Minnesota Law Mourns the Passing of Edward Borkon ‘58, Trial Lawyer and Friend to the Law School

Edward H. Borkon ’58, a longtime private practitioner and friend and supporter of the Law School,  passed away on Dec. 3 at the age of 92.

Originally from Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, Borkon came to the Twin Cities in 1948 to attend Macalester College. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and 11th Armored Calvary Division of the U.S. Army.  He subsequently enrolled at Minnesota Law, graduating in 1958.

Edward Borkon '58

Professor Jill Hasday was quoted by the Star Tribune on upcoming Sanford-Fairview merger, and how abortion access and care for transgender youth for Minnesotans may be impacted if Fairview is purchased by a company that resides in a state with a higher level of restriction. Acknowledging incidences where state laws banning abortion have been used to prosecute doctors practicing in other states, Professor Hasday commented, "In all likelihood, the issue will ultimately be fought out in the courts."

Professor Alan Rozenshtein was quoted by Grid and Engadget on the upcoming Supreme Court cases regarding Section 230, Gonzalez v. Google and Twitter v. Taamneh. Both cases question whether companies should be liable for hosting or recommending terrorist-related content online. Noting the legal significance of Section 230, Professor Rozenshtein commented “It is the foundational document, or at least after the First Amendment is the foundational document, and that’s because it has created essentially or permitted the business model that has become so dominant."

Professor Tom Cotter was quoted by the Minnesota Lawyer in an article covering pop star Lizzo's recent successful trademarking of her catch phrase from her song "Truth Hurts". The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reversed its decision based on Lizzo wide accreditation with popularizing the phrase. Professor Cotter shared, “There is always some risk that people will be deterred from engaging in lawful uses of words or other symbols out of fear that they might be infringing someone’s rights, and therefore inviting a potential lawsuit.

Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin was quoted by The Guardian in an article covering the state of Syrian detention camps in Australia. Several Australian boys are facing potential removal, on account of being over 12 years old. Notably, such removal would separate these boys from the rest of their family. Prof. Ní Aoláin stated, “The indefinite, cradle-to-grave, camp-to-prison detention of boys, based on crimes allegedly committed by their family members, is a shocking example of the legal black hole that North-east Syria currently epitomises."

Professor Megan Walsh was interviewed on Kare11 in a segment covering the school's new Gun Violence Prevention Clinic. Partnering with the Minnesota Attorney General's office, the clinic provides students with the opportunity to work pro-bono with clients harmed by gun violence, sales, practices, or manufacturing. Reflecting on the clinic, Walsh shared, "This is my dream. Law schools across the country weren't doing this. We are the first ones in the country to use law school experiential education to address gun violence."

Professor Jon Choi was interviewed on KARE11 about the rise of ChatGPT into the public consciousness. Earlier this month, Prof. Choi and other Minnesota Law professors released a paper examining how well ChatGPT could take a Minnesota Law exam. Professor Choi shared, “There were no typos, perfect grammar, a solid organization. What did it do poorly on? Generally, what we think of as core legal skills. So, the ability to spot potential legal problems. The ability to do deep analysis. Those kinds of things ChatGPT really struggled with.”

In an article in Just Security Prof. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin and co-author Anne Charbord argued the need for repatriating alleged ISIS-linked me from Northeast Syria. Ní Aoláin and Charbord said of the thousands of men and boys captured between 2017 and 2019, and who have been held indefinitely by Syrian Democratic Forces, that "none of these men have ever been brought before a judge to determine whether they are rightfully and lawfully detained, and there is no law that would legally underpin their detention.

Prof. Alan Rozenshtein was quoted in TechTarget on the upcoming Supreme Court Cases involving the Communications Decency Act and the interpretation of Gonzalez v. Google LLC. Rozenshtein said that regardless of how the Supreme Court interprets Gonzalez v.

Professor Charlotte Garden was recently quoted in Law360 about joint labor claims involving labor issues between YouTube Music and Google. Garden agreed the tech sector could see more joint employer allegations as long as companies "are increasingly relying on subcontractors or temporary workers, and there's also this upswing in interest in unionizing in the sector."