying the legal profession.
We also celebrated some outstanding successes and milestones. Mitchell Hamline enjoyed its highest bar pass rate for first-time takers here in Minnesota and for blended-learning first-time takers across the country since the combination (see page 8). And our law review celebrated its 50th anniversary (see page 20).
Next year, we look forward to celebrating three incredible anniversaries. In 2025, we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of our blended program, which was started in January 2015. We will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the combination of our most recent predecessor schools, which was finalized in December 2015. In addition, we will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the school, which started with the very first predecessor school, St. Paul College of Law, back in 1900.
Saving the best for last, I look forward to this coming academic year in largest measure because of my incoming successor. As you now must know, we have the great fortune of welcoming our new president and dean Camille Davidson this summer. Among her many, many accomplishments and attributes, I am most appreciative of her wealth of experience as both a dean and a practicing lawyer, her unending commitment to students, and her apparent appreciation of my sense of humor.
I look forward to celebrating our 125th year as a law school. I can’t wait to see what we do next.
Sincerely,
Jim Hilbert Interim President and Dean
Davidson became the third president and dean at Mitchell Hamline on July 1, 2024. She saw in Mitchell Hamline “the best of two things that were important to me”—a trusted source of legal talent for the state and region as well as the national leader in innovative approaches to legal education. Story, page 4.
High Flyer
Tacota LeMuel has spent an impressive amount of time as a law student arguing before Minnesota’s highest courts
An April gala celebrated 50 years of the journal and 50 years of Professor Mike Steenson as faculty adviser
The End of an Era
Professor Peter Knapp appeared for the last time as a supervising attorney before the Court of Appeals
Remembering Larry Bakken
The distinguished Hamline University School of Law founder passed away in March
20 24 32
Gloria Contreras Edin ’05
Scott Flaherty
Jeanne M. Forneris
Judge Donovan W. Frank ’77
Patrick Garay-Heelan ’09
Dr. Linda N. Hanson
Duchess Harris 11
Frank V. Harris 75
David G. Hellmuth ’92
Jean F. Holloway
Frances L. Kern ’13
B. Steven Messick ‘08
Dr. Fayneese Miller
Chris Montana ’13
Judge Bhupesh Pattni 12
Christopher D. Pham ’09
Mary Quist
David D. Ransom ’91
Susan C. Rhode ’85
Jessica Stomski ’08
Ugo Ukabam ’02
Wendy K. Watson ’97
Sean Whitlock 04
Melissa Lee Wright ’93
Camille
COMMENCEMENT 2024
Mitchell Hamline School of Law ushered 370 students into the alumni community at its 2024 commencement ceremony at the legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. These graduates represented 39 U.S. states and Guam, as well as Canada and Italy. Five were from Tribal Nations.
Judge Jerry W. Blackwell gave the keynote address and provided some overarching principles of wisdom and advice as this year’s graduates stepped into the next phases of their careers and their lives. He encouraged them to find their “big, hairy, audacious goal,” their fundamental idea of who they want to be, and pursue it relentlessly.
Mitchell Hamline held a commencement ceremony on June 6, 2021, at CHS Field in St. Paul, home of the minor league Saints. It was one of the first events to be held in person in more than a year. Graduates walked the base paths to receive their diplomas on a stage built near second base. Students who graduated in spring 2020 and winter 2021 were also invited to have the chance for an in person event, after those two ceremonies were held online.
Finding the Why
New President and Dean Camille Davidson comes from a family of teachers, and she’s committed to helping students find their purpose through legal education
BY DOUG BELDEN
In the spring of 1998, after a long legal battle, the state of Mississippi released the records from its infamous Sovereignty Commission. The nearly 125,000 pages of files detailed 17 years of state-sanctioned spying, harassment, infiltration, and other measures beginning in the mid-1950s designed to stop the spread of civil rights and maintain segregation.
Camille Davidson’s father was in the report; her uncle was also listed among those the state surveilled. Even more shocking was that her dad’s parents were listed as “future possible agitators,” Davidson said, “simply because they were middle-aged Black people in Mississippi in the ’60s who chose to exercise their right to vote.” It was “jarring,” she said, to learn that their neighbors, people she had known all her life, had been interviewed by agents of the state about
her grandparents: Were they good citizens? Could they be trusted?
The subject is still difficult for her to talk about—the hatred and suspicion her parents and grandparents endured at the hands of the state, the sacrifices they made so that later generations would have it better.
But it made the importance of her chosen profession—the law—abundantly clear.
“It helps me to remind students of thinking about the why: why you’re in law school, why you’ve chosen law school, and what it is that you want to do with your law degree. I think law is the one profession where individuals really can make a difference. Democracy is fragile, it’s only as strong as any of us allow it to be, and so to be a part of the solution rather than the problem is important for me.”
A call to teach
Davidson was born and raised in Oxford, Mississippi. Her parents were both educators, which meant teaching was the last thing she thought she’d ever do. She headed off to Millsaps College in Jackson, a few hours south of her hometown, and earned a degree in business administration magna cum laude in 1989 After a year of study at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, her plan was to go to law school and become a tax attorney. But as she settled in at Georgetown University Law Center, she found herself drawn to opportunities like teaching Street Law to students in local high schools and working in a pre-college prep program aimed at students from underrepresented backgrounds. “Even though I was running away from education, I think it was always there,” she says.
“I think law is the one profession where individuals really can make a difference. Democracy is fragile, it’s only as strong as any of us allow it to be, and so to be a part of the solution rather than the problem is important for me.”
Camille Davidson
After graduating from Georgetown Law, she clerked at the D.C. Superior Court and spent six years in the Office of Legislative Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives, helping draft the HIPAA legislation among other duties. She married her husband, Trevor Fuller, in 1996, and the two moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, for his work as an employment law litigator. There she began practicing as an estate-planning attorney. She found what she most enjoyed were the “front-facing” parts of that job, working with nonprofits, churches, and community groups on their financial and legal plans. That experience nudged her further toward teaching, and in 2004 she took the plunge and accepted a part-time gig teaching Introduction to Political Science at Davidson College.
She was still working full time as an attorney, and she and her husband were raising two young children, Jackson and Schuyler, and soon it became obvious that she needed to pare down. It turned out that education—her family legacy and the work she’d felt called to since law school—was also the best choice for her career and family.
“I remember the day I decided to step away from practice,” she said. “My husband and I both had oral arguments before the 4th Circuit in Richmond scheduled for the same day. I had flown in my sister, who was single at the time, to watch the kids. I remember walking out of court and I got a call from school. Our son, who was in kindergarten, was sick, and I was four hours away. I thought, ‘Superwoman is a myth. I cannot be all things to all people at all times.’ For me, it was a personal decision to figure out how I could continue in the profession that I loved but also have some balance for me to raise and enjoy my family. If there was ever a moment, that was probably the moment.”
A home in legal education
Charlotte School of Law opened in 2006 and hired Davidson as the first adjunct in the spring of 2007. She taught legal writing and loved it, so she applied for a full-time position and eventually became a tenured professor. “Teaching is probably one of the best careers possible,” she said. “You get to think, you get to focus on your scholarship, you teach your awesome classes.”
And because it was a startup law school, she did a bit of everything: teaching first-year classes and upper-level electives, starting a clinical lab, helping create two summer programs. That hands-on experience would be invaluable later as a dean in working with faculty across a range of specialties.
MITCHELL HAMLINE LAW
Camille with her family at her graduation from Georgetown Law, 1993.
Above: Camille, age 1, in Oxford, Mississippi. At right: 8th grade.
She moved into administration about halfway through her time at Charlotte Law, serving as associate dean for academic affairs and faculty development. This brought a new set of moving pieces to manage and a huge amount of learning, even in adverse circumstances. The school ran into difficulties and wound up closing in 2017. She praised the faculty at Charlotte Law—“they performed miracles every day”—and took two main lessons from the experience: Address conflict head-on and be transparent. “I share—I share good news, I share not good news. I think everybody needs to be on the same page, and I don’t think it benefits anybody when we hide information.”
A fundraising record
After Charlotte Law closed, Davidson taught as an adjunct at Wake Forest University School of Law and then served as a judicial hearing officer. She became dean of Southern Illinois University School of Law in July 2020—the first Black woman to hold that job. (She is also the first Black woman to serve as president and dean at Mitchell Hamline or any of its predecessor schools.)
She started at SIU Law at the height of Covid. Along with addressing the challenges of the pandemic, the school needed to expand the admissions pool and shore up financial support. With no professional fundraising experience and minimal staff, Davidson started calling people, emailing, and setting up Zoom meetings. She started with the law school’s first class—which entered in 1973—and built from there. “As I met with alums I listened. I listened a lot. I listened to what made them happy, I listened to what they enjoyed about their law school experience.” She secured one gift to fund a summer pipeline program for prospective students and another from an alum, a trial attorney, who named a courtroom at the school after her longtime partner.
She also held conversations with John Simmons, who earned his undergraduate degree from the Edwardsville campus of SIU. Although he was not a law school alumnus, as a practicing attorney in southern Illinois he saw great potential in SIU Law as a source of legal talent to strengthen the region, and over a few years of conversations with Davidson, it became clear this was in perfect sync with her view. Rather than try to outcompete the elite schools, Davidson said, “I felt like we needed to recognize that here’s who we are, here’s our impact, and let’s let our light shine.” Simmons and his wife decided to donate $10 million to the law school, the largest gift in the university’s history. The school has been renamed the SIU Simmons Law School.
“In our very first meeting, John committed to hiring two students for a summer internship with his firm as a way to build a pipeline. We continued to talk about the law school,” Davidson said. “Ultimately I think it was him putting trust in our vision and seeing the impact the school had in producing lawyers to serve the region.
“I believe so much in the power of relationships and listening,” she said. “If I have a superpower, it is probably the ability to connect with pretty much all people. I’m going
to find a connection in some sort of way, and probably after we sit down and talk for a half hour we’re going to figure out where our lives have intersected and what we have in common. So that’s been my strength as a fundraiser.”
The draw to Mitchell Hamline Davidson, who turns 57 in July, saw in Mitchell Hamline “the best of two things that were important to me”—a trusted source of legal talent for the state and region as well as the national leader in innovative approaches to legal education. She called blended learning “the cutting edge of the future of legal education that has extended access to many who would have had no other way to earn a J.D. So many schools are trying to figure out how to do hybrid and online delivery of legal education, but the blended program to me is the standard which so many other law schools are looking at as a how-to manual.”
The other strong draw to Mitchell Hamline was the chance to lead an independent law school. After learning the fundamentals of legal teaching and administration at Charlotte Law and then leading a law school at SIU but within the larger university system, she’s excited by the opportunity to lead a freestanding law school, in partnership with the board of trustees, especially one committed to making it possible for all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds, geographies, and life situations to figure out their own “why” through the study of law.
“The only way to have real access to justice is to train folks from a particular community so that they’re really able to provide the resources to their community. Mitchell Hamline’s different pathways provide so many opportunities for folks to join us in the profession.”
