Mitchell Hamline and its legacy schools have produced remarkable lawyers, judges, political leaders, and advocates in virtually every field of endeavor in which lawyers work. Their stories are inspiring, surprising, and reflective of the school’s legacy of providing access to justice and to the practice of law, public service, and improving the law. Just as importantly, these stories of our graduates and faculty tell stories of American history starting in the 20th century, from union-management struggles to the McCarthy era to contemporary legal battles on matters ranging from the First Amendment to environmental protection.
This history is a work in progress to which stories from our past will be added from time to time, but even in the limited biographies we offer now, some important themes emerge.
Political Leaders
Graduates of Mitchell Hamline legacy schools have played an important part in Minnesota’s political history, serving as state constitutional officers. Two of our graduates, Floyd B. Olson and Elmer Benson, were the first governors of the state elected on the Farmer-Labor ticket, and their efforts at reform to ensure working men and women a fair work environment significantly shaped the ethos of Minnesota politics for years to come. As governor, Luther Youngdahl influenced the state’s history on issues from gambling and liquor to the improvement of mental health services. Lori Swanson made history as the first woman to be elected Attorney General in the state, and the first Attorney General in any state to file lawsuits or open inquiries in several important areas of consumer protection.
Thomas D. Schall became the first blind member of the U.S. House of Representatives, later serving in the U.S. Senate. William Francis became the first African American to be appointed consul general in the United States. More recently, graduates Tom Emmer and Sean Duffy have served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Judges
Mitchell Hamline has produced both federal and state judges who have demonstrated courage in making difficult decisions, served as important leaders in their communities, and profoundly influenced the direction of the law. The most well-known of these judges is Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court Warren Burger who graduated from St. Paul College of Law in 1931 and joined his friend Harry Blackmun, who taught at St. Paul College of Law, on the Supreme Court in 1969.
Mitchell Hamline boasts many judges who were “firsts” in their field. Justice Rosalie Wahl, the first woman to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court, and Justice Esther Tomljanovich, the first woman to serve as Revisor of Statutes and third woman on the Supreme Court, are among them.
But many other of our graduates were “first women judges” as well, including currently sitting Justice Anne McKeig, the first American Indian to be appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court. They include Eleanor Nolan, the first woman judge in the state; Leslie Metzen, the first woman to become judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District; Joanne Smith, the first woman chief judge of a state district court; Linda Titus, the first woman judge in the Fifth Judicial District; Regina Chu, the first Asian American woman judge in Minnesota; Gail Chang Bohr, the first Asian American woman judge in Ramsey County, and Sophia Vuelo, the first Hmong American female judge in Minnesota.
Judge Stephen Maxwell became the first African American to run for Congress in Minnesota, as well as the first African American to be appointed district judge in Minnesota. Peter Reyes Jr. also became the first Latinx American to serve on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Many other Minnesota Supreme Court justices received their education at Mitchell Hamline legacy law schools. They include Chief Justices Douglas Amdahl, Peter Popovich, Roger Dell, and Eric Magnuson and Justices Thomas D. O’Brien, Martin A. Nelson, William P. Murphy, George M. Scott, Helen Meyer, and Samuel L. Hanson.
MHSL legacy graduates have served on other state appellate courts as well. One example is Albert H. Angstman, a justice of the Montana Supreme Court, who in that capacity represented the state of Montana before the U.S. Supreme Court in railroad and other litigation. Montana Supreme Court Justice James T. Harrison, the first MHSL graduate to be appointed a chief justice of an appellate court, is also among them.
Mitchell Hamline has also contributed outstanding graduates to the federal bench. After his service as governor and the first MHSL legacy graduate appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court, Luther Youngdahl was appointed to the federal bench where he contributed important decisions, including one of the key First Amendment decisions of the McCarthy era. John Sanborn who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives and as Insurance Commissioner before becoming a federal judge, significantly influenced social life during Prohibition and played a key role in the Little Rock desegregation cases.
Among the federal judges who hail from MHSL legacy schools Chief Judge Paul A. Magnuson and Judge Donovan Frank both served on the federal district court in Minnesota. In 2010, Magistrate Judge Leo Brisbois became the first American Indian to serve as a federal judge in Minnesota. Among others who have served on the federal bench are Federal Judges Eric Tostrud and Magistrate Judges Janice Symchych, Jeanne J. Graham, Steven E. Rau, Becky R. Thorson, and Elizabeth Cowan Wright.
Prosecutors, County Attorneys, and Public Defenders
Mitchell Hamline graduates have pursued the public interest in a variety of roles that exercised a profound influence on both state and national affairs. They are well-represented among Minnesota’s prosecutors, county attorneys and public defenders.
Among our graduates are many prosecutors and county attorneys who have exercised a significant influence not only on the enforcement of law, but on its improvement. G. Aaron Youngquist became an important U.S. Attorney, pursuing corruption during the Prohibition era.
Many MHSL graduates have also become “firsts” in prosecutor and county attorney positions. Phyllis Jean Jones became the first woman to serve as an Assistant County Attorney in Minnesota. John Choi became the first Korean American to serve Ramsey County as a County Attorney. Daniel Lew was the first Asian American to serve as chief public defender in a Minnesota district.
Lawyers Who Have Served in Unique Roles
MHSL graduates have made other unique contributions to American history.
Lena O. Smith, the first African American woman lawyer in Minnesota, made important civil rights gains for Minnesotans.
During the industrial unrest of the early 20th century, Elmer Smith bravely represented the I.W.W. (Wobblies).
Graduates of MHSL legacy schools are also builders. They have founded the Courage Center persons with disabilities (William H. DeParq), the National Child Protection Training Center (Victor Vieth), the Zero Abuse Project (Jeff Anderson), the Children’s Law Center (Gwen Lerner and Deborah Randolph), the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association (Lenor Scheffler), Global Volunteers (Bud Philbrook and Michelle Gran) and other organizations dedicated to protection of vulnerable people and legal rights.