News

Laurance R. Waldoch ’69 passed away on June 23 at age 81. He was raised in Forest Lake, Minnesota, on his family’s farm. He was a 1969 graduate of the University of Minnesota Law school, graduating cum laude.

Professor Roger C. Park, a former University of Minnesota Law School professor and scholar has passed away. Park was a leading authority in evidence law whose scholarship played a central role in shaping both legal education and the doctrinal development of evidentiary rules in the United States. Following his 22 years at Minnesota Law, he taught at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) from 1994 to 2025. 

The University of Minnesota Law School is thrilled to announce that Rebecca Hollander-Blumoff is joining the faculty as the Harlan Albert Rogers Professor in Law beginning fall 2026.

A Master of Science in Patent Law can help STEM professionals in science, technology, and engineering,  leverage their technical expertise to protect inventions and shape innovation policy. A patent law degree program equips professionals with the legal and technical fluency necessary for navigating patents and intellectual property systems.

Many people assume you need a Juris Doctor (JD) degree to work in patent law. However, you can actually pursue a number of rewarding careers in patent law without a doctorate degree — especially if your undergraduate background is in engineering, technology, or a scientific field.

So, what is the best degree for patent law career paths? Do you need a law degree for the patent bar? What do you need to understand for patent law work?

The University of Minnesota Law School mourns the passing of Judge David S. Doty ’61, one of our most distinguished alumni, a devoted supporter of Minnesota Law, and one of the most influential jurists in the history of the federal judiciary in Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota Law School’s Human Rights Center and European Digital Rights (EDRi) jointly hosted a hybrid presentation and discussion of a new policy paper, A Legal and Political Assessment of the Pall Mall Process in Brussels, on Thursday, June 11, in Brussels and online.

Four Minnesota Law Students, Nathanael Ashton-Piper ’27, Frannie Mace ’28, William Olson ’27, and Cesar Plascencia ’27, have been awarded 2026 Peggy Browning Fellowships in workplace justice advocacy. Over 3,300 law students nationwide applied for the fellowships, with 103 students receiving the awards.

Ward C. Schendel passed away on April 23 at age 73. He was a resident of Vancouver, Washington. He was a 1974 graduate of Augsburg University and went on to the University of Minnesota Law School where he graduated in 1977. 

Earlier this semester, Minnesota Law won the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) Regional Competition held in Philadelphia. Thirty-two teams competed for the chance to advance to the national rounds to be held in Chicago in April 2026. Two teams of Minnesota Law students performed exceptionally well, earning multiple team and individual awards.