A few seats remain for Dean's Dinner on Nov. 18

It's not too late to reserve a seat for the 2009 Dean's Dinner, to be held November 18 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. This year's program will feature keynote speaker Matt Miller. Miller has been called one of the "most original thinkers" in journalism by television's public affairs program, The McLaughlin Group. He is the author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller, "The 2% Solution: Fixing America's Problems in Ways Liberals and Conservatives Can Love," which includes agenda-setting ideas and creative, common-sense solutions for some of America's biggest political problems.

Miller writes a monthly column for Fortune magazine and is an award-winning contributor to The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly and other national magazines. He is a commentator for NPR's Morning Edition and hosts "Left, Right & Center," a political week-in-review program aired on public radio stations across the country. He is a senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company and to the McKinsey Global Institute, the firm's in-house think-tank. Miller also is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

The annual Hamline University School of Law Dean's Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception, with dinner and the keynote presentation to follow. Individual tickets are $175. For more information, contact Hamline Alumni Director Susan Stephan at 651-523-2338 or sstephan01@hamline.edu.

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Panel Explores the Role of Citizen Lawyers

Staying passionate about legal work enables attorneys to “open a door wider on a more equitable basis,” said Hamline alumnus Jorge Saavedra ‘96, who most recently served as the chief legal officer at Centro Legal. Saavedra (far left) joined (from left) District Judge Donovan Frank '77, Hamline 2L student Jens Loberg, St. Paul City Attorney John Choi ‘95, and Dan Prokott '01 at the “Beyond the Pro Bono:  Citizen Lawyer,” CLE program on October 8 at Hamline. Panelists emphasized the strong role mentorship experiences have played in their own careers, ranging from tutoring programs and making personal connections to specific legal work. They also agreed that lawyers bear an ethical duty to serve as an advocate for others.

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Civil Rights Focus of Recent Program

The impact of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department was the focus of a panel discussion at Hamline Law School on October 22. Four professionals from the department-- Toni Newborn, Taneeza Islam (HUSL Alum), Omar Mallick (HUSL), and Ronald Brandon II-- shared their perspective on the significance of their legal work surrounding civil rights and discrimination. They each emphasized the importance of establishing probable cause in all cases and remaining unbiased until sufficient evidence is found in a complaint. Panelists also encouraged current Hamline law students interested in the field to develop bonds with both professors and professionals in the field now, participate in clinics whenever possible, and to seek potential internships within the Civil Rights department. Top

New E-Mentoring Program Needs Moniker

Hamline's Career Services Office and Office of Alumni Relations will soon announce an exciting new facilitated networking program designed to connect students and alumni via the Internet. Before the program "goes live," alumni are invited to contact CSO Director Nancy Lochner at 651-523-2470 with ideas for naming this next generation mentoring program. We welcome your creative input!

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Community Conversation on Health Reform a Success

It was standing room only at the recent "Community Conversation on Health Reform" sponsored by the Health Law Institute on October 7.  The panel discussion was facilitated by HLI Director Lucinda Jesson (second from left) and included Dannette Coleman, Vice President, Public Policy & Government Relations at Medica; Kent Bottles, MD, President of Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement; Lawrence J. Massa, President and CEO at Minnesota Hospital Association; Hubert H. Humphrey III, AARP Board of Directors; and Jan Malcolm, Chief Executive Officer of Courage Center.

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JLR Honors Distinguished Advocate for Muslim Women

Dr. Azizah Y. al-Hibri (shown, right, with Associate Dean Marie Failinger) was presented with the 13th Annual Achievement Award from the Journal of Law and Religion during the JLR Symposium, "The Global Economic Crisis, Law and the Religious Traditions" at Hamline on October 15-16, 2009. Dr. al-Hibri is a professor at the T.C. Williams School of Law, University of Richmond. She is a founding editor of Hypatia: a Journal of Feminist Philosophy and is the founder and president of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights (www.karamah.org). She is a former editorial board member and a current advisory committee member of the Journal of Law and Religion. She has written extensively on issues of Muslim women's rights, Islam and democracy, and human rights in Islam.

