News

Carl Auerbach, who served as dean of the Law School from 1972-79 and was the driving force behind the building of Mondale Hall, passed away on April 6 in La Jolla, Calif., after a short illness. He was 100 years old.

The University of Minnesota Law School made a strong showing in the prestigious law journal rankings recently released by Washington and Lee University School of Law. The rankings, which encompass more than 1,500 journals, consider articles published in the preceding eight years and how many times they have been cited in other journal articles or in federal and state court cases.  

On April 6, Anne Dutton (’16) presented oral argument before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Wilfredo Garay-Reyes v. Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney General. The case has attracted national attention, and its outcome could affect thousands of asylum seekers fleeing gang-related persecution in Central America.

On April 6, Anne Dutton (’16) presented oral argument before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Wilfredo Garay-Reyes v. Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney General. The case has attracted national attention, and its outcome could affect thousands of asylum seekers fleeing gang-related persecution in Central America.

The Advocates for Human Rights has announced that it will present Dean David Wippman with its 2016 Special Recognition Award in honor of his career-long human rights work and his stewardship in the creation of the Law School’s pioneering Center for New Americans. Wippman, who is leaving the Law School at the end of the current academic year to assume the presidency of Hamilton College, will receive the award at The Advocates’ annual Human Rights Awards Dinner, to be held June 1 at the Marriott City Center in Minneapolis.

The Law School’s Center for New Americans, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, and Dorsey & Whitney filed a class action lawsuit challenging the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practice of continuing to detain immigrants for months, even after an immigration judge has ruled they cannot be deported to their home countries. The petition argues this practice is unconstitutional.

On behalf of Provost Karen Hanson, we write with an update about the University's search for a new dean of the Law School.

The search committee recently held confidential interviews with a number of outstanding candidates and identified finalists to recommend to the provost for public interviews. The provost has accepted the search committee's recommendations, and the finalists are scheduled to come to campus for public interviews beginning next week.

Krzysztof “Chris” Wysokinski (’16) has been named the winner of the 2016 Bernard P. Becker Law Student Volunteer Award, presented by the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) to a law student who has “demonstrated a commitment to the provision of legal services to low-income and disadvantaged persons.” The honor is one of four Becker service awards given annually by the MSBA; the other three go to working attorneys.

Bridgid E. Dowdal (’94) has been appointed by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to serve as a district court judge in the state’s 10th Judicial District. The 10th Judicial District includes Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright Counties. During his announcement, Governor Dayton praised Dowdal for her “exemplary commitment to public service” and added that her “efforts to serve her community and improve the lives of Minnesotans have made our state better.”

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost has announced that Professor Kristin E. Hickman has been named a Distinguished McKnight University Professor—one of just seven University of Minnesota faculty members to receive the distinction this year.