Camille at Dala Hill in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria, 1990.
Questions for Dean Davidson
We asked President and Dean Camille Davidson to share with us a bit about her life outside of work
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I love to travel. I love to plan trips. I could probably be a tour guide. I have traveled to Europe, Africa, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean as well as throughout the U.S.—I have six states left to visit.
What has been your favorite vacation?
All of them. My extended family (parents, sister and her husband, and my husband and our two children) have had fun experiences from Disney World and Disneyland to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and San Diego. My dad passed away in November of 2017. We miss him dearly. Our last big family vacation was to Cuba.
Do you have hobbies or hidden talents?
I used to have an Etsy shop. I made quilts from T-shirts and other upcycled items. I love connecting with people, and the T-shirts and other items were sentimental and allowed me to get to know my customers. I have no talent. If I were talented, I would be on stage … instead I became a lawyer.
What have you been reading or watching lately?
Oh my! The last movie I saw was the remake of “Mean Girls” on my last flight. Most books that I love are biographies, memoirs, or autobiographies.
What's your favorite holiday tradition?
Holidays are all about family. I have spent every Christmas Day in Mississippi at my parents’ home except for the year I lived in Kenya.
What else can you share about yourself?
We had a family pet, a cat named Ayron, who was with us for 13 years and passed away the week before Covid shut the world down. I am a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and a lifetime associate member of Jack and Jill of America. I’m also a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church.
Read more and see videos about
at Disney World, 2004.
Camille with her family at her daughter’s graduation from Howard University, 2024.
Camille.
Mitchell Hamline scores its highest Minnesota first-time bar passage rate since the combination
BY MICHELLE LEE GOODE
Mitchell Hamline’s first-time bar passage rate in Minnesota for July 2023 was 86.44%—the highest since the combination of William Mitchell and Hamline Law in 2015.
“Everything we do here plays a role in the success of our students,” said Jim Hilbert, interim president and dean. “We are proud of our continuous effort to improve the bar pass results for our graduates in Minnesota.”
For first-time takers who actively worked 1:1 with the academic excellence team, the pass rate was significantly higher at 93.33%.
“Our academic excellence team is here to work with students starting on day one to help them prepare for the bar exam,” said Maggie Eilertson ’08, director of academic excellence. “It’s incorporated throughout our curriculum and includes those months after students graduate but before they take the test.”
The July passage rate in Minnesota for all first-time test-takers was 85.53%. And Mitchell Hamline was the only Minnesota law school with an increased July firsttime pass rate over the previous July.
Mitchell Hamline also had strong national results on the July 2023 bar exams.
The first-time bar passage rate for graduates of the blended-learning program in all jurisdictions, including Minnesota, was 73.96%, the highest ever for that program’s students.
AROUND MITCHELL HAMLINE
Ninth-grade students and volunteers at the conclusion of Latino Lawyer Camp, July 2023
Panelists Judge Sophia Vuelo ’98, Associate Justice Paul Thissen of the Minnesota Supreme Court, Chief Judge Susan Segal of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and Judge Jesse Seabrooks II discuss opportunities for students and new graduates to gain experience in the judicial branch, November 2023
Faculty and staff support students for the bar exam with the help of therapy dogs, February 2024
Natalie Hudson, former assistant dean at Hamline Law, being sworn in as Minnesota Supreme Court chief justice—the first person of color to lead the state’s highest court, November 2023
Admissions team welcomes students on Admitted Student Day, March 2024
Interim President and Dean Jim Hilbert, Trustee Gloria Contreras Edin ’05, Judge Vicki Vial Taylor ’92, former Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich ’55, Mia Benson ’24, and Board Chair Nicole James Gilchrist ’03, at the Celebration of Women in Law Tea, May 2024
A distinguished Air Force veteran, Tacota LeMuel ’24 has spent an impressive amount of time as a law student arguing before the state’s highest courts
BY TOM WEBER AND DOUG BELDEN
Around 9:30 on the morning of April 2, 2024, Mitchell Hamline law student Tacota LeMuel walked to the podium in the Supreme Court chambers at the Minnesota State Capitol. An assistant attorney general had just finished presenting the state’s arguments for why a drug conviction for LeMuel’s client, Jeron Garding, should be affirmed. It was now LeMuel’s job to persuade the justices to affirm a lower court ruling reversing the conviction.
Her supervising attorney, Mitchell Hamline Professor Ted Sampsell-Jones, was at the respondent’s table a few steps away, but for the next 20 minutes or so it would just be LeMuel speaking to the justices and answering their questions.
“Welcome, Ms. LeMuel,” said Chief Justice Natalie Hudson. “It’s always good to have student attorneys argue before us. We don’t have that often.”
Law students like LeMuel don’t come around often. Her appearance at the Supreme Court that day, combined with the fact that she had previously argued three times before the Court of Appeals, is likely an unprecedented experience for a law student.
A handful of Mitchell Hamline students might argue at the Court of Appeals each year, Sampsell-Jones said. He can’t recall any in his 17 years that have argued at the Supreme Court. But to argue three times at the appeals court plus once at the Supreme Court? “I doubt any student in Minnesota has ever done that.”
‘She
does not get rattled’
LeMuel came to law school knowing she wanted to do criminal appellate work. She worked with Professor and Interim President and Dean Jim Hilbert to conduct research on no-knock warrants, and he suggested she work with Sampsell-Jones, who was taking the Garding case to the Court of Appeals to argue certain evidence should not have been permitted in the initial trial.
But instead of just helping on the case, Sampsell-Jones suggested LeMuel handle the arguments at the Court of Appeals, set for July 2023.
“Tacota has an unusual amount of maturity and poise for a law student, in part due to her background—she is a mom, and she served in the military for a decade before law school,” said Sampsell-Jones. “I could tell that she has a great courtroom presence. She also has a very effective style—she is very calm, and she makes arguments in a very straightforward, commonsense fashion. She does not get rattled.”
Sampsell-Jones’ confidence in LeMuel was well-placed. “She did an excellent job at the Court of Appeals argument,” he said. “Numerous experienced attorneys viewed that argument, and they were amazed to see a law student perform that well in court.” The Court of Appeals ruled in LeMuel’s favor in September, but the decision was appealed in December, and the case moved to the Supreme Court.
Once again, Sampsell-Jones wanted LeMuel to present the argument, and the Supreme Court agreed, providing LeMuel with what she called “an incredible honor and, frankly, a dream.”
“Being around such brilliant legal minds was intimidating and inspiring at the same time,” she said of her appearance at the high court. “The first five minutes of the argument I was extremely nervous, but after I responded to a few questions, I felt more comfortable and started to speak more confidently. In the moments where I felt the most nervous, I kept thinking about our client and how I could best articulate the legal authority and the facts in the record to support our client’s position.”
The Supreme Court had not issued a decision by the time this magazine went to press, but regardless of outcome, LeMuel did a great job once again, Sampsell-Jones said. And she got some informal validation after the argument. As Sampsell-Jones and LeMuel reached the Capitol Rotunda after walking down the stairs from the courtroom, they heard people behind them. They were four students—all of them students of color—from a visiting high school group that had been in the courtroom during LeMuel’s case. “They ran up and told Tacota how great she did, how inspiring it was to see her up there. They thanked her and said it was an honor to see her in action,” Sampsell-Jones said. “It was really a cool moment.”
Early career in the Air Force
LeMuel, who graduated this spring, came to law school after a career in the Air Force. She joined in 2006 and was deployed to Iraq at age 19, serving on the crew that supported fighter pilot missions. She was later stationed in South Korea, where she was selected to join the Thunderbird team based on her skills as an aircraft mechanic. The Thunderbirds are a demonstration squadron that showcases its skills around the globe. After earning her Thunderbird patch, LeMuel learned she was the first Black woman to ever serve as Thunderbird crew chief. “It was and still is a huge honor and one of the biggest moments of my life,” she said.
LeMuel was last stationed in Las Vegas before separating from active duty and serving as a full-time reservist. In her civilian life, she became a paralegal and attended every one of her boss’s court appearances for several years.
It was when her boss argued before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that LeMuel realized she wanted to be a lawyer and focus on appellate work. “We had worked on that case for so long, and it was gratifying to see what I worked on come out in that argument in real time,” she said. The case was about a defective airbag, but LeMuel knew she wanted to work in criminal law.
Just like her argument in the Garding case, LeMuel’s second and third arguments at the Court of Appeals had to do with criminal law. And both stemmed from her clerkship at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, where she worked during much of law school.
In January 2024, she argued a case having to do with whether a search was correctly conducted. She was arguing it was, and her side wound up prevailing. At the end of arguments, supervising attorney Nicole Cornale ’18 received texts from colleagues watching online who were sending praise. “Tacota is practicing beyond her years,” said Cornale. “Though she is just getting started in her career as an attorney, she is going to do great things in pursuit of justice.”
LeMuel was back at the Court of Appeals in March 2024, arguing once again on behalf of the state, this time against a man challenging his thirddegree murder conviction and the length of his sentence. The Court of Appeals ruled in the state’s favor in May, and the man’s attorney subsequently submitted a petition for review to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
End of law school and next steps
LeMuel didn’t slow down as she prepared to finish law school. Last year she served as an officer in Mitchell Hamline’s Criminal Law Society and she was recently selected as a research fellow in the Legal Education Police Practices Consortium with the American Bar Association.
When she applied to Mitchell Hamline’s blended-learning program, the idea was to attend law school while living in Las Vegas. But she decided at the last-minute to move to Minnesota. She switched to the on-campus enrollment option in her second year and now plans to take the Minnesota bar and clerk for Court of Appeals Judge Peter Reyes ’97.
LeMuel says she feels fortunate to have had the chance in law school to argue at the appellate level on behalf of both the state and a criminal defendant. She says both prosecutors and defense attorneys she has worked with acknowledge deficiencies in the criminal justice system and the need for reform. “I view criminal appellate work as a way to help address, and hopefully one day change, some of those issues.”
She’s grateful to Mitchell Hamline for the chance to get some practical experience toward her goal. “It’s great that students at Mitchell Hamline are positioned to work with professors that are still working and still heavily involved in significant legal work outside of school,” she said. “It shows the school’s commitment to creating strong legal practitioners and to continue to work on places in the criminal justice system that need reform.”
Staff Sgt. LeMuel reviews her maintenance checklist during post-flight maintenance, at Lackland Air Force Base, 2010.
Tacota with her son at Mitchell Hamline’s commencement, 2024.
Tacota with supervising attorney Nicole Cornale ’18, 2024.
Photograph by U.S. AIR FORCE/STAFF SGT. LARRY E. REID JR.
Professors in the Media
Mitchell Hamline faculty are often interviewed for their legal expertise on the news of the day.
Here’s a sample from 2023:
“It’s going to continue to drive people to go via more dangerous routes to come into the U.S. to reach safety. It’s troubling because in many respects, we have really not guaranteed the right to apply for asylum in the way we did traditionally.”
