Mission and Vision
The Mitchell Hamline Food Law Center fosters and promotes the awareness, discussion, and study of food law and regulation as it relates to the production, manufacture, and consumption of food. We train lawyers and other legal specialists in food law and provide a forum for the discussion of food law-related public policy issues.
The Food Law Center works to:
- Educate students and the public by developing courses, seminars, symposia, and other programs
- Engage a variety of stakeholders to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas about food and society
- Create and promote employment opportunities in food industries and public advocacy organizations
- Offer experiential learning opportunities for students
Upcoming Courses
- Food Law, taught by David Graham (fall 2024)
- Food Safety and the Law, taught by Melanie Neumann and Jennifer Abrahamzon (spring 2025 – every spring on odd years)
- Food Labeling and Advertising: Law and Litigation Fundamentals, taught by Shirley Boyd (spring 2026 – every spring on even years)
Past Courses
- Food Fight: The Art and Science of Foodborne Illness Litigation, taught by Ryan Osterholm and Brendan Flaherty (summer 2021)
- Food for Thought, taught by Melissa Weiner, Steve Toeniskoetter, Shirley Boyd, and Nancy Husnik (spring 2021)
- Constitutional Law
- Administrative Law
- Environmental Law
Past Events
- In Case You Missed It – A Food Law Symposium, January, 2024
- Food Traceability: Definition and Challenges from Fark to Fork and Back, April 2022
- Food Transparency: What Is It and Who Defines It?, October 2021
- Protein Wars: Defining, Naming, and Labeling Alternative Proteins, October 2020
- Trends in FDA Enforcement: What We’re Seeing Today, June 2018
- Working as a Lawyer at the FDA and a Food Company with Greg Thompson, Chief Food Law Counsel, General Mills, April 2018
- Menu Labeling and Other Food Labeling Laws, Dec. 2017
- Food Sustainability
Food Law Resources
- Food Law Student Network
- Harvard Food Law & Policy Career Guide(100-page guide last updated in November 2017)
- Minnesota State Bar Association Food, Drug & Device Section
- 5 New Practice Areas Your Firm Should Start, Law360.com
- FDA Law Blog
- The Ag & Food Law Blog
- Schroeder Ag Law Blog
- A Seat at the Table
- The Food Law Firm
This assembly of lawyers and business professionals volunteer their time to the Health Law Institute to help expand what the Food Law Center can do. They do this by giving recommendations, feedback, information, and materials that are valuable to creating new courses, events for current students and lawyers interested in food law, and much more.
- Jennifer Abrahamzon, JD ’09 – Regulatory Counsel, FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
- Kayla Beyer, JD – CEO, Provender Brands, d/b/a Deeply Rooted Farms
- Doug Blanke, JD – Public Health Law Center, Executive Director
- Shirley R. Boyd, JD – Cargill, Incorporated, VP and Associate General Counsel (retired)
- Sarah Brew, JD – Faegre Drinker LLP, Partner
- Susan Blum, JD – Cargill, Incorporated, Food Law Lawyer
- Mike Gerber, Executive Leader of Research & Development, Quality & Innovation, Bellisio Foods
- David Graham, JD – Dykema Gossett, PLLC, Partner
- Amy Huo – MHSL Student Liason
- Nancy Husnik, JD – Target Corporation, Director, Regulatory Counsel (retired)
- Indra Mehrotra, MS, RD – Cargill, Incorporated, Director of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs (retired)
- Melanie Neumann – EVP and General Counsel, Matrix Sciences
- Ryan Osterholm, JD – OFT Law, Partner
- Joseph Scimeca, PhD – International Dairy Foods Association, SVP, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs
- Jeff Varcoe, PhD – The JM Smucker Co., Vice President Quality Assurance and Food Safety
Faculty and Staff
