Professor Benjamin Casper Sanchez ’97 has been named the 2020 recipient of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association’s Access to Justice Award. 

Professor Kristin Hickman has been named a McKnight Presidential Professor.

The McKnight Presidential Endowed Professorship program at the University “is one of the highest honors for faculty and recognizes highly distinguished, world-class scholars. In recognition of their excellence, the names of all McKnight Presidential Professors are engraved on monuments that line our Scholars Walk.” Recipients are chosen based on their academic and research accomplishments and their contributions to advancing the University among its peers. 

After the tragic killing of George Floyd and resulting civil unrest, Ian Taylor Jr. ’19 felt a need to contribute to the moment in a constructive way.

Duane E. Joseph ’53, a partner with Minneapolis-based Dorsey & Whitney for more than 40 years and a steadfast Minnesota Law benefactor, passed away peacefully in Bonita Springs, Florida, on June 1. He was 91 and had been living with Parkinson’s disease for a number of years.

The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild is honoring Professor Linus Chan for outstanding contributions to the cause of immigrant justice. 

Chan will be recognized as the group’s 2020 Member Honoree during the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Virtual Conference on Wednesday, July 22.

The Minnesota State Bar Association’s (MSBA) New Lawyers Section has named Kyle Kroll ’16 as the 2019-20 recipient of its Outstanding New Lawyer of the Year award.

Kroll, who serves as an adjunct Legal Research and Writing professor at Minnesota Law, is an associate with Winthrop & Weinstine. His complex commercial litigation practice includes class action, antitrust and unfair competition, false advertising, intellectual property, and utilities matters.

Linda Lokensgard, who served as the Law School’s director of facilities and events for 28 years and retired from that post in 2017, passed away peacefully at her home in St. Paul on May 21. She was 58.

Born and raised in Virginia, Minnesota, Lokensgard was a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth. In her position at the Minnesota Law, she had, in the words of Dean Garry W. Jenkins, “a tremendous impact on our Law School community and was a great friend to many here.”

Kurt BlueDog ’77, a major figure in American Indian advocacy, jurisprudence, and legislation for more than four decades, died May 12 of complications from cancer. He was 70.

BlueDog grew up in Waubay, South Dakota, attending Enemy Swim Day School and Waubay High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota in 1972 and served as a signal officer with the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division before enrolling at Minnesota Law.

Intimate Lies and the Law, Professor Jill Hasday’s acclaimed book on the laws governing our closest personal relationships, won a gold medal in the annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year series. Hasday’s book, published by Oxford University Press in 2019, took top honors in the family and relationships category. It also won a bronze medal in the women’s studies category. The Foreword INDIES are open to books published by university or independent presses. This year, more than 2,100 titles were entered in 55 categories.