News

Back in November, we reported that two teams of Minnesota Law students performed extraordinarily well in the regional competition of the National Moot Court Competition held in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Both teams advanced to the semifinal rounds and the team representing Petitioner/Respondent advanced to the national rounds of the competition, which was held in New York City in January 2024. The team that advanced to New York had an outstanding showing, reaching the quarterfinals of the national round.

Appearing at the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador in 2015, American citizen Sandra Muñoz and her husband, Luis Ernesto Asencio-Cordero, applied for a visa that would allow him to immigrate to the United States and become a lawful permanent resident. In short order and without explanation, they learned that the consular official denied Asencio-Cordero’s visa. Asencio-Cordero was forced to remain in El Salvador while Muñoz returned home.

The University of Minnesota Law School is thrilled to welcome Ilan Wurman to our faculty as an associate professor of law, with tenure, beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.

Governor Tim Walz appointed Minnesota Law alum Court of Appeals Judge Theodora Gaïtas ’94 to the Minnesota Supreme Court on Monday, April 22. 

Walz also appointed Stearns County Chief Judge Sarah Hennesy to the state Supreme Court. Gaïtas and Hennesy will fill the seats held by retiring Justices Margaret Chutich and G. Barry Anderson, returning the court to a female majority for the first time since 1994.

Students from the James H. Binger Center for New Americans’ Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic (FILC) secured an important victory for their client, Walid Abdulahad, in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. In an opinion issued April 11th, the Sixth Circuit ruled that the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) failed to properly consider evidence that Mr. Abdulahad had presented to show that he would face torture if forced to return to Iraq, his country of origin.

Tyler Blackmon '24 and Patience McHenry '26 were named Next Generation Leaders by the American Constitution Society (ACS). ACS has selected 34 up-and-coming legal professionals as 2024 Next Generation Leaders (NGL). Launched in 2007, the Next Generation Leaders (NGL) program recognizes and supports law school students who have shown exceptional leadership in their work with their ACS

It didn’t take long for Adam Mikell ’23 to decide where he wanted to spend his time doing pro bono work—the Business Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic. After serving as the clinic’s student director in his last year at Minnesota Law, the corporate finance attorney in his first year at Stinson LLP has a special place in his heart for it.

Chad Nowlan '24 has received the University of Minnesota President's Student Leadership and Service Award. He joins students from across the University who have shown exemplary leadership and service to their respective communities.