Meet Minnesota Law’s Incoming Editors-in-Chief for 2024-25

Minnesota Law is excited to announce that four women will lead the University of Minnesota Law School’s law journals in the 2024-25 academic year. We asked them to share a little about their backgrounds, plans for the future, and what they are looking forward to leading their respective journals. The incoming editors-in-chief are Fariza Hassan ‘25, Journal of Law & Inequality; Laura Reyes ‘25, Journal of International Law; Callan Showers ‘25, Minnesota Law Review; and Christhy Le ‘25, Journal of Law, Science & Technology.

Can you share your hometowns and where you went to undergrad?

• FH: I grew up in Maple Grove, Minnesota, and attended the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities for undergrad (Double Gopher!). Before starting law school, I worked at a civil litigation firm here in Minneapolis.

• LR: I grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for undergrad. Before moving to Minneapolis, I spent a year working in Durham, NC at a civil litigation firm.

• CS: I grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota, and attended Stanford University. After graduating in 2019, I lived in Washington, D.C. for two years before moving back to Minnesota.

• CL: I grew up in Syracuse, New York, and attended Brown University for undergrad. Before law school, I spent five years working and living in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Hawaii.

We’d love to hear about your career plans.  What do you hope to do after taking the bar exam?

• FH: I hope to continue working in Minneapolis after taking the bar exam, most likely in the field of civil litigation. This summer I will be working at Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. in their Minneapolis office (and hopefully seeing Laura in the skyways!). 

• LR: I hope to continue working in Minneapolis as a civil litigator in the employment law field. I will be working at Stinson, LLP in downtown Minneapolis this summer, and am excited about occasionally running into Fariza in the skyway!

• CS: I hope to pursue a postgraduate judicial clerkship before beginning my career as a civil litigator in the Twin Cities. I will be a summer associate at Robins Kaplan LLP in Minneapolis.

• CL: I hope to move to Palo Alto to work in technology law. This upcoming summer, I’ll be working in IP litigation for White & Case in Palo Alto.

Do you have a favorite experience (so far) at Minnesota Law?

• FH: I have really enjoyed my clinic experience at Minnesota Law. I feel very grateful to work with Professor Zaragoza and like-minded peers in the Racial Justice Law Clinic. Working on impactful civil rights cases in the local Minneapolis community and developing important skills within the realm of movement lawyering has been an incredibly gratifying experience.

• LR: Picking just one experience out of so many wonderful ones is difficult, but one that jumps out is volunteering for Raise the Bar last year with my close friends at a local consignment store, and then getting some great shopping afterward!

• CS: My favorite memory has to be when a big group of my classmates and I hosted a “field day” after our last 1L final complete with an egg toss and wheelbarrow race.

• CL: I really enjoy hosting people and have organized a number of themed events this past year. It’s reminiscent of my time in New York to be able to meet up with friends after work and build community over good food and drinks. The Minnesota Law community is tight-knit, and I feel unbelievably lucky to have made lifelong friends here.

When you’re not studying, in class, or working on a journal, what do you like to do in your free time?

• FH: I love frequenting the many coffee shops throughout Minneapolis, crocheting, and reading (my most recent read: The Blue Between Sky and Water). And of course, I love spending time with friends and family whenever I can!

• LR: I enjoy trying new restaurants, weightlifting, and going for long walks along Bde Maka Ska. I also love binge-watching reality TV shows and discussing them with friends. 

• CS: During the warmer months, I love playing pickleball, going for bike rides, and swimming at one of our many lakes. In the winter, I like to grab a coffee at Harmony or FRGMT, bundle up, and walk around Nicollet Island or across the Stone Arch Bridge.

• CL: In my free time, I love running, boxing, and making my own clothes by upcycling textiles. I also spend a lot of time trying to tire out my 2-year-old Keeshond pup who always has far too much energy.

What is your favorite activity/restaurant/recommendation in the Twin Cities?

• FH: I love, and always recommend, running/walking around Lake Bde Maka Ska whenever the weather is nice! Some of my go-to coffee shop recommendations are Lake & Bryant Cafe, Bob’s Java Hut, and Canteen, all in South Minneapolis.

• LR: I have only lived in the Twin Cities for about a year and a half, but so far I love walking along St. Anthony Falls and watching the Twins MLB team play in the warmer months.

• CS: For water lovers, swimming at the Webber Natural Pool in North Minneapolis during the summer is my favorite underrated recommendation. For a great bite to eat, you can’t go wrong with Hai Hai or Colita.

• CL: I love running or biking along the Mississippi River! Walking across the Stone Arch Bridge during golden hour is also a surreal experience. I’ve really enjoyed exploring the food scene in Minneapolis and must recommend Estelle, Oro by Nixta, and Sanjusan.

What plans or goals do you have for your journal during your time as editor-in-chief?

• FH: As editor-in-chief of JLI, I will continue pushing for greater accessibility for underrepresented academics and students to ensure their voices are amplified within legal academia. Additionally, I hope to work closely with Minnesota Law administration and fellow EICs to advocate for adequate workload reflection of journal members and work towards eliminating the structural barriers in place for law students seeking to join a journal here at Minnesota Law.

• LR: I look forward to working with our talented Executive Board to shape MJIL’s contribution to legal scholarship involving international law and highlight its impacts on various global communities. I also hope to explore new avenues to promote efficiency, opportunities for professional development, and community among our members. Like my EIC colleagues, I will push for transparency and accessibility within our journal.  

• CS: Together with my excellent team of colleagues on the Executive Board, I hope to increase transparency, deepen community, and further diversity and inclusion goals on the Minnesota Law Review.

•  CL: I hope to bring my work experience at a Fortune 100 and software company to help our journal operate as an efficient and collaborative team. It’s my strong belief that legal scholarship processes can be streamlined to maximize output and prioritize everyone’s time. I’m also looking forward to elevating our journal’s scholarship in pivotal industries like technology, environmental law, and healthcare.

What are you most looking forward to as editor-in-chief?

• FH: I am most excited to work with a team of peers who are as driven and passionate about addressing inequality within the law as I am! I’ve learned that one of the most valuable parts of law school is the community that you build, and I am looking forward to building a strong, collaborative, and uplifting community among Journal of Law & Inequality members so that we can publish important legal scholarship and have fun while doing it! 

• LR: I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such thoughtful and intelligent colleagues, and am most excited to build on our sense of community as a journal by strengthening support systems and promoting group activities. International law is fascinating, so I am also excited to read pieces delving into niche areas as well as more widespread issues.

• CS: Forming relationships with the kind, intellectually curious, and sincere members of the Minnesota Law Review. Through discussing our Notes and blog posts, nerding out in the Articles Selection process, cite-checking at “Bagels and Bluebooking,” and enjoying social events like our Valentine's Day Party and trivia outings, we combine impactful legal contributions with a fun, intentional community.

• CL: I’m looking forward to working closely with my team of editors as we prepare for the incoming class of staffers. My colleagues are incredibly talented, passionate, and diverse, and I couldn’t be more excited about Volume 26. I also hope to empower every journal member to play an active role in the journal’s operations and direction.

Do you have any plans to collaborate with each other in the coming year?

• FH: While we are in the early stages of our EIC roles and have yet to discuss the concrete ways in which the journals will collaborate, I am confident that this team of EICs will work diligently to ensure that the journal onboarding process for incoming members will be fair, just, and accessible for all. I am really looking forward to working with Christhy, Callan, and Laura, and I have full faith in everyone’s joint commitment to upholding the unique values of each journal here at Minnesota Law.

• LR: I could not be more honored to work alongside Fariza, Callan, and Christhy to shape and improve our law journal community. I admire the work ethic, integrity, and intelligence of each of these women and their law journals. It will be a pleasure to openly communicate and collaborate with them this year.

• CS: It is simply a delight to be in the company of Christhy, Fariza, and Laura. I think we are authentic and community-minded people, and I am confident that together we will set up our journals and the incoming staffers for success.

• CL: I’m incredibly excited to work with this group of EICs to ensure incoming staffers find the journal that’s the best fit for them. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know each EIC during my 1L and have a deep respect for the passion and energy they bring to their work at the law school.

Finally, what advice do you have for others who are considering pursuing a leadership role on a law journal?

• FH: Don’t be afraid of exploring a leadership role that speaks to you and your strengths! I did not originally envision myself as someone who would go for the EIC position, but after joining the Journal of Law & Inequality and realizing that my passions and experiences align closely with both the values of the journal and the tasks of the EIC, I pushed myself to go for it. If you’re not sure where your strengths may be best suited, reach out to editors in various positions to see where you may share similarities and help find what works best for you

• LR: One guiding light piece of advice I received as a 1L was to “never be afraid of an opportunity.” As a staffer, I encourage you to be curious, ask your editors how the journal works and how it could improve, and take the time to form relationships with your colleagues. When the time comes to run for leadership positions, do not sell yourself or your unique experiences short. 

• CS: I might have better advice a year from now! But, something Volume 108 EIC Philip de Sa e Silva encouraged me to remember is that everyone on MLR works hard, but not everyone gets an extra-special title. Approaching a position of power with this sense of humility and thoughtfulness will make you a better leader.

• CL: Go for it, and don’t count yourself out! I am only EIC after encouragement from the preceding EIC and EE of my journal to apply. We all have different strengths and passions, and you have something unique to contribute. You made it to Minnesota Law, and the journal will inevitably benefit from you bringing your talents to the leadership team.