{"id":73815,"date":"2026-04-21T18:13:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T23:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mitchellhamline.edu\/news\/?p=73815"},"modified":"2026-04-22T16:30:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:30:56","slug":"mitchell-hamline-hosts-critical-conversation-on-voting-rights-at-26th-annual-celebration-of-women-in-law-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mitchellhamline.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/21\/mitchell-hamline-hosts-critical-conversation-on-voting-rights-at-26th-annual-celebration-of-women-in-law-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"Mitchell Hamline hosts critical conversation on voting rights at 26th annual Celebration of Women in Law Tea"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Mitchell Hamline will be hosting the 26th annual Celebration of Women in Law Tea<\/a> with a special CLE program, \u201cState of the Vote: Legal Challenges Shaping the Midterm Election,\u201d on Tuesday, May 5, at 5 pm. Registration<\/a> for the event is currently open. Inspired by former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich \u201955, this annual event features a networking reception with Mitchell Hamline alumni, students, friends, and colleagues\u2014with optional tea party-inspired attire, including hats and gloves\u2014followed by a compelling CLE that will examine the most pressing issues in voting rights and election administration shaping the upcoming midterm elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe citizens of Minnesota have great civic pride and involvement.\u00a0Minnesota has consistently ranked first or second in the nation in election voting turnout over the years.\u00a0But we cannot take this for granted and should not become complacent,\u201d said Minnesota Court of Appeals Senior Judge Jill Halbrooks \u201985, who serves as a member of the Tea planning committee.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn order to maintain our commitment to civic engagement, we must continue to promote voter registration and encourage all those who are eligible to vote to do so,\u201d she continued. \u201cAny efforts to restrict voting rights must be overcome with strong resistance and education. Given the importance and timeliness of this topic, the planning committee has assembled a panel of experts who will address the current state of the law and speak to any challenges that may arise with the November 2026 midterm elections and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

This panel will feature Tami Diehm \u201903, shareholder and president of Winthrop & Weinstine, who counsels organizations on issues of compliance, fundraising, advocacy, political action, and more; Maya Pennington \u201920, interim CEO of All Square and The Legal Revolution, where she leads innovative programming and initiatives that advance opportunities for people impacted by mass incarceration; Amy Perna, executive director of the League of Women Voters; and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who serves as Minnesota\u2019s chief elections administrator. The panel will be moderated by Mitchell Hamline Professor Raleigh Levine, whose academic interests focus on the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and press.<\/p>\n\n\t\t