ANA POTTRATZ ACOSTA on border policy restricting asylum-seekers at the southern border causing more migrants to attempt to cross the U.S.-Canadian border. May 11, 2023, KARE 11
“The commodification of psychedelics is certainly against the Indigenous tradition. One of our primary teachings is it’s not for profit, it’s not for sale. The purpose is healing and spiritual well-being.”
FORREST TAHDOOAHNIPPAH , on legalizing psychedelic mushrooms. June 5, 2023, NPR
“There’s a long history of targeting Native American families and especially our children. There was a whole policy around the Indian boarding school era, taking children from their families in the 1800s for civilization training. Four generations have been affected by that. We’re still recovering.”
ANGELIQUE W. EAGLEWOMAN on the importance of upholding the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Indian Child Welfare Act. June 16, 2023, Twin Cities Public Television
“An imminent threat typically means it’s about to happen right now, and that means that you would have to demonstrate that there’s somebody in there right now that’s armed and if the officers knock, they’re going to start doing something to cause death or harm to someone. Based on what’s been publicly released, I don’t know that they could have made that kind of showing.”
RICK PETRY , on Amir Locke and the new no-knock raid warrant restrictions. July 5, 2023, MinnPost
“Everything that is noticeable to Twitter users would not be a trade secret. There’s not much detail in that letter.”
SHARON SANDEEN , on Twitter’s claim that Meta stole trade secrets to build Threads. July 6, 2023, Daily Beast
For ongoing media stories, visit mitchellhamline.edu/news/media-experts-guide.
With second law degree, Peru native uses bilingual skills to represent clients in workers’ comp cases
BY AMY CARLSON GUSTAFSON
Growing up in Peru, Karina Norberg ’19 was aware of the country’s internal unrest from a young age. It was traumatic, she said, to live in Peru in the late 1980s and early ’90s when The Shining Path performed terroristic attacks throughout the country. Because of that experience, she became interested in politics. With encouragement from her father, Norberg earned a law degree at San Marcos University in Lima and eventually worked for the Peruvian government before moving to Texas to pursue her master’s degree in public affairs.
She met her husband in Texas, and the couple, who have a 12-year-old daughter, eventually moved to Minnesota for his job with the U.S. Public Health Service. Norberg knew she wanted to practice law but was unable to use her law degree earned in Peru. So she enrolled at Mitchell Hamline. This second time around was different—she was in a foreign country, had a young child, and was learning English, her second language.
Norberg said professors understood and appreciated the challenges she faced and respected her prior legal experience. She bonded with classmates, especially those who were mothers and international students. It was worth the extra effort, even though she had to start from “ground zero.”
“Mitchell Hamline did a great job with course loads,” said Norberg, who is now licensed to practice law in Minnesota and Peru. “I was able to manage it being a mom and fulltime student. It was a bigger challenge for me than for some students because English is not my first language, and I had to quickly adapt to the expectations, especially coming to the bar [exam], where you have to read at high speed and think fast.”
Norberg is skilled at advising her Spanish-speaking clients at the Law Office of Joshua Borken, where she handles workers’ compensation cases. She’s proud of her impact as a bilingual attorney, including appeals she’s drafted that have been heard by the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals. She said many of her clients come from countries without laws protecting workers, and they’re more apt to express themselves freely when talking to someone who speaks the same language.
“I am contributing to their adaptation to this country,” she said. “Everyone who comes to America wants to work. With more people not able to speak English coming to America, I feel like there is more opportunity not just for me but for other bilingual attorneys to represent these specific groups of people.”
Amy Carlson Gustafson is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities.
Karina Norberg ’19.
Dedicated adjunct aims to train future lawyers for practice
BY AMY CARLSON GUSTAFSON
When Markus Yira ’96 talks about his nearly 20 years as an adjunct professor, it’s clear how dedicated he is to the teaching profession. He takes on multiple classes each semester while also running a successful litigation practice in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Yira has taught courses in constitutional law, evidence, torts, civil dispute resolution, and legal writing, focusing since 2015 on Mitchell Hamline’s blended-learning program, which offers students a mix of distance learning and in-person instruction.
“I tend to incorporate as much practical wisdom and reallife experience as possible,” Yira said about his teaching style. “Because that’s the difference between practical application and legal doctrine. My goals and philosophy have always been to not only help students pass the bar exam but to also assist them in becoming successful lawyers and advocates wherever their law practice takes them.”
Professor Mike Steenson has known Yira for three decades, starting when Yira was his research assistant. Steenson calls his former student-turned-colleague an “uber adjunct.”
“What sets him apart is the intelligence and diligence that he brings to his work,” said Steenson, who describes adjuncts as “unsung heroes” of the law school. “I don’t know what we’d do without him.”
Steenson added, “He has become an excellent lawyer but also gives back to the community. He is in line to be the president of the Minnesota Association for Justice. I expect
he’ll be outstanding in that role.”
Yira, who cites Steenson as a mentor, said he’s committed to giving back to his alma mater through teaching.
“It’s by providing information and by supporting that development of the students coming forward,” he said. “My mindset is if I can impart that knowledge onto the students and make them successful, then that’s not only a reflection of the school, but also the profession. You’re giving them the tools in their toolbox to succeed and become productive members as officers of the court and members of the bar. Even if they’re using their juris doctor degree in a business capacity, you’re still giving them the analytical and deductive reasoning skills to effectively communicate and develop this type of analysis.”
Yira’s daughter Kaitlin ’22 followed in her dad’s footsteps by working for Steenson as she earned her law degree. Kaitlin, a Mitchell Hamline Fellow and 2022 Student Award of Merit recipient, is a law clerk for Judge Jeffrey Bryan, Minnesota’s first Latino federal jurist. (She also clerked for him when he was a Minnesota Court of Appeals judge.) The highlight of Markus Yira’s career, he said, was participating in his daughter’s law school commencement ceremony.
“We’re so proud of her,” he said. “She’s a powerhouse and is blazing her own trail.”
Amy Carlson Gustafson is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities.
Markus Yira, left, his daughter Kaitlin, and Professor Mike Steenson at Kaitlin’s graduation from Mitchell Hamline in 2022.
A Place to Thrive SBA president, trustees chair are colleagues at school and work
Nicole James Gilchrist ’03 has served as chair of the Mitchell Hamline board of tr ustees for the past two years. Nicoli “Nikki” Johnson ’24 served last academic year as president of the Student Bar Association and graduated this spring.
In addition to being two leaders at Mitchell Hamline—and having somewhat similar names—they both happen to work for the financial services firm Thrivent in downtown Minneapolis. Here are a few of their reflections on their time at Mitchell Hamline.
Nikki Johnson
Title at Thrivent: Associate gift planner
Graduation year: 2024
Favorite course at Mitchell Hamline: Mediation with Professor James Coben
Most important lesson you learned in law school: One of my key takeaways from “the law school experience” is the importance of self-care. It’s about looking after yourself in every way possible—physically, mentally, emotionally. Law school can feel all-consuming especially when you’re juggling a job or taking care of family. I strongly encourage students to ask for the help they need while also prioritizing their own well-being not just for their benefit, but for the sake of everyone they care about.
Something you’d tell yourself back on day one of law school: Ask for help and use the resources available to all students.
Favorite quotation: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” – Maya Angelou
Best part about Mitchell Hamline: The dedication of the faculty and staff to the students. As SBA president, I truly got an inside look to how much we’re cared about through their willingness to meet with students and provide transparency.
Nicole James Gilchrist
Title at Thrivent: Vice president and managing counsel
Graduation year: 2003
Favorite course at Mitchell Hamline: I have a few favorite courses. Family Law with Professor Nancy Ver Steegh, Income Tax with Professor Denise Roy, and Employment Law with Professor Michael Jordan were some of my favorite courses. My reasons for taking each of these courses varied I was most interested in family law as an incoming 1L; income tax was a bar course that I believed spending a semester learning would be important for me; and I was curious about employment law and how it impacts the culture of an organization. The subject matter for each of the courses was interesting and challenging, but what made each of them a favorite were the professors who taught us. They were engaging, approachable, and incorporated their own experiences as practitioners in class lectures.
Most important lesson you learned in law school: An important lesson that I learned while in law school was obtaining an education is not a passive experience— memorizing and regurgitating facts—but rather a personal responsibility to actively participate in, contribute to, wrestle with, comprehend, and understand so that you can take action. It was a very hard lesson, but one that I embraced and carried into legal practice and life.
Something you’d tell yourself back on day one of law school: Have faith. Your future will be better than you could have asked for or imagined.
Favorite quotation: “One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right if the head is totally wrong. Only through the bringing together of head and heart—intelligence and goodness—shall man rise to a fulfillment of his true nature.” – Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Best part about Mitchell Hamline: The best part about Mitchell Hamline is the people. My experience at the law school—as a student, an alumna, and trustee—has been life changing. I am incredibly grateful and fiercely committed to the law.
AProf. Colbert helps win resentencing after 15-year legal journey LAMP
Clinic gives students experience with ‘second-look’ cases
BY AMY CARLSON GUSTAFSON
fter more than 15 years of working to get a sentence changed for a man convicted of murder as a teenager, Professor Bradford Colbert ’85 had a big win in February.
Brian Flowers, who was serving two consecutive sentences of life without parole, was resentenced by Hennepin County District Judge William Koch from consecutive life sentences to concurrent life sentences for the 2008 murder of Minneapolis resident Katricia Daniels and her 10-year-old son, Robert Shepard. The change in sentencing makes Flowers immediately eligible for a parole hearing.
“I started repping Mr. Flowers when he was 16—he was a really nice kid, and now he’s a good man,” Colbert said. “But watching him have to essentially grow up in prison has been awful. So, it’s been really rewarding, because he has been a really terrific client to work with. Mr. Flowers deserves a chance to be released. There isn’t any question in my mind that he would not commit another offense, so he deserves this chance.”
Colbert, along with Perry Moriearty, a University of Minnesota Law School professor, led a team that argued that Flowers—now 32 but 16 at the time of the killing—played a lesser role than his friend Stafon Thompson. Colbert and Moriearty have been litigating the constitutionality of Flowers’ sentence through several court appearances over the years, as well as navigating the changes in parole eligibility for juveniles.
Students in Mitchell Hamline’s Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners (LAMP) Clinic, which Colbert has led since 1989, are currently working on similar “second-look” cases. In such cases, the students try to get district courts to reconsider sentences for incarcerated people.
“We’re looking for people where their sentence no longer serves the interests of justice, including people who are serving life without the possibility of parole,” said Colbert, who emphasizes the clinic’s importance in teaching practical aspects of being a lawyer and exposing students to the criminal
justice system. “All we’re asking, in most cases, is that they not be sentenced to die in prison. We’re not challenging the convictions; we’re saying, depending on the case, either the sentence imposed at the time was inappropriate, or, looking at the changes in our clients, it is now inappropriate.”
Colbert has been involved for over three decades with the LAMP Clinic, beginning as a law student. He supervises student attorneys who provide free legal help to inmates on civil matters including family law, prison conditions litigation, and tort defense.