The JLR Lifetime Achievement Award was presented by Professor Abed Awad, Rutgers law School/Pace Law School, who said, "Azizah has taught me how to negotiate the worlds of academia and activism. She was my mentor and she is my friend." A recording of the award presentation and Dr. al-Hibri's acceptance remarks are available here: http://law.hamline.edu/jlr_lifetime_achievement_award_aziza_alhibri.html

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Hamline Student Wins Nat'l Organizing Award

Hamline 2L law student Micah Ludeke has been awarded the C.B. King Law Student Organizer of the Year Award from the National Lawyers Guild. Micah received the award at the NLG  annual convention in Seattle on October 18.  

The National Lawyers Guild is a long-standing association of lawyers dedicated to the need for progressive change in the structure of our political and economic system.  C.B. King was a prominent African American lawyer in Georgia known for his courage, courtroom eloquence, and legal skills in the face of fierce and even violent opposition during the civil rights struggle in southwest Georgia.

In C.B. King's honor, the Guild recognizes a law student for organizing and activism in its progressive tradition.  Micah is receiving this national award because of his advocacy on behalf of arrestees and detainees during the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul; his leadership and community service last year as a 1L of the Hamline Law and Minnesota chapters of the Guild; his internship with at the Minnesota Civil Justice Center during the school year; and his prison advocacy work as an intern this past summer in San Francisco.

"It is an extraordinary honor for a Hamline Law Student to be recognized in this way by a national legal organization," said Hamline Law Dean Donald M. Lewis.

 

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Class Notes November 2009

If you have career or personal news to share with the Hamline Law community, please feel free to drop us a note at lawalum@hamline.edu.

Barbara Nevin '78 is currently a Plaintiff, along with Robert Milavetz.  Their law firm has a case, Milavetz, Gallop and Milavetz P.A. versus the United States in a First Amendment, which will be argued before the United States Supreme Court on December 1, 2009.  This case involves their law firm challenging the The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005, which prevents attorneys from giving advice to their clients regarding taking on new debt. (Even if it the debt is legal and non-abusive.)  Please see their case no. 08-1119 currently on file in the United States Supreme Court.  The American Bar Association as well as other groups have filed Amicus Curiae briefs on our behalf.  Also, Adam Liptak of the New York Times, the ABA Journal and the National Law Journal have all written articles about their case.

Jane Ranum '79 was elected to an open seat on the 4^th Judicial District Court Bench in Hennepin County in November 2008 and was sworn in January 2009.

Paul J. Simonett '90 is now Program Director for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) - North Africa & Middle East Division, in Bahrain.

Patrick Charles Smith '90 has been appointed to the Minnesota Association of Realtors Forms Committee, which provides all state approved real estate transaction forms utilized.

Richard J. Schroeder '92, of Schroeder & Mandel, P.A., has been named to the 2009 Super Lawyers list of the top five percent of lawyers in Minnesota for a second consecutive year.  A former insurance claim adjustor, he is an AAA Certified Claims Arbitrator and a frequent lecturer on Bad Faith insurance law and automobile law in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  A resident of Hugo, MN, he is an avid motorcyclist member of the Street Legal Motorcycle Club.  He has extensive experience working with injured clients and has successfully litigated a variety of motorcycle accident and injury cases in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Jonathan M. Fritz '02 joins Michael Best & Friedrich LLP as a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property, Life Sciences and Venture Best^SM Practices.  He has a vast background in life sciences and information technology and holds a Masters Degree from Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Bioinformatics.  His practice encompasses all aspects of intellectual property law, with a focus on patent prosecution in the areas of life sciences and information technology.  He has provided counsel to independent inventors and Fortune 500 companies on patent issues including right to practice, invalidity, patentability, and noninfringement.  He is also the President-Elect of the Wisconsin Intellectual Property Law Association.

