Hamline University School of Law Rises in Prestigous National Rankings by U.S. News & World Report to Third Tier

Hamline's dispute resolution program remains among top five in the nation

Hamline University School of Law has moved into the third tier in the national rankings in the latest U.S. News & World Report assessment of the nation's best graduate schools and specialty programs. In addition, Hamline's Dispute Institute has been ranked fourth in the nation. This is the eighth consecutive year that the law school's dispute resolution program ranked among the top five alternative dispute programs in the nation.

"Hamline's overall ranking in the third tier reflects many positive developments, including the successful establishment of our new Health Law Institute, several innovative dual degree programs, and an increasingly strong first-time bar passage rate by our graduates" said Hamline University School of Law Dean Jon Garon. "These and many other measures have fueled our advancement and reflect the public value placed on the hard work of everyone at the law school. It has been that collective effort that has made this achievable." More... | Top

Donald Lewis Named New Dean at Hamline University School of Law

Donald Lewis, co-founder of Halleland, Lewis, Nilan & Johnson, will become Hamline's new Law Dean on July 1, 2008. He will succeed Dean Jon Garon who plans to return to the Hamline Law faculty after a one-year sabbatical. Lewis has been an adjunct faculty at Hamline since 2004 and previously taught at William Mitchell College of Law. He works primarily in commercial litigation, and labor and employment law. Previously he served six years as an assistant U.S. attorney in Minnesota and was a trial attorney in the U.S. Justice Department. Lewis also was an attorney at Popham Haik. He holds a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

"Don Lewis has a wealth of experience in the legal community and has distinguished himself as an educator, a champion of diversity and a focused visionary," noted Hamline University President Linda Hanson.

Lewis recently was quoted in a Minnesota Lawyer story about his new position, "I want to continue the law school's progress on those quality measures that make a difference in the external community. And not just things like the U.S. News and World Report rankings, but also our own legal and business communities, the places that hire our graduates." More... | Top

Thank You Reception for Dean Jon Garon

Alumni are cordially invited to join us in thanking and celebrating Dean Jon M. Garon for his five years of service as dean of Hamline University School of Law on Wednesday, May 21, 2008. The reception begins at 6 p.m., with a program to follow at 7:15 p.m. Both events will be in the Klas Center, Kay Fredericks Room. Please RSVP to Deb Lange at dlange@hamline.edu or 651-523-2122 by Monday, May 19, 2008.

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Perspectives from the Bench offered by Justice Sam Hanson at Hamline

Retired Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice Sam Hanson covered a lot of ground in his recent Law & Leadership presentation at Hamline: the issue of judicial activism, the changing role of judicial elections and questions about whether the judiciary has legislated from the bench. He said judicial activism is "a misused charge but one that is often made against judges. It's a bit like being charged with being ‘unpatriotic' in that it creates some pressure on the judiciary to withdraw from its important role in the development of common law."

Justice Hanson, who has returned to practice law at Briggs & Morgan, said he had forgotten about the "adrenalin rushes" a lawyer can experience in private practice. He also shared that he had learned about the "transformative quality of collaborative decision-making" on the bench, which required him to change from being "fairly autonomous" to collaborating with his judicial colleagues.

Listen to Justice Hanson's presentation.  

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NALSA Event Explored Race, Genetics, Indian Identity & the Law

More than 100 people attended the recent symposium sponsored by the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA), which explored what role race and genetics should play in defining "Indianness." Speakers included Hamline Associate Professor Jonathan Kahn, who provided an overview of the diverse area where race, genetics and law intersect; Kimberly TallBear, a postdoctoral fellow from the University of California, Berkeley, who gave an overview of the basic science behind ancestry DNA testing; John Borrows, visiting professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and Professor Law, University of Victoria, Canada, who discussed the legal and political ramifications surrounding a designation of "indianness," along with tribal approaches to defining "race" in the United States, Canada and New Zealand; and John Jacobson, an attorney with Jacobson Buffalo, who provided a practitioner's perspective on tribal litigation and the controversial Lucy Allen v. Cherokee Nation case.

Hamline NALSA President Jody TallBear (top) introduced the speakers including: Associate Professor Jonathan Kahn (center), Kimberly TallBear (center), Professor John Borrows, and John Jacobson (bottom).