LAMP student lawyers Abby Boyer ’24 and Corinne Carlson ’24 have worked together for two semesters in the clinic, including on a post-conviction case of a woman serving life without parole for first- and second-degree homicide. They regularly meet in person with their client as they advocate for a change in her sentence.
“At first, it’s easy to make an assumption that people have been sentenced appropriately, or they are incarcerated for a reason,” said Carlson. “But once you start looking at these cases and have conversations with clients, you understand that some people don’t need to spend the rest of their lives in prison. The main thing I’ve taken away from this experience is separating who our client is as a person from her offense. Yes, this offense might have been committed however many years ago, but that doesn’t mean that’s who this individual is today.”
Boyer said she and Carlson are passionate about this case, and it’s an especially noteworthy time to be working on a “secondlook” case because of a new prosecutor-initiated resentencing statute and changes with the Board of Pardons’ process.
“Our client is a perfect example of slipping through the cracks,” Boyer said. “If anything, though, it’s given me more fire to fight for this kind of individual.”
Amy
Carlson Gustafson is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities.
Coming Full Circle
BY TOM WEBER AND DOUG BELDEN
Melissa Crawford Kestner ’01 brought her infant son Dylan to the law school’s day care when she was a student. Twenty-five years later, he graduated from her alma mater, and she was able to nominate him for bar admission.
Melissa Crawford Kestner ’01 started bringing her son, Dylan Larson, to the day care at William Mitchell College of Law when she enrolled as a law student in 1998. Twenty-five years later, she watched him graduate from her alma mater and then had the honor of nominating him for entry to the Minnesota bar.
Dylan was eight months old when he first came to William Mitchell. He says he doesn’t remember any of that time, but Melissa sure does.
“The William Mitchell day care gave Dylan and me the ability to spend time together while I balanced motherhood, law school, and working part time,” she said. “It was a gift to be able to visit him in between classes and to bring him to Hachey Commons for lunch. We were warmly welcomed by the law school community.”
In 2020, Dylan returned as a law student to that same building, now Mitchell Hamline.
“I chose to attend law school because working in the legal field felt like a good fit for my academic strengths,” Dylan said. “Additionally, growing up with my mom and stepdad, Pete, I saw the possibility of a career that is interesting, challenging, and serves others. I chose Mitchell Hamline because of its commitment to a collaborative and supportive academic environment.”
Dylan and Melissa had some of the same experiences in law school, including taking coursework from Professor Brad Colbert and participating in the Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners Clinic, which Colbert directs.
“It was fun, and a little surreal, to learn that Melissa was Dylan’s mother,” Colbert said. “I really enjoyed working with Melissa when she was a student attorney, and Dylan was a joy to work with. Both turned out to be great students—I am definitely not going to say which one was better!”
As part of Dylan’s experience in the LAMP Clinic, he had the chance to argue in front of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and after graduation in June 2023 he went to work for Court of Appeals Judge Kevin Ross. When it came time for him to be sworn in to the bar in October 2023, the ceremony was held at the Court of Appeals instead of the State Capitol. Traditionally, judges presiding at swearing-in ceremonies get to nominate candidates for entry to the bar, but in a case where the candidate has a family member or close friend who is a licensed attorney, that person is given the opportunity to make the official nomination. In Dylan’s case, Melissa— who practices law with Dylan’s stepdad, Peter Kestner ’01—was able to make the official motion for his admission to the bar.
“My mom’s moving for my admission to the Minnesota bar brought us full circle. After her years of support and encouragement, I finally understood the magnitude of what I had accomplished. I am grateful for the opportunities Mitchell Hamline provided, especially my experiences in LAMP and work with professors. And I am equally grateful to my mom and stepdad for their unwavering love,” Dylan said.
of LAW REVIEW
BY ALLISON BURKE ’09
The Mitchell Hamline Law Review’s 50th anniversary gala in April was as much a celebration of Professor Mike Steenson’s 50 years as faculty adviser as it was a marking of the publication of the 50th volume. During the pre-dinner reception at the sold-out event, Steenson made his way around the Saint Paul Hotel ballroom like a proud father at a wedding, stopping at group after group to shake hands and give hugs.
During his brief remarks, Steenson first asked the members of the current volume to stand, and then all of the members of all of the volumes to stand. With very few people remaining seated, he said, “It’s absolutely amazing and it brings tears to my eyes. You are the heart and soul of the law review.”
On large screens at each end of the room, a slide show of images and quotes from former editors in chief of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review and both of its predecessors—the William Mitchell Law Review, which began in 1974, and the Hamline Law Review, which began in 1978—ran throughout the evening. The Mitchell Hamline Law Review began when the two journals merged following the combination of the schools in 2015.
“Without the guidance and support of Professor Steenson, we would not have made it. Whatever the problem or challenge, he helped us find our way without telling us what to do.”
–
Judge John Guthmann ’80, editor in chief of Vol. 6 of the William Mitchell Law Review
“He’s got a laugh that will get everybody else laughing. If you’ve ever had a chance to talk to Professor Steenson about anything, your life is a little better for it—no question.”
– Deven Bowdry ’23, editor in chief of Vol. 49 of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review
Throughout the evening, several speakers noted the things that distinguish the journal from so many others—its unlikely beginning at a night law school, its sustained focus on being a tool for practitioners as well as a resource for academics, and the fact that so many of its editors have balanced work and family along with school. A large number of students at Mitchell Hamline and both its predecessor schools have been first-generation college students, second-career professionals, caretakers, and parents, and that is reflected in the experience of many of the students who have served on the law review.
“I needed to be taught, because in what can only be described as a moment of insanity and hubris, I had agreed to start a law review, not alone, of course, but as the editor in chief, the leader of the pack. I was oblivious to what that meant; I was in for the shock of my life. And for an experience that changed me, for the better, forever.”
– Marcy Wallace ’74, founding editor in chief of the
“As I reflect on the sustained parallel growth of all volumes in circulation following those first auditions on the stage of the nation’s law journals, I like to think the Hamline and William Mitchell Law Reviews were destined to unite. My hat is off to the crowning achievement of this celebratory Volume 50 and the improbable dream of a Golden Anniversary.”
– Gwen Lerner ’78, founding editor in chief of the Hamline Law Review
closed his remarks by saying, “Fifty years ago, a few faculty and law students at our two legacy schools had a vision of how legal education and the law could be made better with a new journal that focused on practitioners of the law. In my opinion, their vision has been fulfilled over the last 50 years, and there is much promise for the next 50.”
The program began with remarks from the current editor in chief, Sara Glesne ’24. The Wallace-Lerner Excellence in Leadership Awards were presented to Adine Momoh ’09, assistant United States attorney for the District of Minnesota, and Celeste Culberth ’92, managing partner and mediator at Culberth & Lienemann. The incoming editor in chief then spoke, followed by a keynote address from 2nd District Judge Reynaldo Aligada ’02, a Mitchell Hamline trustee and an executive editor of Vol. 28 of the William Mitchell Law Review. Aligada
William Mitchell Law Review
Alumni board adds two members Alumni board selects one recipient for Student Award of Merit
Two alums will join the Alumni Association board in July 2024, and five members are stepping down after having completed their service. The 14-member board will be led by President Jackie Perez ’19 and Vice President Nicole Harris ’19. Joining the board are:
Caroline Moos ’19, who is a senior associate in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough’s Minneapolis office. In law school, she served as president of the Student Bar Association and received the Student Award of Merit.
Dean Raths ’88, whose practice focuses on estate planning and who has taught courses including legal writing and research, bar preparation strategies, torts, and legal reasoning. From 2014 to 2018 he was codirector of the law school’s Lawyering course.
Leaving the board are Gary Hansen ’99 and Steve Hennessy ’07 along with three who will be joining Mitchell Hamline’s board of trustees: Landon Ascheman ’09, Kenya Bodden ’01, and Megan Brennan ’06
Alumni Award winners
This year, the Mitchell Hamline Alumni Association selected one recipient for the Student Award of Merit: Alison Baker Faul ’24
The award honors graduating students whose contributions and participation in organizations and other events go beyond the normal expectations for a student, and who exhibit a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Faul was associate editor in chief for Volume 50 of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review. In 2022, she was Summit Cup Motion Argument Competition champion and received the Burton Award for Excellence in Legal Writing. She has worked for the Washington County Public Defender’s Office and participated in Mitchell Hamline’s Reentry Clinic, and she plans to clerk at the Minnesota Supreme Court starting in August 2024.
Three alums were recognized in 2023 by the Mitchell Hamline Alumni Association
Senior Judge Denise Reilly ’83 received the Outstanding Alumni Award for her public service to the state of Minnesota for more than a quarter century as a district court judge and member of the Court of Appeals. Before becoming a judge, she was an assistant U.S. attorney for eight years and an attorney at Lindquist & Vennum before that. She started her career as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Robert Renner. Judge Reilly recently retired from the court and now has senior judge status. She also served nine years on Mitchell Hamline’s board of trustees.
Caroline Palmer ’98 received the Distinguished Alumni Award for her dedication to stopping human trafficking and working on behalf of survivors. She serves as the Safe Harbor director at the Minnesota Department of Health. Before joining the state, Palmer was the policy and legal affairs manager at the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault for over a decade. She has also served as the pro bono development director at the Minnesota State Bar Association, was a staff attorney at the Minnesota AIDS Project, and has a long history in arts journalism.
Maya Johnson ’20 received the Recent Alumni Award for her work to reform the criminal justice system in Minnesota through the organization All Square and its subsidiary, the Legal Revolution. Its Prison to Law Pipeline program, which Johnson directs, includes a partnership that resulted in Mitchell Hamline becoming the first ABA-approved law school in the country to educate currently incarcerated individuals. Johnson previously worked as a staff attorney for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services. She clerked during law school for the Minnesota state Appellate Public Defender’s Office, the ACLU of Minnesota, and the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office. She also was a certified student attorney with the Mitchell Hamline LAMP and Reentry clinics.
Coben steps away from full-time teaching; Roy and Morrow retire
James Coben
After 35 years at Hamline University School of Law and Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Professor Coben is stepping away from full-time teaching but will continue to teach dispute-resolution courses. He remains a senior fellow in the Dispute Resolution Institute and will help build out DRI’s new Laboratory for Advancing Dispute Resolution Skills Teaching, or “Skills Lab.” The lab—a free resource for educators aimed at enhancing the teaching of dispute resolution and related skills— was created in part to help better prepare students for the NextGen bar exam, which will have a greater emphasis on skills.
Coben was DRI director from 2000 to 2009. He was also founding director of Hamline Law’s Master in the Study of Law program and founding editor of DRI Press. He created a variety of innovative dispute-resolution clinical opportunities for law students, including mediation advocacy on behalf of clients in family law and employment cases.
