Welcome to the video-blog of Hamline University School of Law

Dean Donald Lewis

Available in both video and text format for your convenience

Hello again.  Sorry I missed you during the past two weeks.  My producer and I took a break because of some out-of-town travel.

Today, I want to talk a couple minutes about some landmark work of our Dispute Resolution Institute, and then close with some breaking news about our bar exam results.

For Hamline or any enterprise, the path to greatness can be found at the intersection of what we are very good at, what we are passionate about, and what we can make money doing.

And on that first point-what we are good at-I mean what we can do better than anyone anywhere in the world.

At Hamline, among our many excellent pursuits, one stands out for which we can say we are among the best in the world.  And that is the work of our Dispute Resolution Institute.

The best lawyers in the 21st century must be skilled problem solvers and settlers of disputes-in addition to being skilled advocates.  That is why alternative dispute resolution is at the center of our law school's curriculum, and why our DRI is ranked by U.S. News as No. 4 in nation in this specialty.  This year is shaping up as another exceptional year for the institute.

Welcome to the video-blog of Hamline University School of Law

Dean Donald Lewis

Available in both video and text format for your convenience

Today, I am blogging from our Annette Levine Moot Court Room. Next Thursday, November 5, the seven justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court will sit at the bench behind me to hear the criminal case of State v. Swaney. I invite you to attend a brunch with the court followed by the oral argument. But first, let me tell you a little about the case.

In May 2001, 20-year-old Carrie Nelson was bludgeoned to death during a robbery in a state park office where she worked near Luverne, MN. Fingerprints were found. There was also DNA evidence taken from a watch which appeared to be ripped from someone's arm at the scene. But otherwise, the evidence trail was cold.

Welcome to the video-blog of Hamline University School of Law

Dean Donald Lewis

Available in both video and text format for your convenience

Hi there. Registration is coming up next week and it's never too early to think about what you're going to do after the holidays during the two-week J-Term. This is especially true when there are opportunities to escape the Minnesota winter to study abroad.

One option is our program in Jerusalem.  We all know that Israel is at the center of long-standing political and religious conflicts.  Our J-Term program there studies how law and religion interact, and how both are employed to resolve conflict.  There is no better city in the world to study the interaction of law and religion than Jerusalem, where Islam, Judaism and Christianity meet.

Inside two weeks, you can learn how the values of these three religious traditions have shaped their dispute resolution methods; explore how these methods have been adapted to resolve modern day conflicts; and visit with people actually involved in the peacemaking process in the Middle East.

You have to go to class, complete reading assignments, and take an exam.  For an extra credit you can write a paper. Professor David Cobin leads this program.  We work with the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University, and the classes meet on its campus from Jan. 4 - Jan. 14. Learn more at http://law.hamline.edu/study-abroad/study-abroad-jerusalem.html