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Michael Scherschligt Retires after 32 Years at Hamline Law School

Professor Michael Scherschligt joined Hamline University School of Law in 1976. After 32 years of hard work and dedication, he has decided to retire. Before he heads off to enjoy more time with his wife, Suzanne, and their five children and seven grandchildren, Hamline alumni, faculty and staff lauded Professor Scherschligt at a special retirement dinner earlier this month. The evening was punctuated by laughter, tears, poetry, prayer and a beautiful hymn sung by his children and grandchildren. Visibly moved by the tributes and warm wishes, Professor Scherschligt, who also holds a divinity degree, said, "The community that has been fostered here is rare. The number one feeling I have at this moment is thanksgiving and gratitude. This is the day the Lord has made. Let's rejoice in it and be glad."

Among Professor Scherschligt's accomplishments was the creation of Hamline's nationally noted Legal Research and Writing program. He personally hired Professor Cathy Deal to replace him when he was ready to move on to other challenges at the school. He also helped establish The Journal of Law and Religion, along with Professors Marie Failinger, Howard Vogel and David Cobin.

"It was an audacious idea to put together the disciplines of law and religion," noted Professor Failinger. "Michael did a lot of the difficult, often boring, work to get the Journal started. He helped give an amazing legacy, not just to Hamline but to the world. He selflessly put aside what he could have done for himself to help others who are now in his debt." More... | Top

Hamline Journal of Public Law & Policy Symposium Offers Sobering Look at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

March 14 was a day packed full of riveting speakers from around the world on topics of vital importance at the Hamline Journal of Public Law & Policy Symposium, "The 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Reality Check." The symposium began the evening before with dinner and a keynote address by Dr. Johannes Van Aggelen, senior officer of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. He discussed the Implementation of Article 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN Conferences in the 1990s, which he said needs the political will of governments in order to be achieved. "This is all the more challenging as 9/11 and its aftermath seems to have partly undone what the UN conferences projects," he said.

Two of the sessions have recorded audio available for download and listening:

International Civil Service: Ethics and Self-Care and Correspondence Between the Evolution of Humans and the Progress of Human Rights

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Family Law Topics Explored at Hamline’s March CLE Luncheon

Susan Rhode '85 provided an insider's perspective on today's key family law issues at the March CLE luncheon. A shareholder and board member at Moss & Barnett, Rhode is renowned for her extensive experience and high ethical standards as a family law attorney. At the March 18 CLE program, she gave practical insights as to the trends in court mandated mediation and alternative dispute resolution methods as well as an overview of jurisdicational splits as to the apporach to the resolution of family law matters.

Rhode has been listed among the Best Lawyers in America and repeatedly named a Super Lawyer due to her exemplary work in representing families who have marital, divorce and other family issues. She is a past president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Minnesota chapter.

 

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New at HLI: Health Care Corporate Compliance Certificate Program

Hamline University School of Law's Health Law Institute has been accredited by the Compliance Certification Board (CCB) to offer a Health Care Corporate Compliance Certificate education program. Hamline's certificate program is the only one of its kind in the Upper Midwest and one of only four programs in the nation to be accredited by CCB. The 13-credit program is designed to be completed within one year, with courses offered in the evening so the program is accessible for both working professionals and students. To become a CCB certified compliance officer students must pass the CCB exam. The Health Law Institute designed the education program to comprehensively focus on those areas included in the CCB exam.

"Now, more than ever, health care organizations, medical device companies, research facilities and other health-related industries need trained compliance professionals to navigate through a sea of complex state and federal laws and regulations," noted Barbara Colombo, who will direct the Health Care Corporate Compliance Certificate program under the auspices of Hamline's Health Law Institute. "People who complete this program will be equipped to not only pass the CCB exam for certification, but also be able to develop and execute meaningful compliance programs, and effectively manage and resolve compliance violations."

Classes will begin in fall 2008. For more information and complete course descriptions, please visit www.hamline.edu/law/health or contact Health Law Institute Assistant Director Marcia K. Miller at 651-523-2625 or mmiller14@hamline.edu.

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Upcoming: Panel on Off Label Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices

What lessons can be learned from recent high profile enforcement actions and settlements regarding off-label promotion of drugs and medical devices? Hear national experts-from both the prosecution and defense perspectives-answer this question as they examine current trends and developments in federal and state enforcement actions at an upcoming breakfast sponsored by The Hamline Health Law Institute and the Health Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association on April 25, 2008.

