Kelly Zech, 1L, served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy specializing in operations for six years. Most recently, she served as a stay-at-home mom managing three children for seven years. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, where she obtained dual degrees in Management Information Systems and Entrepreneurial Management.

Welcome to the Minnesota Law class of 2022! Could you describe your naval experience and how it connects to your decision to study law?

The Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice and Ramsey County Community Corrections have been awarded a $197,000 grant to conduct a joint in-depth research and data-analysis project on the drivers of probation failures.

Carlton Hemphill, 1L, was formerly an aerospace engineer in Florida and before that an intern at NASA. He has his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Wichita State University.

Welcome to the Minnesota Law class of 2022! You a former aerospace engineer. Could you discuss that a bit, including your work connected with the Blue Angels? 

“Students who want to work in environmental and energy fields need exposure and training in all three disciplines of law, policy and business,” says Gabe Chan, an assistant professor at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs who focuses on the science, technology, and the environment.

With a bachelor’s in Biology, Health and Medical Sciences from Minnesota State University Moorhead, Loida Guajardo, 1L, wants to put her STEM background to work in the dynamic field of intellectual property law. While she considers herself generally reserved, she volunteered to speak at her commencement because she felt she had an important message to deliver.

Welcome to the Minnesota Law class of 2022! You were the commencement speaker at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). Could you discuss that experience a bit?

Amy B. Monahan, Associate Dean for Research & Planning and Melvin C. Steen Professor, was recently inducted as a fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel (ACEBC).

Before she was a 1L, Madeline Van Ert was a Miss Minnesota. She won the coveted title in 2016 and then went on to be named Miss Congeniality in the Miss America competition. Her diverse C.V. also includes auditioning for “American Idol.” A native of Rochester, Minnesota, Van Ert attended undergraduate school at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Latin.

Wendy Tien ’93, tax division manager in the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, was recently appointed to the Minnesota Tax Court. Her term will expire in 2025.

Tien is a former deputy assistant director in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Oversight, where she led a federal regulatory unit that promotes consumer financial protection.

She previously was as a partner with Baltimore-based Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler and an associate with New York-based Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP.

Meet Matt Jacobs, who, in addition to being a first-year law student, is a budding entrepreneur. A graduate of the University of Oregon with bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Spanish as well as a master’s in Philosophy, he owns Mad Genius Escape Rooms in Portland, Oregon. He also spent five years working as a brewer.