Denise Roy
Professor Roy is retiring after 33 years of teaching at William Mitchell College of Law and Mitchell Hamline. Since 2016, she has served as director of the externship program, and she previously directed the LL.M. in Taxation program at William Mitchell. Roy has also served as executive director of the Consortium for Innovative Legal Education and was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Indonesia.
She has served as co-president of the Society of American Law Teachers and president of the Fulbright Association Minnesota chapter. She was the first woman chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Tax Section Council and has been honored by the MSBA with the President’s Award and the Tax Section Distinguished Service Award.
Before coming to Mitchell Hamline, Roy worked as tax counsel and legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate, was an associate in private practice, and clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit.
Judge James Morrow ’78
Judge Morrow is retiring after 17 years as a professor, first at Hamline Law and then Mitchell Hamline. Previously, he taught for 23 years as an adjunct at William Mitchell. His courses have included evidence, trial advocacy, criminal procedure, and criminal law. Hamline Law students named him Professor of the Year in 2010-11.
Morrow served as a district court judge in Minnesota from 1983 to 2006, after which he spent 12 years as a senior judge. Before joining the bench, he was an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota.
Morrow was honored as 1999 Trial Judge of the Year by the Minnesota Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and 2002 Trial Judge of the Year by the Minnesota Judges Association. In 2005, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from William Mitchell, where he served on both the alumni association board and the board of trustees.
Peter Knapp’s Final Day in Court
BY TOM WEBER AND DOUG BELDEN
After the Minnesota Court of Appeals recessed on Jan. 24, 2024, Professor Peter Knapp lingered for a bit and looked around the courtroom.
“I think this is the last one,” he said.
He was referring to the fact that, via his Civil Advocacy Clinic, this was the last time he would appear as a supervising attorney for a student arguing before the Court of Appeals. He had made just short of 100 such appearances over 30 years, the most ever for any supervising attorney before this court. The only one close is fellow Mitchell Hamline Professor Brad Colbert ’85, who is probably half a dozen appearances behind him.
Knapp isn’t retiring, but he’s in what he calls “practice retirement.”
He’s been on unpaid leave for the 2023-24 academic year and will be again in 2024-25, and he’s been doing some work at the school including mentoring, advising, and helping to oversee a journal. But he’s giving up the clinic work. He had thought there might have been other cases from previous semesters he would need to see through to completion, but it turned out this one on Jan. 24 was the last one.
He was supervising Nicholas Gobran ’23 on this day, on a case about whether the client was owed unemployment benefits.
“Thank you for the well-written briefs and arguments,” said Judge Peter Reyes ’97 to Gobran after oral arguments were over. “The future is in good hands, and we know this because you’re under the tutelage of one of the finest professors out there, Professor Peter Knapp, whom we always appreciate seeing here in court.”
The Civil Advocacy Clinic was set up to allow students to represent lowwealth clients—often on employment issues—in administrative hearings and, when necessary, appeals at the Court of Appeals.
And how does Knapp instruct students who argue at the Court of Appeals?
“When all the arguments are done, the court should understand what we want them to do and why they should do that, and we should address any questions the court has about our position to the best of our ability. That doesn’t seem like a high bar, but it’s easy to lose focus on the big picture and fail to accomplish that during arguments.”
Gobran had done his job well. “It was a pleasure watching you work,” Knapp told him.
The two gathered up their things to leave. Knapp put on his fedora and overcoat, picked up his briefcase, and walked out of Courtroom 100, where he had supervised dozens of arguments over the years. He walked down the marble stairs and out of the Minnesota Judicial Center, with Gobran a few steps behind. As they went their separate ways to their cars, Gobran called out: “Thanks, professor. You’ve been the best.”
At right: Nicholas Gobran ’23 and Professor Peter Knapp at the Minnesota Court of Appeals in January 2024, Knapp’s last appearance as a supervising attorney.
“The future is in good hands, and we know this because you’re under the tutelage of one of the finest professors out there, Professor Peter Knapp, whom we always appreciate seeing here in court.”
JUDGE PETER REYES ’97
Mitchell Hamline welcomes new faculty
New faculty in 2023
Associate Professor of Law Nicole McConlogue was associate professor, director of the clinical law program, and director of the Litigation and Advocacy Clinic at West Virginia University College of Law before joining Mitchell Hamline. She has a strong public interest background, including practice experience in consumer protection and disability benefits law. Her scholarly focus concerns economic mobility and fairness toward disadvantaged communities.
Assistant Teaching Professor Vonda Brown joined Mitchell Hamline’s full-time faculty after several years as an adjunct professor, having assisted with courses including administrative law, constitutional law, environmental law, and trial advocacy. Most recently a staff attorney at the ACLU of Minnesota, Brown worked on constitutional law and civil rights cases.
Assistant Teaching Professor Sarita Matheson was drawn to law school and the legal profession after earning her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and a graduate degree in molecular, cellular, and development biology and genetics. She has been in private practice and worked at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, where she represented children in immigration cases and consulted on state-court proceedings.
Assistant Teaching Professor Alisha Watkins ’20 arrived a bit before 2023, joining Mitchell Hamline’s Institute to Transform Child Protection as an assistant teaching professor in November 2022. She is currently interim co-director of the institute and directs the Child Protection Clinic. Before joining Mitchell Hamline, she was a senior paralegal and law clerk for more than 15 years.
New faculty in 2024
Assistant Professor of Law Peter Larsen has owned his own firm in Des Moines, Iowa, for the past three years, specializing in civil rights cases. He earned a J.D. in 2019 from Drake University Law School and clerked for a year at the Iowa Supreme Court. Larsen earned a master’s degree at the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree at Augsburg University. His primary teaching responsibilities will be in constitutional law.
Assistant Professor of Law Kaori Kenmotsu ’22 began working at Hamline University in 2002 as adjunct faculty in the theater and dance department. Starting in 2007, she has served as senior lecturer in that department, and since 2022 she has been faculty-affiliate in the leadership minor/certificate program
at Hamline. Kenmotsu was co-director of the Conflict Studies Program at Hamline from 2019 to 2022. She earned a certificate in conflict resolution theory and practice in 2022 as part of her J.D. program at Mitchell Hamline. Her primary teaching responsibilities will be in dispute resolution.
Associate Teaching Professor Laura Reilly ’94 was a visiting professor of lawyering skills at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in 202324. She previously was a visiting professor at the University of Arizona Law School for a year and taught for 20 years as a lecturer in law, legal analysis, writing, and research at the University of Buffalo School of Law, where she taught a first-year legal writing course and developed and taught an upper-level writing course. She will teach legal writing.
Assistant Teaching Professor Brandon Robb earned a J.D. from Loyola University in New Orleans in 2008. He worked as an associate attorney at the New Orleans firm of Sessions, Fishman, Nathan & Israel for five years. In 2013, he was a founding partner of Delaney, Robb & Rubin, an estate planning firm specializing in the needs of members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families. In 2021, he moved to Miami and opened Bender & Robb, a firm with a similar focus. He will focus his teaching on legal writing and estate planning.
Visiting Professor DeShayla Strachan has been a visiting assistant professor at Mitchell Hamline since 2021. She previously served as an adjunct professor at Mercer University School of Law and was staff attorney at the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, attorney for the Florida Department of Children and Families’ Children’s Legal Services, and assistant state attorney for the Florida Office of the State Attorney. She earned her J.D. in 2017 from Barry University School of Law. Her primary teaching responsibilities will be in legal writing.
Visiting Professor Udoka Nwanna earned a J.D. from California Western School of Law in 2003 and has been teaching legal writing, academic success, and bar preparation courses for the past 15 years. From 2020 to 2022, she was an adjunct professor in the LARC program at Mitchell Hamline. She has also taught legal writing at Southwestern Law School, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and Cal Western. She was the director of academic success at Alliant International University in San Diego and the J.D. program chair at Abraham Lincoln University School of Law. Her primary teaching responsibilities will be in legal writing.
Board of trustees adds new members
Mitchell Hamline’s board of trustees will have 11 new members in 2024. The 32-member board will be chaired by Gregory L. Buck ’87. The board’s slate of officers will also include John J. Choi ’95 serving as vice chair, Brian Batzli ’85 as secretary, and Mary Quist as treasurer.
The new members are:
KENNETH ABDO ’82, partner, Fox Rothschild
KENYA BODDEN ’01, legal risk manager, Amazon
VICTORIA ELSMORE ’09, referee, 2nd Judicial District
STEPHANIE ALBERT , president, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation & Corporate Philanthropy
MEGAN BRENNAN ’06, assistant general counsel, labor and employment, Andersen Corporation
JUANITA FREEMAN ’08, judge, Washington County (Minn.) District Court
LANDON ASCHEMAN ’09, criminal defense attorney, Ascheman Law
MATTHEW BROWN ’09 partner, Eisner Advisory Group
LISA SPENCER ’01, president and shareholder, Henson Efron
Ex officio positions filled by new leaders; other members step down
Alumni Board President Jackie Perez ’19, left, and Hamline University President Dr. Kathleen Murray, right, will join the board in an ex officio capacity. Stepping down after completing their service are Jeanne Forneris, Judge Donovan Frank ’77, Dr. Linda Hanson, Frank Harris ’75, Jean Holloway, Steve Kirsch ’76, Susan Rhode ’85, and Wendy Watson ’97.
Professor Tahdooahnippah elected chairman of the Comanche Nation
BY ALLY ROEKER
As the weight of the ceremonial blanket settled in on Forrest Tahdooahnippah’s shoulder at his swearing-in ceremony, so too did the weight of responsibility.
“This is a huge opportunity and a very humbling experience to have the trust and faith of 17,000 Comanches put into my hands,” he told attendees at the May 2024 ceremony where he took the oath of office for a three-year term as chairman of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. “I want to make you all proud and have a government we can be proud of and a people we can be proud of. ”
Tahdooahnippah, who has been an assistant professor since 2022, is affiliated
with the school’s Native American Law and Sovereignty Institute. Before coming to Mitchell Hamline, he led the team at Dorsey & Whitney that served as tribal attorney for the Comanche Nation, and it was that experience that inspired him to run for chairman.
“I felt like there were a lot of institutional issues that I couldn’t help with as an adviser but would be able to help as a leader,” he said.
After the election in mid-May in which he garnered 61% of the vote, Tahdooahnippah is now in a position to take action.
Among his priorities are strengthening the faith and trust the Comanche Nation has in their government, enacting a tribal
corporations code to aid in economic development, and establishing a tribal law foundation for charitable purposes. “These are the things that I’m excited to do,” he said.
Professor Angelique EagleWoman, director of the Native American Law and Sovereignty Institute, praised Tahdooahnippah’s work and his latest accomplishment. “Chairman Forrest Tahdooahnippah of the Comanche Nation steps into his position with a depth of legal knowledge as a lawyer, law professor, and staunch advocate for Tribal Nations which was shared for the benefit of our law students in his Native law classes. We are incredibly proud of him,” she said.
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1979
DAVID E. KIRKMAN joined Felhaber Larson.
1981
KATHLEEN M. PICOTTE NEWMAN was named a North Star Lawyer by the Minnesota State Bar Association for her pro bono work.
