University of St. Thomas School of Law

10/26/2026

Congratulations to 3L Asher Introlegator who received the Arthur T. Pfefer Memorial Award from the Twin Cities Cardozo Society. The award is given annually to a Jewish law student or young lawyer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership potential and a commitment to serving the community, and who shows great scholarly, professional and philanthropic potential.

Photo: Introlegator and his wife at the annual Cardozo Society Dinner on Sept. 29.

10/14/2026

One of the best ways to learn about St. Thomas Law is to attend an event hosted by our admissions office. The next open house for students interested in our J.D. program will be held at the law school on Friday, October 23 from 12:45-3:45 p.m. Attendees will learn more about our mission and programs, meet faculty and students and more.⁣
⁣
Learn more and register at https://uofstthomasmn.my.salesforce-sites.com/summit__SummitEventsRegister?instanceID=a0zVs00000A41cTIAR.
⁣

10/05/2026

Like all first-year law students, now 2L Joseph Hillman took a Contracts course during his first semester of law school at the University of St. Thomas. He learned the principles behind how contracts are formed and interpreted. This summer, after his first year of law school, an internship with Norwest Equity Partners gave him the opportunity to see how those principles are put into practice as he worked alongside attorneys on agreements connected to potential investment transactions.

“I enjoyed seeing how much thought goes into what initially appeared to be relatively straightforward contracts,” Hillman said. “Every agreement involved balancing legal concerns with business objectives, and it was fascinating to watch attorneys, business professionals and counterparties’ counsel work together to reach practical solutions.”

Norwest Equity Partners is a Minneapolis-based company that manages $2.7 billion in assets and invests in middle-market companies primarily across the business services, consumer products and services, and industrial growth sectors.

Learn more about Hillman's internship, which he earned academic credit for through St. Thomas Law’s Legal Externship Program, at https://news.stthomas.edu/summer-law-extern-joseph-hillman-norwest-equity-partners/.

St. Thomas Law student Joseph Hillman gained hands-on experience in contracts, private equity and transactional law through an externship at Norwest Equity Partners.

09/23/2026

Are you or is someone you know thinking of going to law school? Join our admissions team for an on-campus open house on Friday, October 23 from 12:45-3:45 p.m.! Attendees will learn about our mission and programs, meet faculty, staff and students, get a tour of the building and more.⁣
⁣
Register at https://forms.lsac-unite.org/6810/OpenHouse2026.html
⁣

09/21/2026

Join the University of St. Thomas Law Journal for its upcoming symposium, "ICE Versus the States: State-Law Remedies for Federal Lawlessness." It will be held at the law school on Friday, October 2 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

At the event, scholars, local officials and practitioners will examine the legal and constitutional implications of Operation Metro Surge. The symposium will explore the operation's impact on federal-state relations, the heightened tensions surrounding federal enforcement actions and the legal remedies available to states seeking to hold the federal government accountable for unlawful conduct. Through firsthand experience and expert analysis, our panelists will unpack the trauma and resilience of our communities.

Learn more and register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ice-versus-the-states-state-law-remedies-for-federal-lawlessness-tickets-1999732465636?aff=oddtdtcreator

Panel 1: Reflections on Operation Metro Surge
Panel 2: State Civil Law Remedies Against Federal Agents
Lunch & Interview with Judge Patrick Schiltz
Panel 3: State Criminal Law Remedies Against Federal Agents

This is a free event. CLE credits will be applied for.

We will welcome scholars, local officials, & practitioners to examine the legal & constitutional implications of Operation Metro Surge.

09/17/2026

The University of St. Thomas, Minnesota’s largest private university, today publicly launched Be Brilliant. Be Bold. The Campaign for St. Thomas.

09/15/2026

Student practitioners in the Criminal and Juvenile Defense Clinic and the Small Business and Transactional Law Clinic, two of the law school's nine legal clinics, were sworn in at the start of the academic year. The affirmation oath was administered at the ceremony by Judge Matthew Frank of Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District (Hennepin County).

09/14/2026

Professor Mark Osler, an expert on clemency and sentencing, appeared on 60 Minutes Sunday as part of a story about lawyers, lobbyists and other well-connected advocates who charge substantial fees for their services and claim they can secure presidential pardons for their clients. Watch the full story at: https://cbsnews.com/news/trump-pardon-lobbyists-60-minutes

09/03/2026

Even though it scared her, speaking in a courtroom in front of a judge was something Kayla Abrams-Mahoney '28 J.D. knew she would have to do at some point in law school as she pursued a career in criminal defense. This summer, she got her chance during her externship with the Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office.

“The scariest thing about my future as an attorney was the idea of having to speak in a courtroom,” said Abrams-Mahoney, now a 2L at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. “Gaining that experience after only my first year was super valuable, and I am glad I got that experience as a student attorney because there is a lot less pressure and the judge knew I was only a student.”

Any initial fears faded quickly. Over the summer, Abrams-Mahoney appeared in court almost daily representing clients at the County Law Enforcement Center in St. Paul. She says it was one of her favorite things about her externship.

In addition to working at the Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office, Abrams-Mahoney was an extern this summer at the Great North Innocence Project. The organization provides free legal services to people who have been wrongfully convicted and works to prevent future wrongful convictions through education and advocacy.

Read more at https://news.stthomas.edu/summer-law-extern-kayla-abrams-mahoney-ramsey-county-public-defenders-office/.

University of St. Thomas School of Law student externs at Ramsey Country Public Defender's Office and Great North Innocence Project.

08/31/2026

The School of Law is pleased to welcome our newest faculty members to the University of St. Thomas!

Jorge Barrera-Rojas comes to St. Thomas after serving as an Associate Research Scholar and Olin-Searle Fellow in Law at Yale Law School. His scholarship addresses educational federalism, comparative constitutional law, and international human rights law, with a sustained focus on parental rights and religious freedom. He is teaching Torts this fall.

Richard "Rick" Fair brings to St. Thomas research and practice expertise in business law, including digital assets and decentralized finance, financial regulation, and property, privacy, and enforcement in emerging technologies. He was previously a lecturer at Indiana University - Bloomington in the Kelley School of Business. At St. Thomas, Fair is teaching Lawyering Skills.

Juan Ramos is launching a Small Business and Transactional Law Clinic at St. Thomas, in addition to teaching business law classes. Ramos has broad-based transactional experience at premier law firms, as in-house counsel and in private practice, and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Southwestern Law School and as a lecturer at USC's Gould School of Law.

Debbie Shapiro joins the faculty as the Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success. Prior to St. Thomas, she was the Assistant Director Career and Professional Development and an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Shapiro also worked in private legal practice, concentrating in estate planning, education, insurance and family law.

Joseph "Joe" Singleton comes to St. Thomas from Wake Forest University School of Law in North Carolina, where he served as the inaugural Health Law & Policy Fellow. His scholarship focuses on health law, public health, medical malpractice and life sciences. He will teach elective courses and launch a St. Thomas Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic.