News

The Binger Center for New Americans is proud to release its 2024-25 Annual Report.  The report focuses on their collaborative work alongside students, clients and partners from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025.  The report is built around their 2024-28 strategic plan and highlights the Center’s strides in their key strategies. The work of the Binger Center has never been more vital. Their steadfast partners continue to bridge the gaps left by federal cuts, while their collaborations to train and empower lawyers and community advocates have deepened in impact.

When 2L Nathanael Ashton-Piper graduated from the University of Minnesota with degrees in journalism and Spanish, his sights were set on dental school. He had spent years fulfilling the rigorous prerequisites—chemistry, biology, physics, and biochemistry—and was preparing for a stable, more predictable career in dentistry.

Then in 2020, the world changed.

The Joseph P. and Carol Z. Sullivan Health Law Moot Court team delivered an exceptional performance at the National Health Law Moot Court Competition at Simmons Law School at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, from October 31 to November 1, 2025. Minnesota Law teams earned multiple awards, marking the Law School’s strongest showing yet in the competition.

This summer the Human Rights Center supported 14 Minnesota Law students through their fellowship program. The summer f ellowships are a cornerstone of the center, providing the opportunity for students to take otherwise unpaid internships in the areas of human rights and international law.

The Universal Periodic Review is a mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council, where each UN member state’s human rights record is evaluated by other member states every 4.5 years. In August the United States announced that it would not be participating in the review that was set to take place in November 2025.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Kyle Hawkins '09 as Justice, Place 7, on the Supreme Court of Texas for a term set to expire on December 31, 2026. In a press release announcing the appointment, Governor Abbott noted that "Hawkins' tremendous experience will be an asset to the highest court in Texas as he remains steadfast in his dedication to the rule of law."

The Honorable Michael A. Young ’73 passed away on September 9 at age 78. Young was born in Faribault, spent his early years in St. Cloud, and graduated from Wayzata High School in 1965. After attending St. Olaf College, he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota. He then enrolled at the University of Minnesota Law School and graduated in 1973.
 

On October 15-17, Human Rights Center Distinguished Alumni Fellow Judge LaJune Lange ’78, Research Fellow Alejandra Arboleda ’26 and Undergraduate Research Intern Caleb Masi traveled to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland to participate in the 24th session of the

The Gun Violence Prevention Clinic, led by Professor Megan Walsh, collaborated with the Minnesota Attorney General's Office in State of Minnesota v.