1982
1983
KENNETH J. ABDO was featured on the 2023 Billboard Magazine’s Top Music Lawyers list.
1985
J. MICHAEL BITNEY retired after 37 years as a member of the Wisconsin bar: 7 years in private practice; 20 years as Washburn County district attorney; and the last 10 years as Barron County circuit court judge.
GARY E. PETER won the 2023 Minnesota Book Award for Young Adult Literature for his novel “The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen”.
SUSAN C. RHODE retired from Moss & Barnett.
1987
JAMES P. CAREY was named a 2023 Power 30 Personal Injury Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
ARLENE M. ASENCIO PERKKIO resigned from her position as district court judge in Minnesota’s 1st Judicial District.
DAVID D. RANSOM joined the Washington, D.C., office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as shareholder.
1993
DOUGLASS B. HIATT joined Fredrikson in its bank & finance, mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance, and banking & financial services litigation groups.
MARLA M. HALVORSON was appointed vice president and chief human resources officer of St. Luke’s Hospital and Clinic.
ROBERT J. LIGHTFOOT was named chair of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren’s health care department.
BEN I. OMOROGBE retired from his position as vice president and group general counsel at Travelers.
STEVEN L. SCHLEICHER was selected as a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.
THERESA A. FARRELL-STRAUSS retired from the Hennepin County Attorney's office after a 37-year career.
PAUL M. FLOYD was named president of the Minnesota State Bar Association.
DENISE D. REILLY stepped down from the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She also received the Mitchell Hamline Outstanding Alumni Award.
RANDALL L. SEAVER joined Moss & Barnett in the litigation and business law practice areas.
MARK C. VANDELIST was named the 2023 Distinguished Jurist by the Academy of Certified Trial Lawyers of Minnesota.
1984
JAMES A. BARNUM retired from Hubbard Broadcasting after more than 31 years with the company.
CHARLES W. BATES was appointed to the Bremerton (Wash.) Civil Service Commission.
TODD W. BJERKE retired after 39 years of public service. His service included 16 years as a circuit court judge and 17 years as an assistant district attorney in La Crosse County, Wis.
CYNTHIA H. CLARK was appointed a Grant County (N.M.) magistrate court judge.
1988
SUSAN M. HOLDEN received the 2023 Professional Excellence Award from the Minnesota State Bar Association.
MARY JO MCGUIRE was sworn in as president of the National Association of Counties (NACo).
ANDREA J. NORDAUNE was named senior vice president, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary of the Andersen Corporation. She is the first woman to hold the executive-level position.
1990
MATTHEW R. BURTON joined Moss & Barnett as a shareholder in its litigation and business law practice areas.
1991
MATTHEW G. FRANK was appointed to Minnesota’s 4th Judicial District Court bench.
1992
PAUL DOWNES was accepted into the Minnesota chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
SHARON L. ROOK received the 2023 Champion of Hope award for her volunteer work over the past 13 years with NewBridge, serving vulnerable adults in Dane County, Wis.
JEFFREY A. TOPOR and his colleagues at Simmonds & Narita combined with Womble Bond Dickinson.
GREGG J. TUCEK joined the Phoenix office of Ogletree Deakins as shareholder.
1994
SAVITA HARJANI wrote “Postcards from Within: Random Ramblings of an Ordinary Human,” a memoir about caring for her dying mother in her native India for four years.
1995
DENISE E. BARNETT was sworn in as United States bankruptcy judge for the Western District of Tennessee.
JOHN J. CHOI was appointed to the National Policing Institute board of directors.
ANNE MARIE SOLBERG was promoted to vice president and general counsel of The Opus Group.
1996
KATHY S. KIMMEL was named to Minnesota Lawyer’s POWER 30: Business Litigation list.
1998
CAROLINE S. PALMER received the Mitchell Hamline Distinguished Alumni Award.
1999
KATHERINE A. GOLDEN was named general counsel of Mortenson.
JAMES J. VEDDER was elected president of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
2000
R. LEIGH FROST was named a North Star Lawyer by the Minnesota State Bar Association for her pro bono work.
2001
AMY E. PAPENHAUSEN was named partner at Fox Rothschild.
DANIEL G. PROKOTT was named the leader of the labor and employment group’s compliance, training, and transactions team at Faegre Drinker.
CALANDRA F. REVERING was named to the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business program.
MICHAEL W. SCHIEK was elected Oneida County (Wis.) Circuit Court (Branch I) judge.
2002
2003
TRACY A. SCHRAMM was accepted into the American Board of Trial Advocates.
TORI K. STEWART was appointed to Minnesota’s 1st Judicial District Court bench.
MEGHAN T. STILING was honored as a 2023 Notable Woman in STEM by Twin Cities Business and recognized with a 2023 Women in Business award from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
2006
ELIZABETH “LISA” HENRY was appointed to Chestnut Cambronne’s board of directors.
JONATHAN P. SCHMIDT was appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
2004
MICHELLE E. BASHAM was named director of Ramsey County Social Services.
MÁEL EMBSERHERBERT retired from Hamline University after 28 years as a faculty member in the department of sociology and the department of social justice and social change, and is now professor emeritus.
2005
JOHN A. BOWEN was appointed to Minnesota's 10th Judicial District Court bench.
JESSICA S. INTERMILL launched an honor tax program, with the support of the Lower Sioux Indian Community, where people can voluntarily contribute to the tribe as an acknowledgment of how they have benefited from Dakota land. The Mni Sota Makoce Honor Tax program is a material way for Minnesotans to contribute to the Dakota people who were forcibly removed from land in 1862.
MELISA L. LÓPEZ FRANZEN was named executive director of government and community relations at the University of Minnesota.
DEANNE M. KOLL was elected treasurer of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
JUSTIN J. KROONA was named an assistant Webster County (Iowa) attorney.
ANDREW J. STEIL joined Winthrop & Weinstine as a shareholder in the creditors’ remedies practice.
2007
PETER J. DIESSNER was named chief executive officer of Kraus-Anderson Companies.
KATHLEEN FINNEGAN was named general counsel and chief compliance officer of Kyros.
DOMINICK MATHEWS was appointed to Minnesota’s 4th Judicial District Court bench.
JANE L. PRINCE decided not to seek re-election to the Saint Paul City Council.
HLI L. XYOOJ was highlighted as a 2023 Changemaker by Minnesota Women’s Press.
2008
ANGELINA M. BARNES was appointed corporation counsel by the Kalamazoo County (Mich.) Board of Commissioners.
MICHAEL J. EVENS joined Michael Best as partner.
JONATHAN D. HOLETS was named deputy county attorney in St. Louis County, Minn.
ELISA M. MURILLO was sworn in at the 2023 investiture ceremony hosted by the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings. Judge Murillo has been a workers’ compensation judge since 2021.
CHRISTOPHER T. TOLBERT decided not to seek re-election to the Saint Paul City Council.
2009
KRISTIEN R.E. BUTLER was sworn in at the 2023 investiture ceremony hosted by the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings. Judge Butler has been an assistant chief administrative law judge since 2022.
VICTORIA A. ELSMORE was named president of the Ramsey County Bar Association. She was also appointed referee in Minnesota’s 2nd Judicial District.
ADINE S. MOMOH was named to the 2023 40 Under 40 list by the American Bankruptcy Institute.
ALICIA M. REUTER joined Nilan Johnson Lewis in the health care practice group.
TAYLOR D. SZTAINER was appointed an adjunct director to Moss & Barnett’s board of directors.
2010
MATTHEW W. BENFIELD was named co-managing attorney of Minnesota’s 6th District Public Defender’s Office.
ADAM D. BRADY was named president of accident & health in the U.S. for Intact Insurance Specialty Solutions.
MARK A. JOHNSON was named vice president of student success at Minnesota State College Southeast.
CHRISTOPHER L. POPP joined Michael Best as a health care services attorney.
THOMAS SEELEN joined Michael Best as a health care services attorney.
2011
KARA M. LYNUM joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of the General Counsel as deputy general counsel.
DAVID R. SCHAPS was elected shareholder of Barna, Guzy & Steffen.
JAMES T. SHOCKMAN was appointed to the bench in the Southeast Judicial District of North Dakota.
2012
MIRELLA O. CEJA-OROZCO was named legal counsel on immigration, citizenship, and border security issues to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.
MEGAN L. JONES was named an assistant county attorney in Buena Vista County (Iowa).
KEVIN J. ROCKWELL joined the Minneapolis Foundation as a philanthropic advisor.
BEHDAD C. SADEGHI represented the state of Minnesota in litigation against tobacco companies Juul and Altria for their role in contributing to the youth vaping epidemic, resulting in a $60.5 million settlement.
2013
BRIAN P. CULLEN joined Benesch in its transportation and logistics practice group.
SARAH E. GIBSON was named partner at Fox Rothschild.
LAUREN M. JOHNSON was appointed to Minnesota's 1st Judicial District Court bench.
MICHAEL J. MOELLER joined the Laird Law Firm. He was also re-elected to the Clear Lake Community School District Board of Education (Iowa).
TYLER I. POWELL was named chief executive officer of the Northfield (Minn.) Area Family YMCA.
PETER A. SNYDER joined Felhaber Larson.
2014
CANDACE GROTH KOLODOSKI and her husband, Matthew Kolodoski, welcomed their son Alexander David Kolodoski in July 2023.
N. AMEE PHAM was sworn in at the 2023 investiture ceremony hosted by the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings. Judge Pham has been an assistant chief workers’ compensation judge since 2021.
SARAH M. SKILES was named the 2023 Assistant District Attorney of the Year by the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association.
2015
NICOLE L. FAULKNER returned to Stinson’s Minneapolis office as partner in the labor, employment & benefits division.
STEVEN P. HYNUM was named co-managing attorney of Minnesota’s 6th District Public Defender’s Office.
ALLISON M. PLUNKETT was elected a shareholder at Henson Efron.
2016
JOSEPH W. DUBIS was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
JACOB W. ELRICH was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
CHRISTOPHER A. GARCIA joined Uber as a senior associate on its federal relations team.
JENNIFER L. THOMPSON was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar as part of the ABA Senior Lawyers Division.
2017
DANIEL E. MILAVETZ was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
MEGAN L. ODOM was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
RAOUL D. SHAH was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
2018
RASHANDA C. BRUCE was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
KATE HOCKIN was named a shareholder at Hall Law.
JENNA KROHN was promoted to associate general counsel at Bering Straits Native Corporation.
BETHANY J. LAMBERT won third place in composition in the pops/light music division from the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts.
2019
ROGER J. REINERT was elected mayor of Duluth, Minn.
SARAH B. DANNECKER was named co-leader of Ballard Women, Ballard Spahr’s business resource group for women attorneys.
DANIEL B. MCGUIRE was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
DAVID J. MILAVETZ was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
ANTHONY J. STAUBER was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
MATTHEW J. WILDES was named a 2023 Up & Coming Attorney by Minnesota Lawyer.
