News

Law firms and corporations are embracing non-lawyer patent professionals such as patent agents, technical specialists, and specialists. Gallium Law specializes in patent law and hires both, USPTO-registered JD and non-JD graduates from Minnesota Law as patent attorneys (JD) and patent agents (non-JD).

MRI has transformed neuroscience research over the past 50 years, but research participants have had to travel to the scanner. With the advent of highly portable magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI), the scanner will now come to them. This portable technology will allow for more inclusive research with new communities and will enable researchers without access to conventional MRI to study the brain.

In the legal profession, few accomplishments rival the prestige and significance of securing a judicial clerkship. It’s a pinnacle achievement that sets the stage for a promising legal career, offering invaluable experiences, mentorship, and insights into the inner workings of the judicial system. With a limited number of state and federal judgeships, securing a judicial clerkship is immensely competitive.

Governor Tim Walz announced the appointment of Minnesota Law alum Luis Rangel Morales '13 as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District. Rangel Morales will replace the Honorable Shawn M. Moynihan and will be chambered in Hastings in Dakota County.

William J. Lockhart ’61, passed away on April 16, at age 90. Lockhart was born in Los Altos, Calif., and later moved to Minneapolis. His father was William B. Lockhart, who was dean of the Law School from 1958 to 1972. He graduated from the University of Minnesota before serving three years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, with two of those years as supply officer on a destroyer in Asia. He earned his J.D.

Professor Kristin Hickman has been named Minnesota Law's Associate Dean for Faculty and Intellectual Life, beginning this summer. Hickman is the McKnight Presidential Professor of Law, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor, and the Harlan Albert Rogers Professor of Law. She is a leading authority in the fields of tax administration, administrative law, and statutory interpretation.

2Ls Leah Kanihan ’25 and Madeleine Kim ’25 joined Minnesota Law’s Gender and Sexuality Moot Court team, fueled by a passion for advocating for people affected by this deeply personal area of law. So, Kim was disappointed when she learned that their team would represent the petitioners, requiring the pair to make the case for something they do not support.

In the fall of her 2L year, Amy Cohen ’24 took Professor JaneAnne Murray’s evidence class. At the time, Cohen was weighing her clinical choices and Murray encouraged her to consider the Clemency Project Clinic, which advocates for individuals serving disproportionately long prison sentences.

“JaneAnne said to me, ‘There are many people are serving longer-than-needed sentences,’” recalls Cohen. “That stuck with me and drew me to the clinic.”

Three 2024 Minnesota Law graduates capped their law school experience with a first-place finish in a prestigious national moot-court competition.

Maria Pfister ’24, Poojan Thakrar ’24, and Hanna Weil ’24 were members of the Minnesota Law team that took away top honors at the Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition at Pace University in New York. The team competed against 53 other teams in the largest event of its type in the U.S.

Minnesota Law Students Brianna Attamante ’25, Yessenia Gutierrez ’26, Noah Madoff ’26, and Caleb Waugh ’26 have been awarded 2024 Peggy Browning Fellowships in workplace justice advocacy. Over 3,950 law students nationwide applied for the fellowships with 117 students receiving the awards.