The University of Minnesota Law School hosted a two-day conference on September 25 and 26, 2025, “The New New Behavioral Law and Economics,” organized by Professor Claire Hill, James L. Krusemark Chair in Law. The event examined two areas defined by profound uncertainty — finance and climate — and brought together leading scholars and experts to share insights and research. Among the featured speakers was Dr. Brian Klaas of University College London, who delivered a thought-provoking keynote address.
Minnesota Law’s Class of 2025 achieved an impressive 97% bar passage rate for first-time test takers.
On September 15, 2025, Minnesota Law welcomed members of the Swedish delegation, distinguished faculty of Uppsala University. Current and former Law School faculty and past exchange students joined the Uppsala representatives at a celebratory reception in honor of more than 40 years of collaboration, friendship, and exchange between the University of Minnesota Law School and Uppsala University’s Faculty of Law. Dean Anna Singer, Uppsala University Faculty of Law, presented the Law School with a copy of the 1783 Treaty of Amity and Commerce Between the United States and Sweden.
On September 29, 2025, James L. Chosy ’89 delivered the 2025 Matheson Lecture on Corporate Governance, titled “Challenges for Today’s General Counsel.” Chosy, senior vice president and general counsel for U.S. Bank, drew on more than two decades of experience as a public company general counsel to offer thoughtful reflections on the evolving demands and responsibilities of the role.
On October 6, 2025, Minnesota Law hosted a panel discussion previewing selected cases in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2025–26 term. Kristin Hickman, associate dean for research and intellectual life and Distinguished McKnight University Professor, moderated the conversation, joined by Nicholas Bednar ’16, associate professor of law; June Carbone, Robina Chair in Law, Science, and Technology; and Sam J. Merchant, associate professor of law. The panel offered thoughtful analysis of several closely watched cases — including Trump v. Wilcox; Office of Personnel Management v. American Federation of Government Employees; Little v. Hecox; West Virginia v. B.P.J.; Rutherford v. United States; and Carter v. United States — and examined their potential to shape the legal landscape in the years to come.
Pamela Foohey will join Minnesota Law as a professor of law in fall 2026. She is currently the Allen Post Professor of Law at the University of Georgia School of Law and a leading scholar in bankruptcy law, commercial law, and consumer finance. Foohey’s research centers on empirical studies of bankruptcy and related legal systems, blending quantitative and qualitative methods to uncover new insights. She is the co-author of a new book Debt’s Grip: Risk and Consumer Bankruptcy (University of California Press, Aug. 2025). Her work on business bankruptcy includes a particular focus on nonprofit entities, especially how religious organizations navigate the bankruptcy process.
On September 8, 2025, Minnesota Law hosted a Mornings at Mondale CLE featuring Prof. Myron Orfield, Earl R. Larson Professor of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law. Orfield discussed how states — particularly Minnesota — can use their own constitutions and legal frameworks to safeguard civil rights, highlighting recent state cases that challenge segregated schools and neighborhoods under the Minnesota Constitution. He also reflected on the legacy of University of Minnesota alumni, including Whitney Young, Roy Wilkins, and Hubert Humphrey, who played pivotal roles in the national civil rights movement following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. Their leadership helped pave the way for landmark legislation in 1964, 1965, and 1968 that significantly advanced equal opportunity.