News

The University of Minnesota Law School is delighted to welcome the Class of 2027! Comprising a diverse and talented group of 195 individuals, the incoming class promises to continue the Law School's tradition of producing exceptional lawyers who make a difference in their communities.

During the spring semester, second-year law student Madeleine Kim ’25 spent hours poring over reports about the Nepali Civil War, which lasted a decade starting in the mid-1990s. She dug into the nuances of Nepali law, researched legislative reforms that happened in the aftermath of the war, and studied their impact on women and the LGBTIQ+ community. 

At the end of February, Minnesota Law welcomed Professor Michele B. Goodwin to deliver the 9th Annual MLK Convocation in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While Dr. King is well known for his advocacy concerning racial acceptance and equality, Goodwin and Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ra’Shya Ghee ’13 reminded audience members of King’s often forgotten legacy of promoting reproductive justice during the MLK Convocation entitled, “Dr.

Leaders of the Minneapolis NAACP and Urban League–Twin Cities had no idea that they were being surveilled online by Minneapolis police officers for as long as a decade until the Minnesota Department of Human Rights revealed the practice in its 2022 report on racially discriminatory policing in the city.

The University of Minnesota Law School is proud to welcome the Class of 2026! Comprising a diverse and talented group of 218 individuals, the incoming class promises to continue the Law School's tradition of producing exceptional lawyers who make a difference in their communities, the nation, and the world.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has nominated Minnesota Law alum and Hennepin County Chief Judge Toddrick Barnette '92 to serve as the city’s next community safety commissioner, the mayor’s office announced in a news release.

Fascinated with human psychology and the law, incoming 1L Jadyn Lovelady ’26 planned to pursue a career as a forensic psychologist. She thoroughly enjoyed her work counseling youth in the juvenile justice system. But even as she was building trust with clients and helping them get on a better path in life, she realized she could make a bigger impact as a lawyer. 

William McGeveran, Gray, Plant, Mooty, Mooty & Bennett Professor of Law, stepped into the role of interim dean of the Law School on July 1. To this critical role, Dean McGeveran brings 17 years of experience as a faculty member, four years as associate dean of academic affairs, and deep enthusiasm for the Minnesota Law community.

Minnesota Law alum the Honorable Natalie Hudson '82 has been appointed chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court by Governor Tim Walz. Hudson will be the first chief justice of color and the first Democratic-appointed judicial branch leader in 25 years.

Governor Walz told Minnesota Public Radio, “I know that she will use her decades of judicial experience and deep understanding of our justice system to lead the Judicial Branch with a steady hand and strong conviction.”

In her role as U.N. Special Rapporteur on the protection of rights while countering terrorism, Prof. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin held a press conference on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, to report on her end-of-mandate visit to Syria where she called attention to the lingering “mass arbitrary detention” in Syria's infamous al-Hol camp and others like it that she saw during her trip to the region last week—a visit that was billed as the first visit of its kind by an independent human rights expert.