Three Minnesota Law Students Named Stevens Fellows

Three Minnesota Law students were among the 81 recipients of 2021 fellowships nationwide from the John Paul Stevens Fellowship Foundation. The prestigious Stevens fellowships were awarded to rising 3Ls Wendy Jacqueline Escobar, Haille Laws, and Emily Newman. Escobar’s fellowship was with the New York Legal Assistance Group in New York City. Laws’ fellowship was with the Federal Communications Commission (Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau) in Washington, D.C. Newman’s fellowship was with the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division (Wildlife and Marine Resources Section) in Washington, D.C.

MSBA Recognizes 3L Ashley Meeder for Outstanding Access to Justice Work

Ashley Meeder, 3L, received the Minnesota State Bar Association Access to Justice Committee’s 2021 Bernard P. Becker award for out- standing legal work by a law student. Meeder began volunteering with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) in June 2020 as a summer law clerk. She has continued to volunteer for MMLA through the pandemic while concentrating on her studies in law school. At MMLA, she has playeda crucial role in advocating for low- income tenants in eviction proceed- ings and representing clients in housing cases involving severe repair problems. During the summer of 2020, she performed 400 hours of full-time service with MMLA. Since then, she has volunteered another 192 hours. 

Two Minnesota Law Students Receive President’s Student Leadership & Service Awards

Shantal Pai ’21, and Heather Chang, 3L, were 2021 recipients of the President’s Student Leadership & Service Awards. The awards honor outstanding students for their invalu- able leadership and service to the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities and the community. Pai founded the Race-Informed Study Experience program (RISE), an initiative designed to provide students of color an opportunity to discuss their experiences pursuing law. Chang, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law and Inequality, co-president of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, and a board member of the Latinx Law Student Association, worked to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for students within the Law School. 

Minnesota Law Team Takes Second Place in Patent Drafting Competition

A team of four Minnesota Law students took second place in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 2021 Patent Application Drafting Competition. The team consisted of two Master of Science in patent law students, Jordan Marsh and Timothy Brennhofer, and two J.D. students, Carlton Hemphill, 3L, and Jack Graves, 3L. 

The competition began with 51 teams from 5 regions. Each team researched the invention, identified classes and relevant references, determined patentable subject matter, constructed claims, created drawings, and described the invention, all according to USPTO regulations. During the regional rounds, each team member described his or her strategy and contribution to a patent application. During the national finals on April 9, the team defended its strategy to a live panel of distin- guished judges drawn from the greater patent community. Professor Christopher Turoski ’98 coached the team, with assistance from Randall Ryder ’09, Jason Harp ’98 of Schiff Hardin, Bernard Cryan ’21, Eva Tang of Faegre Drinker, and David Rutz of Shumaker & Sieffert.