News

The Law School’s new Civil Rights Appellate Clinic recently helped prepare and file an amicus brief in a Minnesota Supreme Court case contesting the legality of a police search of a woman’s shoulder purse during a vehicular stop.

Minnesota Law's new Racial Justice Law Clinic, led by associate clinical professor Liliana Zaragoza, is highlighted today in the University of Minnesota's newly launched "Building a Better World" series. The series focuses on ways in which the University "is adapting to the needs of a rapidly changing world by creating new ways of thinking, of doing, and of being." 

Professor JaneAnne Murray was elected to serve on the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at the association’s annual meeting.

Elizabeth (“Betz”) Bentley recently joined Minnesota Law as a visiting assistant professor of law and the director of our new Civil Rights Appellate Clinic.  Her impressive legal background includes serving as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, as well as clerking for two other federal judges. She also worked at Jones Day and served as special counsel to Senator Amy Klobuchar and the Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson. 

Although Minnesota Law’s new Civil Rights Appellate Clinic won’t be offered to students until the spring 2023, its newly-hired faculty director has already filed the clinic’s first amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Steve Meili has been elevated to rank of full professor and faculty research librarian Scott Dewey has received promotion and continuous appointment as associate librarian. 

The two academic promotions, newly approved by the Board of Regents, are effective in August.

Minnesota Law students have helped win a decisive second victory allowing a man to reunite with family in the United States and potentially sparing others from unlawful repeated removal actions in a key ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

The Sixth Circuit’s opinion in Jasso Arangure v. Garland serves as a significant check on federal prosecutorial power in administrative immigration proceedings, according to clinical professor Nadia Anguiano-Wehde ’17.

A new clinic Minnesota Law will launch next fall will offer name, image, and likeness (NIL) legal assistance to students with NIL needs, including college athletes and social media influencers of all types.

 Created in partnership with the law firm of Fredrikson & Byron, the Sports and NIL Clinic will help its student clients navigate the tricky legal waters of sponsorships, endorsement deals, and image licensing. 

Kendra Saathoff, 3L, has dedicated herself to supporting survivors of domestic violence. She’s now asking Minnesota lawmakers to join her by passing a bill that could reduce the sentences of victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or sex trafficking who commit crimes as a result of their abuse.

Saathoff, a student director of the Law School’s Clemency Clinic, has spent the last year working with Professor JaneAnne Murray, who oversees the clinic, to draft the Survivors’ Justice Act.

Professor JaneAnne Murray was awarded the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Champion of Justice Legal Award on February 26 during the Association’s Midwinter Meeting in Austin, Texas.

Champion of Justice Awards are bestowed upon those individuals who—through legislative, journalistic, philanthropic, or humanitarian pursuits—have staunchly preserved or defended the constitutional rights of American citizens and have endeavored to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime.