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Krista Colbert ’27 credits her Cherokee Indian heritage as a factor in steering her towards Minnesota Law: “Encouraging dialogue among people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, while also ensuring that everyone feels heard and respected, is crucial in building a truly inclusive community.” This appreciation for an environment of awareness was nurtured while growing up in New Jersey and being homeschooled. It continued at Furman University where she balanced her academics with her love for ballet, acrobatics, and choreography.

Robert A. “Jim” Randall ’67, retired judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, passed away on August 9, at age 83. Raised in Little Falls, Minnesota, he attended St. John’s Preparatory School and St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, eventually receiving his undergraduate degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, in 1962. While in college, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he earned the rank of Second Lieutenant.

It is with deep sadness that Minnesota Law announces the passing of Professor Emeritus Fred L. Morrison.

John Patterson ’27 grew up in the Twin Cities and is a “double Gopher” with undergrad degrees from the U in Theatre Arts and Sociology of Law, Criminology, and Justice. In addition, he’s a board member of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association where he serves as co-chair of the Student and Recent Alumni Council. That affinity continues with Minnesota Law where he’s finding a welcoming community, “I’ve been amazed at how genuine and accomplished folks are.

Lizzie Harrop ’27 says her family has been her inspiration. She’s lived in several countries with each bringing cultural challenges and her family has always handled change with “grace, humility, and a willingness to learn.” She moved to the U.S. and graduated from the University of North Carolina with a major in international studies and has worked as a district attorney’s assistant and as a budget analyst for the FBI.

Cesar Plascencia ’27 is originally from Whittier, California, but has lived in the Bay Area and New York City where he studied education policy, taught high school humanities, organized for a faculty union, and worked for several political campaigns. During the pandemic, he and some friends created a nonprofit that provided virtual tutoring services and a virtual summer camp. His interest in unions led him to Minnesota Law having earlier studied community unionism within the Saint Paul Federation of Educators.

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. 

CC Rowe ’27 describes herself as a “non-trad student through-and-through” having earned an associate’s degree at 29, a bachelor’s at 37, and now starting law school at 48. She’s coming to the Twin Cities from the city that has “held her soul” for decades: Austin, Texas. There, she was a triathlon and running coach for many years until a series of injuries and illnesses. But she’s now recovered to the point that she’s registered for the Twin Cities Marathon Ultra Loony Challenge where she’ll run a 5K, 10K, and marathon this October.

Professor Emeritus Robert J. Levy passed away on August 16, 2024, at the age of 93, in Aventura, Florida. He was preceded in death by his loving wife the Honorable Roberta (Bobbie) Levy ’64, former Minnesota Law professor (1975-77) and his partner for over 63 years.

Shannon Jankowski ’17 remembers being in law school and having a conversation with a practicing attorney who asked her what courses she enjoyed. When she mentioned First Amendment Law, he had some discouraging words for her.

“‘Everybody thinks they’re going to be a First Amendment lawyer, but a very small percentage end up doing that’,” she recalls him saying.