News

Law School students Katie Ziomek (’17) and Kristin Emmons (’17) won a pair of recent intellectual property moot court competitions.

In a regional competition in Boston, Ziomek and Emmons defeated teams from Columbia Law School, Georgetown Law, Boston University School of Law, Suffolk Law School, and the University of New Hampshire School of Law. The victory earned them entry into a national IP moot court competition next month in Washington, D.C.

Andrea Walsh (’88) has been named chief executive officer of HealthPartners, a Minnesota-based nonprofit with 1,700 physicians, seven hospitals, 55 primary care clinics, 23 urgent care clinics, and numerous specialty care clinics.

Walsh will replace Mary Brainerd, the current top executive, who plans to retire in June.

“I’ve been fortunate to work closely with Mary for much of my career,” said Walsh. “I look forward to leading HealthPartners and continuing our focus on providing the best and most affordable care and coverage for our patients, members, and the community.”

A team of Law School students won the 2017 Clara Barton International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Competition, which is conducted by the American Red Cross. Students Peter Grenzow, Brendan Delany, and Amanda McAllister, all 3Ls, traveled to Washington, D.C., for the competition.

The Law School team defeated UCLA in the semifinals and the U.S. Air Force Academy in the finals. The semifinal topic centered on the legality of autonomous weapons. In the finals, participants simulated a war crimes trial at the International Criminal Court.

LL.M. students at the Law School now have a unique way to gain practical experience, working with actual clients on real legal matters, in a new pro bono program begun by Karen Lundquist, assistant professor of ESL and legal skills. Lundquist, who also teaches legal writing in the LL.M. program, launched the pro bono opportunity in collaboration with LegalCORPS, a Minnesota nonprofit that provides free legal assistance in transactional matters to low-income entrepreneurs and innovators and small nonprofits in the state.

The Burton Foundation has announced that Alysha Bohanon (’17) is the winner of a 2017 Distinguished Legal Writing Award—one of just 10 students from U.S. law schools to be so honored. In the 18 years since its creation, Law School students have snared a Burton Award nine times.

The National Jurist has named Nadia Anguiano (’17) as one of its “Law Students of the Year.” The magazine asked more than 200 law schools for “stories of their most devoted students with unparalleled attitudes” and selected 25 individuals from among the nominees, based on such factors as leadership, focus, and commitment to justice. Anguiano is the top honoree (of five) in the Midwest region. Last year, then-Law School student Rajin Olson (’16) was similarly recognized.

Five students from the Human Rights Litigation and International Advocacy Clinic—Amanda McAllister (’17), Mary Beall (’18), Myounghee (Denise) Choung (’18), Kathryn Marquis Hirsch (’18), and Jonathan Mansker (’18), along with Professor Jennie Green—recently travelled to Geneva to observe and participate in the periodic review of Sri Lanka during the 66th session of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has appointed Emily J. Eschweiler (’02) to lead the three boards that oversee the court’s attorney regulatory functions. In this position, Eschweiler will serve as the director of the Minnesota Board of Law Examiners, the Board of Continuing Legal Education, and the Board of Legal Certification. She has served as the assistant director and counsel for the three boards since 2011. Eschweiler will succeed Margaret Fuller Corneille, who has held the post since January 1987. Corneille’s retirement will be effective April 4.

The American Law Institute has announced that it will award its Young Scholars Medal to Professor Daniel Schwarcz of the Law School. The award is presented every other year at the ALI’s annual meeting to one or two outstanding early-career law professors whose work has the potential to influence improvements in the law. Colleen V. Chien of Santa Clara University School of Law will also receive the Young Scholars Medal this year.

Allen Cook Barr (’17) has been named the winner of the 2017 Scribes Law Review Award for his note, “Guardians of Your Galaxy S7: Encryption Backdoors and the First Amendment,” published in the Minnesota Law Review (Vol. 101, Issue 1). The prize has been given annually since 1987 by Scribes: The American Society of Legal Writers.