Jonathan Trexler '03 has accepted a position as an Associate Attorney, practicing commercial litigation and tax controversies, at Wong, Wong & Associates, P.C., in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York.

Adina Bergstrom '04 is a new attorney with Hammargren & Meyer P.A.  She is a former in-house counsel for a major insurance company who has extensive litigation experience in the areas of construction claims, personal injury and product liability defense.  She will utilize her experience with residential and commercial construction claims in the representation of homeowners and commercial property owners and developers- in cases ranging from claims of defective construction and water intrusion to warranty and breach of contract issues.  She is also a member of the Construction Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Jasper Schneider '05 has been chosen by the White House as the new State Director of USDA Rural Development in North Dakota.  He currently serves in the North Dakota House of Representatives and represents District 21.  In addition, he is a member of Senator Conrad's Fargo staff where he serves as legislative counsel, responsible for legal research and analysis on health care reform, the flooding response, and other issues.

Heidi Andres '06 has been serving as a Trial Counsel on active duty in the U.S. Army Jag Corps for the past two and a half years.  She will be deploying to Iraq for one year with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, where she will be practicing international and operational law and military justice.

Dustin Bower '07 was recently featured in an article in Minnesota Lawyer magazine about opening up his own law office in Bloomington.  His practice focuses on transactional business matters and bankruptcy.  He was also recently a volunteer foreclosure attorney at the 2009 SMRLS Senior Law Fair, a panelist on "Careers in the Law" at the 2009 Legal Expo, and a presenter on "The 21st Century Law Office" at the Inver Hills Community College Student Success Day.

Bruce Cameron '07 was recently featured in an article about small town lawyers in the November 2009 issues of the ABA Journal.

Kelly Lawton Rogosheske '07 and Michael Rogosheske '07 announce the opening of their new law firm, Rogosheske Lawton, PC.  They practice in the areas of family law, bankruptcy, business, employment, and estate planning.  They offer civil and family mediation and parenting time consulting.  Offices located at 1100 West 7th Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102.  (651) 225-9165.  http://www.rogosheskelaw.com/

Joshua A. Dorothy '08 recently completed a clerkship with Judges Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks and Louise Dovre Bjorkman of the Minnesota Court of Appeals and is now an associate attorney with Gregerson, Rosow, Johnson & Nilan, Ltd. in Minneapolis.

FAMILY

Chris Carlson '96 and his wife, Jessie Seehof Carlson, announce the birth of their daughter, Isabelle Lynne Carlson, born on July 6, 2009 at 1:50 a.m.  She weighed 7 lbs, 13 oz and measured 19.5 inches.

Stacie Otte '02 was married to Nicholas Holden on September 26, 2009, in St. Paul, MN.

Emily Faye Jewett '04 and Stephen Poff '04 announce the birth of their son, William Walter Poff, born October 4, 2009.  They live in Roanoke, Virginia, and are pleased to welcome this bundle of joy to a family that consists of multiple four-legged furry children.

Adam S. Flood '09 announces the birth of twins Esme Linnea Jacobson Flood and Owen Thomas Seabury Flood, born at 9:36pm and 9:38 pm, respectively, on October 2, 2009.  Both children weighed in at 5 pounds 5 ounces and both were 19 inches long.  Mom (Lisa Jacobson Flood) recovered from her C-section remarkably quickly and all four of them are doing well a month out.

OBITUARIES

Judy Mack '77 of Golden Valley passed away October 16th at age 66.  She served as a Hennepin County Family Court Referee from 1992-2007, and advocated for children of divorce and women suffering from domestic abuse throughout her career.

Judy S. Grant '87 passed away from lung cancer at age 68 on October 20, 2009 with family and friends nearby.  She earned a Bachelors Degree in Occupational Therapy, which supported her life's work of helping children with developmental challenges.  She was devoted to her three children Mark, Rand and Stacy, and ever searching for ways to contribute to and enjoy life.  She was an attentive mother and an enthusiastic member of the League of Women Voters.  After serving a few years as a public administrator for Ramsey County, MN she returned to Occupational Therapy where she worked to incorporate various disciplines into improved child therapy.  She enjoyed playing golf, appreciated classical music and riding her motorcycle.  She supported educational kinesiology through Brain Gym, International where she served in several capacities including Board Chair for several years.  She loved family and all children and that love will grow and spread beyond those she touched.

