Mitchell Hamline School of Law is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 Alumni Awards, recognizing four members of the law school community whose careers and service reflect the impact of a Mitchell Hamline legal education.
This year’s honorees include Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Hon. Shawn M. Bartsh ’82, Outstanding Alumni Award recipient Nicole James Gilchrist ’03, Recent Alumni Award recipient Kojo Addo ’17, and Robert Klas, Jr. ’79, the inaugural recipient of the new Legacy and Future Award.
Together, the honorees represent decades of leadership across the judiciary, corporate law, private practice, and higher education—and demonstrate the many ways Mitchell Hamline alumni serve their communities and shape the legal profession. We are honored to celebrate them at the Mitchell Hamline Celebration at Allianz Field on Oct. 1, 2026.
Distinguished Alumni Award: Hon. Shawn M. Bartsh ’82
Hon. Shawn M. Bartsh ’82 has built a career grounded in faith, service, resilience, and a commitment to addressing unmet needs.
After putting herself through college and law school while working full time, Bartsh became a nationally recognized advocate for child safety. Her advocacy contributed to federal legislation requiring safer garage-door openers, and the American Bar Association named her one of its 20 Lawyers Who Make a Difference.
In 2013, Bartsh was appointed to Minnesota’s Second Judicial District, where she served for more than a decade. The Minnesota Judicial Branch notes that she was elected in 2014 and 2020 and later served as a senior judge.
Today, Bartsh serves as a mediator and arbitrator and continues to contribute to the legal profession as a mentor, lecturer, and leader.
Her career has also been shaped by perseverance. Reflecting on her journey, Bartsh said, “I am resilient. The only limits we have are those we place on ourselves.”
That determination began early. When Bartsh told her high school counselor that she wanted to become a lawyer, she was told, “women can’t be lawyers.” Years later, she returned to her high school to speak with students and classmates—sharing that not only can women become lawyers, but they can also become judges.
Bartsh’s career exemplifies the power of persistence and the importance of creating new possibilities for those who follow.
Outstanding Alumni Award: Nicole James Gilchrist ’03
Nicole James Gilchrist ’03 has spent her career combining legal expertise, leadership, and service.
Gilchrist is vice president and deputy general counsel at Thrivent, where she leads the legal team supporting the organization’s insurance solutions, distribution, and operations divisions. She previously held several legal roles at Ameriprise Financial. Mitchell Hamline has also recognized her longstanding service to the law school, including her tenure on the Board of Trustees and as board chair from 2022 to 2024.
Beyond her professional work, Gilchrist has served on committees for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and the American Council of Life Insurers and serves on the board of directors for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota.
For Gilchrist, the award is especially meaningful because of her longstanding connection to Mitchell Hamline.
“The work that happens at Mitchell Hamline—commitment to rigorous academic and clinical programs, its innovative spirit, and the belief in what is possible—reaches far beyond this campus and touches generations. To be recognized by a community that has given me so much is a gift I will always treasure, and a responsibility I will continue to carry forward.”
Her continued involvement reflects the lasting connection many alumni maintain with the school and its mission.
Recent Alumni Award: Kojo Addo ’17
Kojo Addo ’17 represents a new generation of Mitchell Hamline alumni making an impact through advocacy and service.
Addo practices personal injury law at Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben, representing individuals and families in motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian injuries, premises liability, wrongful death, and other serious injury matters. He began his career with the firm as a law clerk while earning his J.D. from Mitchell Hamline and became an attorney there in 2017.
His professional development has included participation in the American Board of Trial Advocates National Trial College at Yale Law School in 2018 and a return to the program as a teaching fellow in 2022. He has also been recognized by Minnesota Super Lawyers as a Rising Star since 2022 and by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for personal injury litigation.
Addo credits his Mitchell Hamline experience with helping shape the way he approaches his work.
“Mitchell Hamline gave me an opportunity, and its professors took the time to meet me where I was, help me work through difficult concepts, and encourage me to use my strengths to contribute to the school and broader community.”
For Addo, that lesson continues to inform his work with clients.
“Every client and case is different, and good advocacy starts with understanding the person in front of you and taking the time to do the work well.”
He said receiving the Recent Alumni Award feels like an affirmation that he has carried those values into his practice and service to others.
Inaugural Legacy and Future Award: Robert Klas, Jr. ’79
This year also marks the introduction of a new honor: the Mitchell Hamline Legacy and Future Award.
The inaugural recipient is Robert Klas, Jr. ’79, whose leadership played a pivotal role in bringing William Mitchell College of Law and Hamline School of Law together in 2015 to create Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Klas earned his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law and his undergraduate degree from Hamline University. He went on to serve as a leader on Hamline’s Board of Trustees and was named a lifetime trustee.
His leadership during the combination of the two institutions helped bring together law schools with more than 155 years of combined history and helped shape the future of legal education in Minnesota.
“Mr. Klas was instrumental in negotiating the combination of William Mitchell College of Law and Hamline University School of Law which in 2015 created the Mitchell Hamline School of Law,” said Mitchell Hamline President and Dean Camille M. Davidson. “This extraordinary union brought together two law schools that had shaped Minnesota’s legal landscape for more than a combined 155 years, creating the largest law school in the region and the top choice for motivated students who want to pursue a rigorous, practice-based legal education in a way that fits their lives.”
Klas has continued to invest in Mitchell Hamline’s future. He and several members of his family, who are also alumni of Mitchell Hamline, established the Klas Family Scholarship at Mitchell Hamline, providing support for a new generation of students pursuing careers in the legal field.
The Legacy and Future Award recognizes that the strength of Mitchell Hamline is built not only through its history, but also through the alumni, leaders, faculty, staff, and supporters who continue to invest in what comes next.