How Scholarship Support Allows Passion To Flourish: Earl Lin, 2L

Growing up, Earl Lin, 2L always felt driven to serve the public and work towards a more equitable society. With this drive, Lin worked as a paralegal in Washington, D.C. for six years after graduating from college, where he had the opportunity to be involved in several meaningful cases, many of which involved issues of police accountability. Lin found this work to be immensely rewarding, especially as he learned more about the issue of qualified immunity. But this also sparked a desire to move beyond the support role of a paralegal to one where he could make a bigger difference, so he decided to go to law school to build those skills.

Lin was drawn to Minnesota Law by what he describes as an “undeniable sense of community between students, faculty, alumni, and the greater Twin Cities community.” He saw Minnesota Law’s strong alumni network and deep local bench as a wonderful outgrowth of the tightly knit atmosphere within Mondale Hall. 

Lin expresses, “I was lucky enough to be offered a scholarship to attend Minnesota Law—a scholarship that has made it possible for me to pursue my dream of a career in public interest and hopefully work on the issues I’m most passionate about right after graduation.” 

This past year, Lin was enrolled in Professor Bentley’s new Civil Rights Appellate Clinic. As a clinic student, Lin has been working on cases that involve the constitutionality of juvenile life without parole and qualified immunity for corrections officers—areas of law he deeply cares about. “Getting to work first hand on really important issues at the appellate level as a student has been an incredible opportunity for me and given me practical experience that will undoubtedly serve me well as I begin my career as a lawyer,” shares Lin.

“I am very grateful to be here at Minnesota Law with so many amazing experiences and opportunities in front of me. All of this is possible because of the support of alumni and donors like you, who give back and invest in students like me. Alumni are an important part of what makes this law school so exceptional.”

You can support students like Lin and Minnesota Law’s clinical programs by making a gift today.