2020
AMY S. BOWERS was re-elected to the Texarkana School Board (Texas). She was first appointed to the board in 2014.
MAYA A. JOHNSON received the Mitchell Hamline Recent Alumni Award.
2021
2022
AARON LAWRENCE was inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
NICOLE FRETHEM announced she will not seek re-election to the Ramsey County Board of Comissioners (Minn.) when her term concludes at the end of 2024.
SARA N. WESTERBERG joined Mitchell Hamline’s Career and Professional Development office as assistant director.
2023
CHRISTOPHER E. CHANEY expanded his firm’s existing legal services to include immigration law. The Law Office of Christopher Chaney opened a second location in Century City, Calif.
MICHELLE FURRER received the Mitchell Hamline Student Award of Merit.
MARILYS SOLANO received the Mitchell Hamline Student Award of Merit.
JAYASHREE VENKATESWARAN received the Mitchell Hamline Student Award of Merit.
R emembe R ing L a RRy bakken Distinguished Hamline University School of Law founder
BY ALLISON BURKE ’09
The law school lost a bedrock figure in its history this spring with the passing of Larry Bakken, distinguished Hamline University School of Law founder, emeritus professor of law, and member of the faculty for 40-plus years. Bakken died March 19, 2024, at the age of 80.
Along with his role in the creation of Hamline Law and other professional and community service accomplishments, Bakken was remembered at a memorial service in May for the energy and optimism he brought to everything he did in life. Speaker after speaker noted his enthusiasm for his work, his hobbies, his community, and the people dear to him. He loved spending time with his family, traveling, skiing, cycling, and running. The common thread through all these experiences and stories was Bakken’s facility with connection and inclusion, his boundless energy, and his passion for the things that brought him joy.
A special tribute came from Bakken’s colleagues and friends at the University of Bergen in Norway, where Hamline Law started a summer program in 1995 that Bakken ran. At the time in the mid-1990s, only a handful of Bergen law students went abroad to study, but today, thanks in great part to Bakken’s efforts, half of Bergen students go abroad to study as part of their legal education. Bakken was “instrumental in the early beginning of the Bergen Faculty of Law’s work to internationalize the curriculum and the research, and to offer study abroad opportunities to our students,” said the statement from Bergen. “Numerous students have had Larry as an inspiring teacher, and the faculty has lost a cornerstone in the internationalization work.”
Bakken was a cornerstone as well in the effort to create and sustain what would become Hamline Law. According to Terry Andrews’ history of the school, in December 1972, when three dozen law students dropped out of their current school in Minneapolis and decided to start a new one, they turned for help to three people who would prove “instrumental” in the new school’s success. One of those was Bakken, the only
faculty member with prior teaching experience.
As was typical for the founders, Bakken wore many hats. He was librarian as well as a faculty member, and he was part of the effort early on to collect books to build the library. He was also crucial to early recruiting efforts. He called 25 law schools around the country asking for names of students those schools had rejected, Andrews reports. “Within 30 days we had 150 students from roughly 30 states,” Bakken said.
“Larry embodied the entrepreneurial spirit of Hamline Law School,” said Emerita Professor Marie Failinger, who taught with Bakken at Hamline Law and served as interim dean.
Emeritus Professor Howard Vogel noted “Larry’s indomitable entrepreneurship in keeping the law school growing all the way through the building of its building on the Hamline campus and the accreditation by the ABA. If not for Larry, what came to be known as Hamline University School of Law would have perished many years ago.”
Raised in West Fargo, North Dakota, Bakken earned a bachelor’s degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, an M.S. in economics from North Dakota State University, a J.D. from the University of North Dakota School of Law, and an LL.M. from the University of Manitoba School of Law.
He developed a love for state and local government service early in life and would later serve 14 years on the city council in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and also as that city’s mayor. He was president of the League of Minnesota Cities and the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities and served on many nongovernmental boards, such as the Hill Library Foundation Board, the Golden Valley City Community Foundation, the Loppet Foundation Advisory Committee, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Advisory Committee. He also helped create a master of arts in public administration degree program at Hamline. Bakken’s work and teaching took him around the world, often accompanied by his wife, Cathy Jacobson.
1955
EUNICE GELB died on Oct. 5, 2023, at the age of 95. She met her husband, Howard, at the University of Minnesota Law School and completed her studies at William Mitchell at a time when few women earned law degrees. She practiced law, traveled all over the world, and was active in the Jewish community and her neighborhood bridge club.
1958
ARTHUR “ART” J. HEIGL, 96, died on Aug. 5, 2023. He worked as a real estate attorney in the banking industry and was honored for his service in World War II in the Merchant Marine.
1966
ROBERT “BOB” L. BULLARD, 90, died on Aug. 4, 2023. He served in the Air Force during the Korean War and was discharged honorably with the rank of captain. He practiced law in St. Paul and Minneapolis until his retirement in 2003.
ROBERT “BOB” E. HALVA, 83, died on Sept. 29, 2023. He practiced law for 40 years in Columbia Heights. He served on the Mounds View school board, was president of the PTA, was a chamber of commerce member, coached Little League, and was married to his high school sweetheart, Sharon, for nearly 65 years.
Don Zibell, CPA and group home founder
Don Zibell ’62 died on March 29, 2024, at the age of 87. He grew up in Roseville, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota before enrolling in William Mitchell. During law school, he began working for the accounting firm Boulay & Co. He became a certified public accountant in 1964 and was made partner of the firm in 1967. He retired from Boulay, Heutmaker, Zibell & Co. in 1990.
Zibell and his wife, Luella, along with another couple, Don and Georgia Severson, established the first group home in Minnesota for people with developmental disabilities. That home, called the Residence, continues to provide services, now as part of Lutheran Social Services. He was a founding member of the Roseville Central Park Foundation, past president of the Roseville Rotary Club, and a member of the boards of Roseville State Bank, Community Resources Bank, Lyngblomsten Foundation, and the Ramsey County Library Foundation.
Zibell served on William Mitchell’s board of trustees from 2004 to 2012. He was a member of the finance committee and served on the feasibility committee for the successful “If Not For Mitchell” campaign, which raised $25 million for the law school. In 2008, he and his wife established the Don Zibell Family Scholarship.
RUSSELL “RUSS” J. SUDEITH died on May 29, 2023, at the age of 83. He spent his entire career at the law firm of Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt specializing in business and corporate law, primarily mergers and acquisitions. After serving as president and chair of the Felhaber Larson board of of directors, he retired after 50 years.
1967
JOHN “JACK” E. REGAN, a Mankato lawyer for over 37 years, died on Feb. 13, 2023, at the age of 82. He worked as an accountant while attending law school in the evening and was married to his high school sweetheart, Carol, for 60 years.
1968
FRANK W. BONVINO, a longtime attorney and general counsel for International Multifoods Corporation, died on Nov. 22, 2023, in Florida, a day before his 82nd birthday.
1969
JAMES R. KONEN died on March 26, 2023, at the age of 80. He served as an assistant Ramsey County attorney as a felony trial attorney for 40 years, 10 of which he spent as director of the criminal division.
1970
JEROME “JERRY” J. HOLMAY, a longtime Saint Paul attorney, died on Feb. 19, 2023, at the age of 79. He was passionate about donating his time and was involved in the pro bono program of the Minnesota State Bar Association that recognizes professionals who donate 50 hours or more per year.
JOHN H. LEMAY, 83, died on May 14, 2023. He served on several nonprofit boards including Living Well Disability Services and Minnesota Diversified Industries. He was an active member of Lakeside Community Lutheran Church, serving on the council and finance, endowment, and call committees.
STEVEN B. SZARKE, 79, died on Nov. 26, 2023. He served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1971 to 1972. He opened his own law office in 1972 and practiced until his retirement in 2018.
1972
MARVIN “MARV” T. FABYANSKE founder of the construction law firm Fabyanske, Westra, Hart & Thomson, died on Aug. 15, 2023 at the age of 78.
1973
STEVEN “STEVE” H. PUCK, a longtime corporate lawyer, died on April 15, 2023, at the age of 79.
STEPHEN “STEVE” D. RADTKE, 82, died on June 21, 2023. He began his career as a high school math and drama teacher but ultimately pursued his passion for law. He spent most of his years in private practice and also served as a Hennepin County Conciliation Court judge.
BURT RISKEDAHL, 83, died on Dec. 12, 2023. In his professional life, he focused on helping families and children, first as a social worker in Duluth and St. Paul, then as a lawyer and then as a judge in Bismarck, North Dakota, where he and his family lived for 42 years.
1975
JOHN R. LEITNER, 74, died on June 23, 2023. In 1978, he was elected Aitkin County attorney, a position he held for 14 years. He was appointed a Minnesota district court judge in 1992. He remained on the bench until he retired in 2009. He served as a lead judge for the Children’s Justice Initiative from 2000 to 2009.
Fred Finch, former HCBA president
Fred Finch ’73 died on Aug. 6, 2023, at 79 years old. He grew up in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota. He graduated from William Mitchell magna cum laude, having served as Student Bar Association president in his 4L year. During his time in student government, Finch helped persuade the administration to start a law review and a clinical program, both initiatives that continue to flourish today. His classmate and former Mitchell Hamline trustee Margaret Leary said of him: “Fred Finch was, from the first moment we in the class of 1973 encountered him, obviously outstanding: intellectually as shown by being ‘first in class’ and a success as a lawyer, and in the Minnesota bar.”
Finch’s career began at Fredrikson & Byron, and in 1990 he joined Bassford Remele. He distinguished himself among his colleagues with his encyclopedic knowledge of the law. He was committed to service to the profession, holding several positions over the years, including president of the Hennepin County Bar Association. His commitment extended to civic engagement, volunteering as a poll worker and election judge every election cycle.
Finch volunteered at Mitchell Hamline and taught as an adjunct. He was a loyal supporter of the annual fund and made a generous bequest to Mitchell Hamline to support student scholarships.
Shirley Brantingham, corporate attorney
Shirley Brantingham ’76 died on Sept. 22, 2023, at the age of 73. A native Minnesotan, she began her undergraduate studies at Carleton College and graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1972. Following her graduation from William Mitchell, she worked for Target Department Stores, Burlington Northern Railroad, The St. Paul Companies and State Farm Insurance. During her time at State Farm, she argued before the Supreme Court on automotive safety restraints and won. Brantingham was an accomplished pilot who owned her own plane. She was very committed to training work with her dog, competing in search-and-rescue scent-training competitions.
She was a consistent supporter of the annual fund, and she volunteered to support William Mitchell’s fundraising efforts. Brantingham included Mitchell Hamline in her estate plan.
BLAIR YOUNGER, 75, died on July 21, 2023. He was an assistant county attorney in Renville County. He later ran a private law practice in Olivia, Minnesota, and served as city attorney for several surrounding towns until his retirement in 2007.
1976
DALE J. MOE, a real estate attorney at Eastlund Hutchinson for over 35 years, died on March 26, 2023, at the age of 74.