The panel will include national speakers, Marc Raspanti, partner at Pietragallo, Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti in Pennsylvania; and Michael Loucks, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts in Boston. They will discuss the use of the False Claims Act and the impact of both Medicare Part D and the FDA's newly issued draft guidance with regard to off-label marketing.

The event will be held on Friday, April 25 at Klas Center in the Kay Fredericks Ballroom at 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Contact Marcia Miller for more information, 651-523-2625 or  mmiller14@hamline.edu

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New Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society Joins in Celebration of Sesquicentennial

A group of more than forty leaders of the Minnesota legal community have come together to form the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society. Modeled after the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, the newly formed nonprofit entity is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and promotion of Minnesota's judicial history, by supporting research, education, and publications. The Society will launch its activities with a presence at the Minnesota Sesquicentennial in May and the updated publication of bar memorials for all members of the Minnesota Supreme Court since its inception.  Educational projects and a Society website are under development.

The recently retired Associate Supreme Court Justice Sam Hanson serves as the founding Chairperson for the new charity. As Justice Hanson explains, "the Society provides the citizens of Minnesota with the opportunity to better understand and celebrate the contributions that the Judiciary has made to our State."  A large body of volunteers came together to launch the new organization. Hanson added, "the group was unanimous in concluding that a historical society was sorely needed and long overdue." 
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Conservative Activist Phyllis Schlafly Debates Professor David Cobin

Hamline's Federalist Society chapter invited conservative activist and Eagle Forum founder Phyllis Schlafly to campus in March for a debate with Hamline Professor David Cobin on the rightful roles of the U.S. Congress and state and federal courts to decide key social issues. Schlafly said that since a "majority of Americans" didn't agree with decisions made by the courts, it was the constitutional right of the Congress to take those issues away from the realm of the judiciary. She cited cases involving the Boy Scouts, declarations of the Ten Commandments in public locations and prayer in school. Professor Cobin disagreed with Schlafly's interpretation of "majority" and said he believed the principles of tolerance and diversity were important aspects of democracy.

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Forensics 411

(6.5 CLE credit applied for) or an additional credit with the firing range breakout session

Topics will include:

Distinguising Fact From Fantasy in Arson Cases
John Lentini, CFEI
Scientific Fire Analysis, LLC

Firearms & Toolmarks
Kurt W. Moline
Forensic Scientist
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Firearms, Toolmark and Gunshot Residue Examiner

Latent Print Examinations: Errancy, Entropy, and the Epitasis
Glenn M. Langenburg
Forensic Scientist
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Certified Latent Print Examiner

The Pathology of Firearm Injuries
Andrew Baker, M.D.
Chief Medical Examiner
Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office

Trace Evidence
Katherine Igowsky
Forensic Scientist
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

Click here for more detailed information and registration form

Where: Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension,1430 Maryland Avenue East,St. Paul, MN 55106
When: May. 30, 2008 - 8:15AM
Contact: Erika Applebaum at 651-523-3152 or by email at eapplebaum@ipmn.org Top

12th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament

Please join us at the 12th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament at Prestwick Golf Course.

Schedule:

1:00 p.m. Shotgun Start/Scramble Format

6:00 p.m. Dinner, prizes, and raffle drawings

Where: Prestwick Golf Course (www.prestwick.com)
When: Jun. 3, 2008 - 1:00PM
Contact: Anne Markus, 651-523-2943 Top

Class Notes April 2008

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.

Michael Dougherty '81 has been reelected as President of Severson, Sheldon, Dougherty & Molenda, PA. He has also been elected to the firm's Board of Directors.

Paul McKeen '81 has been appointed by United Airlines (UA) as Senior Vice President in Labor Relations. McKeen, an employment lawyer and highly regarded labor negotiator, will oversee all labor relations functions.

John Rodenberg '81 was named as a finalist by Governor Pawlenty for a vacancy on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He is currently a Fifth Judicial District trial court bench judge in Brown County.

J. Michael Bitney '85 was recently featured in a special Heart Healthy section of the February 11^th edition of Newsweek magazine. Michael is a volunteer fire fighter in Spooner, WI, as well as District Attorney for Washburn County, WI.

Loren Solfest '86 has been elected to the Severson, Sheldon, Dougherty & Molenda, PA, Board of Directors.

Sharon Hills '89 has been elected to the Severson, Sheldon, Dougherty & Molenda, PA, Board of Directors.

Roger Kramer '89 has started his own law firm, Kramer & Short located in St. Paul.

