Can you share a bit about your background? Where are you from? Where did you go to undergrad? Where did you work over the summer, or where will you work this summer?
I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin about 50 miles from the Twin Cities called Star Prairie. I left the Midwest to earn my undergraduate degree at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Before law school, I completed a Watson Fellowship, where I traveled around the world for a year investigating the choice and experience of returning home from collective displacement – from genocide, indigenous eviction, deportation, nuclear disaster, armed conflict, and arbitrary detention. During my summers at Minnesota Law, I have worked as a Summer Associate at Freshfields in New York City and as a Law Clerk at the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office in Minneapolis.
Congratulations on being named the next editor-in-chief for the Minnesota Journal of International Law. Can you tell us what you’re most excited about as the new editor-in-chief?
I am excited to publish engaging, front-of-the-field scholarship and make sure that being on journal is a meaningful experience for everyone on the team. Right now, I am focused on meeting the incoming staffers and collaborating with the editors to streamline our article review and publication process. I am also excited to continue to expand the launch of the Journal’s new digital supplement, Lex Specialis.
What role did you recently serve on the Minnesota Journal of International Law?
I was a staff member on our Vol. 35 team, so I checked source material and citations for the articles we published. I also wrote a student note about corporate liability for technologically assisted human rights violations that will be published in the upcoming year.
We’d love to hear about your career plans. What do you hope to do after taking the bar exam next year?
After graduation, I will clerk for a federal district court judge in Minnesota. Long term, I hope to practice international human rights law.
Do you have a favorite experience (so far) at Minnesota Law?
My favorite experience has been working on a criminal appeal as a student attorney in the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic, where we challenged the scope of an officer’s authority during a traffic stop. I also really enjoyed participating in the Sullivan Health Law Moot Court Competition team. I had so much fun working with my fellow classmates and professors in the clinic and competition team, and learned so much throughout the process.
When you’re not studying, in class, or working on a journal, what do you like to do in your free time?
I love to get outside and spend time with my friends and family. Every Sunday evening, a law school friend and I go mountain biking – it’s the perfect antidote to “Sunday scaries.” I also enjoy cross country skiing and reading all kinds of non-law-related books.
What are some of your favorite activities to do in the Twin Cities?
I am a huge fan of all the public parks and trails in the Twin Cities. I like to bike in Theodore Wirth Park, run around the chain of lakes, and try new restaurants. I also love how accessible other great parts of the Midwest are from the Twin Cities – like Lake Superior and northern Wisconsin.
What is one thing that surprised you about Minnesota Law?
When I started law school as a 1L, I feared I was entering an ivory tower. But almost immediately, I got hands-on experience and have been surprised by how integrated practical learning is into the curriculum. Since my 1L year, I have externed with a federal judge, participated in a moot court competition team, and worked on a real criminal appeal as part of a clinic.
What plans or goals do you have for your journal during your time as editor-in-chief?
As EIC, I’m hoping to continue to build momentum around our new digital supplement, Lex Specialis. I also hope to streamline and improve our article review processes, and make sure that being on MJIL helps staffers and editors gain skills they’ll use in legal practice after graduation.
Do you plan to collaborate with the other EICs in the coming year?
Yes! I’m very much looking forward to collaborating with McKenzie, Lola, and Sophia to promote all the great scholarship coming out of Minnesota Law.
Finally, what advice do you have for others who are considering pursuing a leadership role on a law journal?
Nobody will raise your hand for you. Go for it!