In April of last year, the Obama administration launched a clemency initiative aimed at reducing the sentences of long-term, nonviolent federal inmates. Deputy Attorney General James Cole described the program's goal in terms of fundamental justice: to ameliorate the sentences of those who had been subject to "older, stringent punishments that are out of line with sentences imposed under today's laws."
Over the past three years, the ongoing partnership between the University of Minnesota and four law schools in Colombia's Department of Antioquia—known as "La Alianza," or "The Alliance"—has improved awareness of and support for human rights in the region. In its most recent success, La Alianza's critical findings and recommendations regarding the status of children in Antioquia have been endorsed by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The Internal Revenue Service has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Law School's Robert M. Mankoff Tax Clinic. The funds will help support the clinic's work in two areas: representing low-income taxpayers who have disputes with the IRS, and doing community outreach to such taxpayers, many of whom are not fluent in English, in an effort to prevent tax problems before they can arise.
A forthcoming study co-authored by Professor Francis Shen finds that Republicans and Independents are more likely to disapprove of neuroscience-based legal reforms if those reforms are seen as being too lenient on criminal defendants. Given the growing influence of the field of "neurolaw"—which integrates neuroscience into the legal system in a variety of ways—the finding is likely to have far-reaching implications.
The Federal Bar Association has announced that Eleanor Wood (’16) is the winner of the 2015 Donald C. Alexander Writing Competition for her article "Rejecting Tax Exceptionalism: Bringing Temporary Treasury Regulations Back in Line with the APA." This marks the second straight year that a Law School student has placed first in the competition; Matthew Hu (’14) was the winner last year. As the winning author, Wood will receive $2,000 and a trip to the FBA Section on Taxation's annual tax law conference, to be held March 5-6 in Washington, D.C.
The ABA Section of Taxation has announced that Frank DiPietro (’14) is a recipient of the Christine A. Brunswick Public Service Fellowship for 2015-17. During the term of his fellowship, DiPietro will work with the Law School's Center for New Americans and its Robert M. Mankoff Tax Clinic to help immigrants deal with tax issues that may prevent them from becoming U.S. citizens. DiPietro also plans to work with the Tax Clinic and the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans to provide tax and legal advice to veterans, particularly those on fixed incomes.
At its mid-year meeting in Houston, Texas, today, the American Bar Association (ABA), has approved a resolution calling for an end to the practice of sentencing children to life-in-prison-without-parole and urging "meaningful periodic opportunities for release." Resolution 107C is sponsored by Kelly Mitchell, Executive Director of the University of Minnesota Law School's Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice.
Two teams from the Law School are just back from four intense days of mock trial arguments at the regional level of the annual Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition. One team earned Regional Champion honors and will compete at the national finals next month; the other team also made a strong showing, placing 10th out of the 24 teams participating.
In June 2012, in the case of Miller v. Alabama, the United States Supreme Court held that it was unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to mandatory life-without-parole. Miller was the third Supreme Court case in seven years to hold that juveniles are constitutionally different from adults due to their lack of maturity, vulnerability to negative influences, and capacity for change. The decision invalidated sentencing laws in 28 states, including Minnesota.
