The University of St. Thomas
Perspectives from Law Admissions and Current Students, Alumni, Faculty and Staff

March, 2012

2012 Polar Plunge

By: Life at UST Law

Published on: Friday, March 30th, 2012

Adrienne G. (2L)

As I write this I’m sitting poolside in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida for Spring Break, so a concept like jumping into a frozen lake for charity is even more completely foreign and insane to me than it was when I actually attended the Minneapolis Polar Plunge just a few weekends ago. However, there were some very brave souls from the University St. Thomas School of Law who took the plunge hosted at Lake Calhoun in Uptown to benefit the Special Olympics. Team St. Thomas Cat-Cicles included (more…)

Posted in Current Student Perspective, Student Activities | Comments Off

Annual UST Law/MBA Hockey Game

By: Life at UST Law

Published on: Monday, March 26th, 2012

Adrienne G. (2L)

Early March saw the meeting of two historic rivals of Yankees-Red Sox, Axis-Allies caliber, minus the bombs and World Series titles. The UST MBAers met UST Law Fighting Apostles on the ice at the Augsberg Ice Arena for a game of historic proportions. I won’t talk about the score, because, well… it’s not important and the MBA team was probably cheating anyway.* Suffice it to say that the arena was full of energy, White Castle, and high spirits, possibly Miller Lite-induced. (more…)

Posted in Current Student Perspective, Student Activities | Comments Off

2012 MJF Chili Cook-off

By: Kate Snowdon, Assistant Director of Admissions for Recruitment

Published on: Monday, March 19th, 2012

2012 MJF Chili Cook-off winners, Debbie and Josh

2012 MJF Chili Cook-off winners, Debbie and Josh

Last Thursday afternoon the Minnesota Justice Foundation held its annual chili cook-off in the UST law atirum.  Students, staff and faculty cooked chili and judged the competition.   There were around 15 crockpots with unique chili and many hungry UST Law community members who attended the event.  The judges were Professor Organ, Professor Berg and one MJF student representative.

The winner of the Golden Ladle for 2012 was the Irish Chili made by Debbie and Josh (both 1L students).  The secret ingredient was potato pieces, which Debbie told us before the judging began that she added them by mistake!

All proceeds help fund the Minnesota Justice Foundation summer clerkship. Some of the chili names were Rummy in your Tummy, Dante’s Inferno and Chili James.  Chili ingredients ranged from vegan to pheasant meat.

Next year is sure to be a great competition as many of the chilies that placed in the top 3 were made by 1L students.

Posted in Admissions, Student Activities | Comments Off

Minnesota Women Lawyers: Hot Topics in Criminal Law

By: Life at UST Law

Published on: Monday, March 12th, 2012

Adrienne G., (2L)

In lieu of their February general meeting, the Women Law Students Association (WLSA) recently helped sponsor and host the Minnesota Women Lawyers event Hot Topics in Criminal Law, featuring a distinguished panel of female attorneys who have practiced and made great strides in the criminal law field. (more…)

Posted in Current Student Perspective, Guest Blogger | Comments Off

Welcome to the second week of Lent

By: Life at UST Law

Published on: Friday, March 9th, 2012

YouTube Preview ImageAdrienne G., (2L)

As a child, I hated Lent. I hated it with a fiery passion that burned with the stench of broiled fish sticks on Friday nights without even the cooling, creamy reward of Ben & Jerry’s for dessert. Because I had to give up ice cream, and for no good reason except that Jesus was mad about the whole crucifixion thing.

Since, then, however… and people tend to give me weird looks when I admit this… I’ve grown particularly fond of Lent. I know what it is now. Lent is a season of preparation. It’s still difficult, especially in law school. In addition to Lent, this is also the season of midterms, briefs, papers, job hunts, interviews, applications, class registration, and million other deadlines that must be constantly monitored and attended to. Amidst all of this, trying to keep track of what I do and don’t, am and am not supposed to eat or drink or do and when to do it or not should be complete overkill. Yet I like the focus that comes from a purposeful sacrifice. (more…)

Posted in Current Student Perspective, Guest Blogger | Comments Off

MN’s Maxiumum Security Institution offers tour to Criminal Law Association

By: Life at UST Law

Published on: Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Kimberly S., Guest Blogger, Current UST Law student (2L) 

Members of the UST Law Criminal Law Association

Members of the UST Law Criminal Law Association

For the second year in a row, the UST Criminal Law Association secured a much sought-after tour of Minnesota’s only level five, maximum-security institution.  The prison opened in 1982 and primarily receives male offenders being transferred from other institutions.  These male offenders are classified as maximum custody or extreme risks to the public.  There are roughly 440 offenders currently housed within nine units: six of the units house 52 inmates each, and the other three contain the mental health, transitional health care, and the administrative control units.

The facility is a G.E.D. learning and testing center, and also offers an adult basic education program.  We had the opportunity to tour the educational part of the prison, various units, offender cells, and recreational rooms.  We also toured the segregation unit where inmates are held in their cells for 23 of 24 hours of the day. It was fascinating to learn that the guards treat these inmates like everyone else.  We were asked to be respectful and not stare into the cells.  The rehabilitative goal of this particular facility is to attempt to move the inmates through their five levels and transfer them to a lower-level custody institution.  (more…)

Posted in Current Student Perspective, Guest Blogger, Student Activities | Comments Off

On The Docket: UST Law’s “Free Speech Variety Show”

By: Life at UST Law

Published on: Monday, March 5th, 2012

John S., Guest Blogger, 1L Student Government Representative

UST Law’s spring talent show is one month away. This year’s event is called the “Free Speech Variety Show.”

Presented by The People of The University of St. Thomas School of Law, the “Free Speech Variety Show” brings together all people of the School of Law to celebrate the expressive, impressive, and varied talents of our law school community.

Last Friday, Student Government officially put out its call for artists of all performing varieties to participate in the Show. The types of acts we would like to recruit include (but are not limited to) those who perform: Dance, theater, music, magic, puppetry, spoken-word poetry, impersonation, and stand-up, sketch, improvisational, or musical comedy.

For more event info, please see: http://www.facebook.com/events/363211463702119/?context=create.

Posted in Current Student Perspective, Guest Blogger, Student Activities | Comments Off