BRIAN J. PETERSON, 72, died on May 8, 2023. He was involved in many social justice endeavors in his early law career, most notably with several Native American reservations in Minnesota and South Dakota. He then spent three decades as a criminal defense and civil attorney.
1977
TIM A. GROGG, 75, died July 18, 2023. In 1982, he was appointed judge of Bartholomew County Superior Court 2 in Indiana. He left the bench to work as a corporate attorney, and he spent 20 years working for the state of Indiana in various positions.
BRADLEY “BRAD” O. REINERS 72, died on March 10, 2023. He ran a private law practice in Clara City, Minnesota, and worked with his dad on the family farm from 1977 to 1987. He then devoted himself to professional fundraising, working for colleges and nonprofits for over 30 years.
1979
FRANCES H. GRAHAM, 76, died on Aug. 1, 2023. She was in private practice before becoming chief operating officer of the medical practice her husband had previously started, MINCEP Epilepsy Care. MINCEP was incorporated into the University of Minnesota at the time of their retirement in 2012.
FRANCIS “FRANK” J. RHEINBERGER, a Stillwater lawyer for over 40 years, died on Sept. 17, 2023, at the age of 73.
BARBARA “BARB” A. RUSS, 74, died on March 6, 2023. After law school, she was offered a position at the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office in Duluth, Minnesota, where she would spend her entire legal career, retiring in 2013. She served as one of Duluth’s elected at-large city councilors from 2013 to 2020.
ROBERT “BOB” W. SNYDER, 91, died March 31, 2023. In 1965, he received a doctorate in philosophy from Cornell University and became a professor at the University of Minnesota. While working at the U of M, he attended law school and earned a J.D. in 1979.
1980
CHRIS P. PETERSON, 75, died Feb. 10, 2023. His professional career was defined by service, particularly service to at-risk youth and juvenile delinquents with alcoholism and drug dependency. He held numerous positions within the state prison system and in Ramsey and Washington counties.
JORI L. WHITEHEAD, 73, died on Sept. 25, 2023. She started her legal career at Legal Assistance of Dakota County and then opened her own firm.
1981
MELVIN J. PETERSON, 74, died on Oct. 26, 2023. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War and practiced law for more than 40 years.
1984
SEAN HADE, 73, died on May 2, 2023. In his free time, he enjoyed sailing, golfing, and following Badger sports.
1985
TSIPORA “TSIPPI” WRAY, 68, died April 20, 2023. Born and raised in Israel, she served in the Israel Defense Forces during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, ending her service as an officer. Her career as an attorney, mediator, and judicial officer began in the family law unit of the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis. Over the years, her career included family law private practice; courtappointed guardian ad litem; adjunct professor; child support magistrate; and, finally, family court referee in Hennepin County District Court.
Alphonso ‘Al’ Smaller, staf f member
Al Smaller died on June 2, 2023, at the age of 60. He was a longstanding member of both Mitchell Hamline and the nearby historic Rondo neighborhood. Born in Saint Paul, Smaller was the youngest of nine children in a family with deep roots in Rondo. One of his brothers, Floyd G. Smaller Jr., co-founded Rondo Days, an annual festival celebrating the Rondo neighborhood and its history.
Al Smaller graduated from Saint Paul Central High School in 1979. He went on to get his painting and boiler license, and he began his career at William Mitchell College of Law in 1999 and continued after the school merged with Hamline University School of Law in 2015 and became Mitchell Hamline. He was a member of the union board, a position in which he took great pride.
1986
INTA M. SELLARS, 62, died on June 18, 2023. She became a human services judge in 1998 and was a chief human services judge for 11 years. She was director of the appellate division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services for two years before retirement.
1988
SCOTT R. CARLSON, a commercial litigator, died on Sept. 4, 2023, at the age of 61.
KEVIN E. GARAGHTY, 69, died on Sept. 6, 2023. A fan of bow ties, he owned his own law practice, was an estate planner, tax preparer, gay rights activist, and a volunteer at St. Albert the Great Church.
1991
SARA J. PEOTTER, 74, died on Jan 17, 2023.
1993
VELMA “VIKI” A. KIMSAL 80, died on Oct. 27, 2023. She worked as a staff attorney for Dorsey & Whitney, specializing in Indian law and governance. She left Dorsey in 1996 to pursue her interests in ethical leadership. She served as a program officer for the Northwest Area Foundation and later as an instructor and program director at St. Mary’s University.
1994
GEORGE “PETE” P. WETZEL JR., 60, died on July 2, 2023. After graduating from law school, he purchased a law practice in Brainerd, Minnesota, and later expanded the practice to include an office in Little Falls, where he practiced with his sister Antoinette, who is now a judge.
2006
SHANNON C. CAREY, 47, died on June 11, 2023. She was a lawyer at SiebenCarey in Minneapolis for 19 years. As an attorney, she had the privilege of representing many deserving families who taught her countless life lessons.
2008
NICOLE “NICKI” R. HITTNER, 45, died on July 8, 2023. She was a corporate law partner with a legal practice focusing on mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. She also served as a judicial referee for many years in the Dakota County Conciliation Court.
2010
EZRA C. EBNER, 51, died on Nov. 25, 2023. He came to law school after a career in tech, having worked as a software engineer at Medtronic and other companies. After law school, he volunteered for Volunteer Lawyers Network and Legal Aid.
2013
JOSEPH “JOE” M. SANOW Nobles County attorney, died on July 1, 2023 at the age of 44.
An immigrant’s journey to a career in law
BY BEN OMOROGBE
As an immigrant, my journey from Nigeria to the United States was one of hope, determination, and relentless pursuit of success. I am Ben Omorogbe, and my story is one of overcoming obstacles and shattering barriers in pursuit of the American dream.
Arriving in the U.S. in the early 1980s, I was filled with both excitement and trepidation. Armed with ambition and a thirst for knowledge, I embarked upon my academic journey. Through hard work and perseverance, I earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and an MBA from Southeastern Louisiana University. I started my upward journey to Minnesota, where I joined the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission as a utilities/ telecommunications analyst. At the commission, I encountered great lawyers who appeared before the body. Those lawyers included Amy Klobuchar, then a young lawyer out of the University of Chicago Law School who would eventually become a U.S. senator, and Samuel Hanson, an alum of William Mitchell College of Law who would later become a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. It was from those encounters that my thirst for legal knowledge ensued. I then set my sights on William Mitchell, based on recommendations and encouragement from Justice Hanson and others. As fate would have it, I not only excelled
A Life in the Law
academically but also had the privilege of serving in leadership roles, including serving as president of the Student Bar Association in 1994. I met the most dedicated group of students and professors at the law school and formed a lasting bond that has endured to this day.
After passing the bar exam, I began my legal career in corporate law. I joined the renowned Minneapolis law firm of Gray Plant Mooty (now Lathrop GPM). Climbing the ranks, I made history as the first person of color to achieve partnership—a milestone that filled me with pride and humility. I also served as a member of the board of directors of the alumni association and later the board of trustees of the law school, where I chaired the academic and student affairs committee and served on the audit and finance committee.
But my journey didn’t end there. Driven by a desire to broaden my horizons, after seven-plus years at the law firm, I accepted a position as senior legal counsel with The St. Paul Companies (now Travelers Companies). At Travelers, I held several leadership positions, becoming group general counsel in 2018. In that capacity, I navigated complex legal landscapes, guided by integrity and a commitment to ethical practice. Among other things, I oversaw legal and compliance matters for Travelers’ risk control operations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. After 21-plus years at Travelers, I retired in July 2023.
I received several accolades and recognitions throughout my career, validating the countless hours of dedication and sacrifice. Yet, what truly mattered to me were the relationships I forged along the way, especially those at William Mitchell. I am most grateful for the opportunity I have had to mentor many law students and young lawyers, some of whom are now judges, law firm partners, and business executives.
In retirement, I continue to lend my expertise to various business and civic organizations through service as a director, adviser, and mentor. This has been another way of continuing to give back to my community and a country that has given me so much. My story is a testament to the boundless opportunities afforded by this great nation—a nation where dreams know no bounds, and resilience knows no limits. The success I enjoyed in my legal career would not have been possible were it not for the excellent training and support I received at William Mitchell as well as the everlasting love of my family, especially my beautiful daughter, Jasmine.
BEN OMOROGBE ’95 retired in 2023 from Travelers Companies.
Brian Bender ’12 doubles his impact to help students dealing with tragedy
BY MICHELLE LEE GOODE
Brian Bender ’12 was a 1L when the unthinkable happened. During winter break, he, along with his wife Meredith and their nine-month-old daughter Samantha, took a trip to California to visit relatives. His wife wouldn’t make it back home.
While there, Bender’s wife became very ill. And as time passed, it became apparent that Bender would have to stay in California and not be able to return to school any time soon.
“While I was caring for my wife out of state, it would’ve been very easy for the law school to wash its hands of me,” said Bender. “Instead, school administrators and professors checked on me on a regular basis. They even went so far as to explore transferring to a nearby law school so I could continue my education while staying close to my wife in the hospital.
“I chose against transferring because if the worst were to happen, I would have little support in California.”
Sadly, Bender’s wife passed away on their daughter’s first birthday.
“This was another opportunity for the school to look the other way, but they supported me,” he added. “They put me on a leave of absence so I could get my affairs in order. When I was ready to return, they were very accommodating and allowed me to schedule classes across sections to make sure it worked with my schedule.”
The student body proved to be equally supportive. The class Bender started with was now in its second year together, and the class he joined had had a semester to establish relationships, so he thought he would return as a lone student without a class. Both cohorts embraced him.
Some of his classmates put together a Relay for Life team two weeks before finals to walk or run across a track for 24 hours. Bender’s wife had been a volunteer for the organization, making the gesture extra special.
“Doing something so timeconsuming, so taxing, and so close to finals was a truly selfless act.”
Above: Brian Bender and then-President and Dean Eric Janus sign the Bender Family Memorial Scholarship endowment agreement on Oct. 19, 2011.
Below: Bender with daughter Samantha, son Calvin, and wife Leah.
While still a student, Bender created the Bender Family Memorial Scholarship in his wife’s honor to help other students facing tragedy.
“The outpouring of support I received from the school and its students uplifted me during my time of grief and contributed to my success as a student and attorney,” said Bender. “I’m fortunate to have attended this school during one of the darkest periods of my life. Establishing and continuing to contribute to the Bender Family Memorial Scholarship to give back to students in times of need is the least I can do for Mitchell Hamline.”
Currently, Bender is an intellectual property counsel for 3M legal affairs at its St. Paul headquarters and primarily supports its health information systems division. He takes advantage of his employer’s matching gifts program to double the impact of his gift for Mitchell Hamline students. His daughter, Samantha, is a thriving teenager who enjoys reading, animals, being an older sister to her seven-year-old brother, Calvin, and is interested in a career in veterinary medicine.
To give, visit mitchellhamline.edu/giving
Jared Munster ’24 with his son, Ethan, at commencement.