Robert Bauer '92 has been elected to Severson, Sheldon, Dougherty & Molenda, PA Board of Directors.

Anne McKeig '92 was recently appointed to a vacancy on the 4^th Judicial District trial court bench.

Michael Gableman '93 has been elected as the newest member of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Judge Gableman currently serves as a Burnett County Circuit Judge and is a former an adjunct professor at Hamline University School of Law.

Gregory Duncan '96 has been elected as a Shareholder by McCollum, Crowley, Moschet, & Miller, Ltd.

Mary Schwind '96 Chair of Leonard, Street, and Deinard's Construction Law Practice, is one of three attorneys nationwide to be awarded a Women and Minority Fellowship by the American Bar Association Forum. She will serve a three-year term to the ABA forum on the Construction Industry.

Livia Babcock '99 has been elected as a partner by Meagher & Geer, PLLP. She practices commercial litigation, employment, and professional liability.

Cyrenthia Jordan '02 has joined the University of Minnesota Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action as an Equal Opportunity Consultant, where she will investigate and analyze complaints of discrimination and conduct dispute resolutions.

Jessie Becker '06 recently joined the St. Cloud law firm of Rajkowski Hansmeier Ltd. Becker will practice in general litigation, insurance defense, criminal, municipal and construction law.

Amber Lawrence '06 has been working at Downing, Dittrich & Lawrence since October of 2007. The firm specializes in Family Law and Criminal Law.

Stephen Ringquist '06 recently joined Jensen Anderson Sondrall, P.A. He practices in the area of real estate lending and land development.

Meghan Gaspar '07 has joined the Minneapolis office of Gislason & Hunter, LLP. She practices in the areas of medical malpractice defense, insurance defense, and civil litigation.

Amanda Hall '07 attended the Pepperdine University School of Law Byrne Judicial Clerkship Institute in Malibu, CA. Hall will be serving as a clerk to Judge Gregory Kishel on the District of Minnesota Bankruptcy Court.

Nathan Hansen '07 attended the Pepperdine University School of Law Byrne Judicial Clerkship Institute in Malibu, CA. Hansen will be serving as a clerk to Judge Terrence O'Brien on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sarah Hunter '07 was recently hired as an associate attorney by Johnson & Condon, PA.

Family

Daniel Gregerson '04 and wife Cari Gregerson are pleased to announce the birth of their second child, Peter Sampson Gregerson, born on September 8, 2007.

Jonathan Ozanne ‘04 and Sarah Dyrdal married on July 14, 2007. The couple lives in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Hamline University School of Law Rises in Prestigous National Rankings by U.S. News & World Report to Third Tier

Hamline's dispute resolution program remains among top five in the nation

Hamline University School of Law has moved into the third tier in the national rankings in the latest U.S. News & World Report assessment of the nation's best graduate schools and specialty programs. In addition, Hamline's Dispute Institute has been ranked fourth in the nation. This is the eighth consecutive year that the law school's dispute resolution program ranked among the top five alternative dispute programs in the nation.

"Hamline's overall ranking in the third tier reflects many positive developments, including the successful establishment of our new Health Law Institute, several innovative dual degree programs, and an increasingly strong first-time bar passage rate by our graduates" said Hamline University School of Law Dean Jon Garon. "These and many other measures have fueled our advancement and reflect the public value placed on the hard work of everyone at the law school. It has been that collective effort that has made this achievable." Top

Faculty Notes April 2008

Professor Joe Daly was named among the Top 40ADR Attorneys in the current issue of Law & Politics. He also is among the 2008 Who's Who in its ADR resource guide.

 

Professor David Larson has written an article, "Conflicts of Interest and Disclosures: Are We Making a Mountain out of a Molehill?" that has been accepted for publication in the Sount Texas Law Review (volume 49, issue 4).

Professor Larson also made two presentations in Beijing, China at the School of American and Comparative Law, China University of Political Science and Law. The first presentation was titled "Technology Mediated Dispute Resolution (TMDR)/Online Dispute Resolution (ODR): Opportunities in Asia and Beyond," and the second presentation was "The Future of American Organized Labor: Will Labor Unions Survive the 21st Century?"

In addition, Professor Larson spoke at the Beijing Arbitration Commission regarding conflicts of interest, disclosure requirements, and ethical standards.

Professor Bill Martin was named "Teacher of the Year" at Hamline University's Student Bar Association's Barrister Ball on March 28.