Congratulations to our 2009 Minnesota Super Lawyers!
First Name	Last Name	Year	Firm
Jennifer S.	Anderson	1983	Thiel Campbell Gunderson & Anderson
Todd D.	Andrews	1977	Andrews Law Office
David L.	Ayers	1978	Ayers & Reihm
Robert	Bauer	1992	Severson Sheldon Dougherty & Molenda
Joseph P.	Bluth	1978	Manahan & Bluth
Randy F.	Boggio	1983	Garvey & Boggio
J. Scott	Braden	1981	J. Scott Braden
Stacey A.	Broman	1988	Meagher & Geer
Douglas J.	Brown	1985	Brown & Carlson
Howard S.	Carp	1978	Borkon Ramstead Mariani Fisherman & Carp
Marcus J.	Christianson	1978	Maschka Riedy & Ries
Peter	Coyle	1984	Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren
Joseph M.	Crosby	1986	Crosby Law Office
Timothy	Czaja	1993	Dicke Billig & Czaja
Craig T.	Dokken	1987	Henningson & Snoxell
Michael G.	Dougherty	1981	Severson Sheldon Dougherty & Molenda
Timothy R.	Duncan	1986	Coleman Hull & van Vliet
James F.	Dunn	2004	James Dunn & Associates
John A.	Fabian	1981	Fabian May & Anderson
Katherine	Flom	1982	Meshbesher & Spence
Pamela L.	Green	1979	Green Law Office
Mark H.	Gruesner	1977	Schwebel Goetz & Sieben
Jan M.	Gunderson	1986	Bassford Remele
Marsh J.	Halberg	1979	Halberg Criminal Defense Services
William D.	Harper	1977	Harper & Peterson
Thomas	Hart	2002	Winthrop & Weinstine
Bradley D.	Hauswirth	1991	Wagner Falconer & Judd
Daniel A.	Haws	1988	Murnane Brandt
Mark J.	Heley	1984	Coleman Hull & van Vliet
John	Hughes	1987	Meagher & Geer
Michael F.	Hurley	1980	Barna Guzy & Steffen
Michael D.	Hutchens	1985	Meagher & Geer
Charles H.	Johnson	1975	Charles H. Johnson & Associates
Jeffrey S.	Johnson	1979	Barna Guzy & Steffen
Patrick J.	Kelly	1982	Kelly & Lemmons
Timothy M.	Kenny	1994	Fulbright & Jaworski
Lawrence R.	King	1976	Larson King
Steven J.	Kirsch	1976	Murnane Brandt
Alan	Kowalchyk	1981	Merchant & Gould
Roger L.	Kramer	1989	Kramer & Short
Richard A.	Lind	1976	Lind Jensen Sullivan & Peterson
Cecilie	Loidolt	1992	Meagher & Geer
Frances L.	Long	1982	Long Reher & Hanson
Mark W.	Malzahn	1983	Malzahn & Associates
Timothy	McCoy	1992	McCoy Peterson & Jorstad
Donald R.	McNeil, Jr.	1989	Coleman Hull & van Vliet
Chris	Messerly	1986	Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi
Scott E.	Miller	1980	Miller & Kellermeier
Gerald A.	Miller	1978	Gerald Miller & Associates
Cary E.	Miller-Dolan	1995	Dolan Mediation
Barbara	Nevin	1978	Milavetz Gallop & Milavetz
Eric L.	Newmark	1995	Birrell & Newmark
Dayle	Nolan	1980	Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren
William J.	O'Brien	1987	Mackall Crounse & Morre
Richard D.	O'Dea	1991	Palmer O'Dea
Robert E.	Oleisky	1992	Oleisky & Oleisky
William S.	Partridge	1979	Farrish Johnson Law Office
Michael	Perlman	1978	Perlman Law Office
Paul	Peterson	1989	Harper & Peterson
Scott F	Puklich	1995	Meyer Puklich Merriam & Johnson
Susan C.	Rhode	1985	Moss & Barnett
Lawrence M.	Rocheford	1983	Jardine Logan & O'Brien
Rich	Ruohonen	1996	Terry Slane & Ruohonen
Dean M.	Salita	1993	Brabbit & Salita
Patrick J.	Sauter	1977	Bassford Remele
Richard J.	Schroeder	1992	Schroeder & Mandel
Christopher	Schulte	1993	Merchant & Gould
Larry S.	Severson	1975	Severson Sheldon Dougherty & Molenda
Jeffrey S.	Sheridan	1987	Strandemo Sheridan & Dulas
Philip	Sieff	1985	Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi
Terri	Simard	1984	Target Corp.
Loren M.	Solfest	1986	Severson Sheldon Dougherty & Molenda
Mark	Solheim	1990	Larson King
Patrick M.	Spott	1986	Orman Nord Spott & Hurd
Janet	Stellpflug	1986	Aafedt Forde Gray Monson & Hager
Sue B.	Stingley	1980	Stingley & Ho
Denise	Tataryn	1986	Mansfield Tanick & Cohen
Richard J.	Thomas	2005	Burke & Thomas
Joni M.	Thome	1992	Halunen & Associates
Steven G.	Thorson	1980	Barna Guzy & Steffen
Susan D.	Thurmer	1980	Cousineau McGuire
David L.	Valentini	1977	Valentini & Associates
Richard	Wright	1977	McCullum Crowley Moschet & Miller
Karl J.	Yeager	1986	Meagher & Geer
Debra E.	Yerigan	1985	Messerli & Kremer
Gerald B.	Yost	1980	Yost & Baill
Thomas M.	Zappia	1977	Zappia LeVahn

