University of St. Thomas School of Law

Recent graduate Alissa Pollard ’26 J.D. has been awarded a postgraduate fellowship with Immigrant Justice Corps. She also received a 2026 Outstanding Clinical Student of the Year Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association. Congrats!

Read more about Pollard's fellowship assignment as a staff attorney at The Advocates for Human Rights, her work in the law school's Immigration Law Practice Group legal clinic and more at https://news.stthomas.edu/st-thomas-law-graduate-awarded-national-immigration-fellowship/.

St. Thomas Law Graduate Awarded National Immigration Fellowship - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas Recent St. Thomas Law graduate Alissa Pollard ’26 J.D. earns an Immigrant Justice Corps fellowship and national clinic student honors.

Congratulations to rising 3L Emily Hegna who received a 2026 Outstanding Student Externship Award from the Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA)!⁣
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Hegna (pictured left) was nominated for the national award by Professor Shawn Webb (pictured right) for her work in Misdemeanor Defense, Public Interest and Advanced Misdemeanor Defense externships with the First District Public Defender’s Office and Dakota County’s Competency Court.

"Since beginning her service, Emily has taken on responsibilities that far exceed those typically given to students," Webb said. "She has co‑authored successful motions challenging unconstitutional show‑up identifications, Miranda violations, improper charging, and competency‑related dismissals. She served as the primary author of a motion to sever in a second‑degree murder case, drafted a successful motion to dismiss a second‑degree drug sale charge, and co‑authored the written closing argument in a felony court trial she co‑counseled. She also co‑counseled a felony jury trial, delivering the opening statement, cross‑examining a police officer, and contributing to discovery review and trial strategy.

"Emily's contributions are extraordinary in both scope and impact, demonstrating skill, judgment, and dedication rarely seen so early in a law student’s career. She is an exceptional student whose work embodies the very best of the St. Thomas externship program."

Professor Carl Warren, a quiet yet resolute presence in the Interprofessional Center (IPC) for Counseling and Legal Services at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, will retire this month. For the past decade, he has taught law students in the law school's Community Justice Project (CJP) legal clinic how to use their skills to advocate for community based public policy solutions for underserved communities and individuals in the juvenile justice, housing, education and criminal justice systems.

Learn more about Professor Warren's distinguished career at https://news.stthomas.edu/a-quiet-force-for-justice-law-professor-carl-warren-retires/ and join us in expressing gratitude for his impactful contributions to St. Thomas Law and the broader community.

A Quiet Force for Justice: Law Professor Carl Warren Retires - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas Professor Carl Warren, a quiet yet resolute presence in the Interprofessional Center (IPC) for Counseling and Legal Services at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, will retire at the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

As student practitioners in the Federal Appellate Clinic, recent graduates Isaac Rillo and Gabrielle Tremblay argued a prisoner’s constitutional claim for medical treatment before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.

Learn more about the case, Kelvin X. Singleton v. S. Gates, and watch the oral argument at https://news.stthomas.edu/law-students-argue-appeal-for-prisoners-eighth-amendment-right-to-medical-treatment/.

Law Students Argue Appeal for Prisoner’s Eighth Amendment Right to Medical Treatment - Newsroom | University of St. Thomas Third-year University of St. Thomas School of Law students Isaac Rillo and Gabrielle Tremblay argued a prisoner’s constitutional claim for medical treatment before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco. Working in the Appellate Clinic, led by Professor Gregory S...

On Saturday, May 16 the School of Law will hold its 2026 commencement ceremony on the St. Paul campus of the University of St. Thomas at the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena. Jacob Fate will be this year's class speaker and the keynote address will be given by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. David Grenardo has been selected by students as this year's Professor of the Year.

Thank you to the more than 500 lawyers and judges who this year volunteered as mentors and gave their time, shared their knowledge and helped our law students learn what it means to be a member of the profession.

Last week, at this year's Mentor Appreciation Reception, the law school honored the 2026 mentors and faculty mentors who provided invaluable learning opportunities and professional connections for our students.⁣
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Thank you to Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company and Spencer Fane LLP for sponsoring this year's reception.⁣

Everyone is invited to visit https://law.stthomas.edu/jd-program/training/mentor-externship/our-mentors/index.html to view the list of this year's mentors.
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Among the many accomplishments of the Class of 2026 is the number of hours of community service they completed as law students.

Each J.D. student is asked to complete at least 50 hours of community service work as part of their legal education at St. Thomas Law. The public service requirement was created on the belief that all lawyers have an obligation to share their skills and knowledge.

This year's class logged more than 11,311 hours of community service! Some even went above the required hours and we want to highlight them below.
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800-899 Hours: Jade Egbert

700-799 Hours: Jocie Scherkenbach

200-299 Hours: Jackie Moen, Madison Morehouse, Samantha Sondrol

100-199 Hours: Michael Bernardi, Zachary Brown, Alexandra Dischinger, Morgan Doherty, Elaina Duclos, Sabrina Estes-Possia, Sarah Etheridge, Adam Gallagher, Meg Hellerud, Evan Hromada, Aries Lazaro, Izabella Riter, Jennifer Stegeman, Gabrielle Tremblay, R Watkins