Annual Dean's Dinner 2009

The Hamline University School of Law Dean's Dinner is an annual celebration of the transforming force of new ideas and imagination in the law.  By pairing leading thinkers in business, education and law with stimulating venues, the dinner strives to challenge our community with the endless possibilities of what the legal profession could and should become.

The event is set for Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis.  Our keynote speaker will be Matt Miller, host of public radio's weekly program "Left, Right & Center," author of The Two Percent Solution and The Tyranny of Dead Ideas, and a frequent writer and commentator "from the center" on controversial current affairs issues.

Here are the details for this year's dinner:

Date:                Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Location:          Orchestra Hall
                         1111 Nicollet Mall
                         Minneapolis, Minnesota
Reception:        6:00 p.m.
Dinner:             7:15 p.m.
Program:          8:15 p.m.
Cost:                For information regarding individual ticket prices and
                        sponsorship levels, please contact Susan Stephan at 651-523-2338

Hamline University strives to "reinvent" lawyers and the legal professional with leading programs in dispute resolution, health care and (soon to come) business law.  Our faculty continues to prepare the next generation of lawyers with excellence in teaching and distinguished scholarship. 

Where:

Orchestra Hall
1111 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/orchestra_hall/

When: Nov. 18, 2009 - 7:00PM
Contact: Susan Stephan at 651-523-2338 for information regarding individual ticket prices and sponsorship levels. Top

Six Minute Social

On Thursday, November 19, 2009, from 6:30pm-9:00pm, the Culture Committee of the Alumni Association Board is hosting a Six Minute Social at the University Club in St. Paul.

The focus of the evening is on Hamline Law students having the opportunity to network with Hamline alumni to learn more about various areas of practice or other ways in which alumni are using their law degrees.

Food and beverages will be served, and great fun will be had by all!  The Six Minute Social is a great way to meet current Hamline Law students, but more importantly, it's a way to assist students with choices they have as they go forward in pursuit of their degrees and consider options that exist after they graduate from law school.

We hope to see you there!

Where: The University Club
420 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55102
When: Nov. 19, 2009 - 7:30PM
Contact: To RSVP contact Anne Markus at amarkus01@hamline.edu or 651-523-2943 Top

November 2009 Faculty Notes

Professor Len Biernat appeared on WCCO TV on October 13, 2009 during the 6:00 p.m. newscast in connection with a story about Denny Hecker's divorce.

LRW Instructor Mary Dunnewold published the article "Alternative Dispute Resolution:  What Every Law Student Should Know" in the October 2009 issue of the ABA Student Lawyer.

Professor Ken Fox, was a session panelist at the 95th Annual National Communication Association meeting in Chicago. The panel session, "Conflict Coaching: A Communication Process for Changing Campus Conflict Systems" focused on the emerging process of "conflict coaching" that supports parties in their own constructive conflict work. Fox's presentation focused on incorporating conflict coaching into law and business courses and drew on his experience teaching conflict coaching as part of an ADR course at Deusto University in Spain.

Professor Kimberly Holst and Professor Brenda Tofte presented at various Regional Legal Writing Conferences.  Holst presented at the Northwest Regional Legal Writing Conference in Portland, Oregon on using well-known fairytales to teach legal advocacy and Tofte participated in the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) Scholar's forum at the same conference.  Additionally, Tofte presented on teaching professionalism and cultural competency to law students at the Southeast Regional Legal Writing Conference held at Stetson University in Gulfport, Florida.  At the same conference, Holst presented on using ESL techniques in the legal writing classroom and participated in that conference's ALWD Scholar's forum.

Professor Lucinda Jesson and Professor Katrina Pagonis will conduct a CLE on consumer health care issues on November 18. The CLE is sponsored by the Ramsey County Bar Association. Earlier this month on Nov. 6, Professor Jesson presented at a National Health Policy Forum on Workplace Wellness at George Washington University.  

Professor David Larson made a presentation on January 10th at the Association of American Law Schools 2009 Annual National Meeting in San Diego, CA. Professor Larson's presentation was titled "Technology Mediated Dispute Resolution (TMDR) - ADR in the 21st Century," and it was a part of the Section of Alternative Dispute Resolution's program "Envisioning Dispute Resolution in 2050 (or Even 2025)."

Professor Marilynne Roberts, Professor Tom Romero and Professor Sharon Sandeen presented at the "Legal Education at the Crossroads v. 3.0 Conference on Assessment" at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, on September 13, 2009. Their presentation, titled: "Getting Buy-in From Your Colleagues: The Challenges and Triumphs of Assessment Planning" examined how to develop an institutional assessment plan.

Professor Sharon Sandeen presented her work-in-progress, "The Trade Secret Implications of Cloud Computing," at the annual Works in Progress in Intellectual Property (WIPIP) conference hosted by Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey on October 2, 2009.  On November 20, 2009 she will be presenting in New York at the Fordham University Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal's 20th Anniversary Symposium titled: "Functionality: At the Crossroads of IP."  She will be a panelist with Roger Milgrim and George Graff on the panel titled: "Trade Secrets and Other Avenues for Protection of Advanced Technology."

LRW Director Mary Trevor and LRW Instructor Mary Dunnewold gave a presentation at the Central Region Legal Writing Conference on October 9-10, 2009, entitled "Adding an ADR simulation to the First-Year Legal Writing Class."

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Law Annual Giving

Alumni gifts help to make a difference in the education of Hamline’s law students, the support for innovative programs like the Cogito series, and the success of the Law School’s alumni. Both the number of dollars received and the percentage of alumni supporting the law school are considered to be important to the tier ranking process for law schools. Your continued support is crucial.

If you have any questions about the Law School’s Alumni Annual Fund, please visit the Annual Fund Page or contact Karla Williams at 651 -523-2686 or kwilliams15@hamline.edu.  For planned giving questions, please contact Hans Thomsen at 651-523-2560 or hthomsen01@hamline.edu.

The faculty, staff and students at Hamline are grateful for the generous support of the school’s alumni.  Thanks to those who give of time, talent and treasure.

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