“guardians Of Innovation: How Lawyers Benefit Entrepreneurs” – Law in Practice Program Recognized as an Innovation Leader in Practical Skills Training Minnesota Law’s unique program to introduce the 1L to the nuts and bolts of attorney was recently named by Bloomberg Law as one of the most innovative law school experiential education programs in the nation

The pressure was on Jack Tate, then an 1L, and his co-counsel to make the best case for compensation for their client, a high school teacher they allege had been illegally terminated. Advocating passionately for these veteran educators, they crafted their argument in favor of the mediator. But are they doing enough?

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Throughout the semester, Tate engages in client interviews, depositions, chamber conferences, and more, trying to get justice.

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While the “clients” and cases were simulations, the legal skills Tate and his partner 1L developed were real. They participate in the Minnesota Law Law in Practice (LiP) program, which was recently honored for the innovation it brings to experiential education.

“It was a huge confidence boost,” said Tate, who is now a 2L and LiP student instructor. “This was the first time I really imagined myself working as a lawyer. I had never done anything like that before, and it forced me out of my comfort zone. It is good for students to get out of the classroom and grapple with what it means to be a lawyer.”

LiP is one of only 10 programs selected nationally by Bloomberg Law in the “Innovation & Experience” category of its recently launched Law School Innovation Program. Bloomberg founded the program to reward pioneering educational innovations that benefit students, schools and the legal field.

A mandatory 1L spring semester course, LiP has been a key part of the Minnesota Law experience since 2013. Minnesota Law Professor Prentiss Cox ’90 and Laura Thomas (now a Hennepin County District Court judge) transformed LiP from a top-level elective into an integral part of the curriculum for 1Ls . The aim of this program is to transform doctrinal legal concepts into an experiential learning format early in a student’s legal education. During one semester, each student works on two case simulations from start to finish, one litigation and one transactional.

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1L is divided into law firms—classrooms where Minnesota Law faculty study the law and how to apply it to the specifics of each simulated case. Attorneys practicing in smaller groups teach best practices and supervise six simulations. Working in pairs, student attorneys complete a variety of legal work, including taking depositions and negotiating contracts.

“We want to make sure that when you do something in practice, it’s not the first time you’re doing it,” says Randall Ryder ’09, director of LiP and moot court programs. “I tell the students that this is an opportunity to play in the sandbox without consequences. Invaluable for law students entering a profession where if you make a mistake there can be severe consequences. LiP gives them a great opportunity to learn from their mistakes.”

“We want to make sure that when you do something in training, it’s not the first time you’ve done it. I tell the students that this is an opportunity to play in the sandbox without consequences.

Although other law schools offer practical skills courses, Minnesota Law stands out in a number of ways, says Mitch Zamoff, assistant dean of experiential education. The law school has built LiP on a large enough scale that all 1Ls can participate. Instead of law students acting as clients and witnesses during the simulations, LiP uses a troupe of more than 50 trained actors to play the roles. This provides a very realistic setting during the course’s experiential practice, says Zamoff.

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In addition, more than 30 practicing attorneys share their real-world experience as assistant professors, while more than 50 judges and mediators volunteer their time each year, Zamoff said. They held mediation simulations and chamber meetings—including making decisions—increasing the reality of the simulations.

“Not many law schools offer an attorney skills program to all of their first-year students,” says Zamoff. “We believe that this is an important part of the developing lawyer experience. It doesn’t make sense to hold off until you are more than a third of the way through law school.

Jack Tate, 2L, Prof. Mitch Zamoff, associate dean of experiential education, Suzanne Mead, 2L, and Prof. Randall Ryder, director of Law in Practice and Moot Court Program

Rajin Singh Olson ’16, a patent attorney at Robins Kaplan in Minneapolis, took up LiP and has been an assistant professor since 2020. He believes it is helpful for students to work on cases at all stages of litigation, getting an up-close view of the nuts and bolts legal practice. For Olson, a first-generation lawyer, LiP also sheds light on the different ways of working as a lawyer, including in litigation.

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Olson often notices big changes in students over the course of the semester, especially after they have completed the simulations. “One of the things I love most about this course is you see people getting more and more confident,” she says. “For example, you see introverts becoming confident in providing client service, and you see extroverts being able to really focus on the issues that matter,” he says. Students also practice the important skills of changing their approach depending on whether the audience is clients, counsel against the law, or judges.

For many students, the first semester of law school can be overwhelming as they dive into doctrinal courses with heavy reading loads. Some students thrive in an analytical academic environment, while others struggle to find their direction. Tate can attest that he questioned his career choices during the first semester. But LiP renewed his commitment to become a lawyer.

“The reality is, the practice of law is about interpreting cases and applying the law and dealing with people,” Tate said. “Law in Practice is an opportunity to demonstrate my strengths in client facing work and remember that this is why I went to law school.”

“Law in Practice is an opportunity to demonstrate my strengths in client facing work and remember that this is why I went to law school.”

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Another key component of LiP is the powerful feedback students get after each simulation, said Ryder. They received oral and written comments from their assistant professors, as well as feedback from their advisory assistant professors, a judge, a mediator, and colleagues. Listening to what they do well and where there are opportunities for growth helps students refine their skills and develop into lawyers who know their way around a negotiation or deposition, he says.

Thanks to LiP, students are prepared to engage in the many other experiential learning opportunities at Minnesota Law, such as the nearly 30 clinics or field placements. They also have legs when they start summer jobs. This is where Ryder often hears from students. “I get emails saying, ‘I did my first in-person client interview or participated in a deposition, and it went well. I feel ready because of LiP,’” he said. “We teach them tools they may use for the rest of their professional careers.”

Suzanne Mead, 2L and a student instructor, appreciated the opportunity to start building cases through depositions, something she witnessed while working at a firm before law school.

“It’s a really great way to experience something in a safe environment,” says Mead. “Now when I go to practice, I have gotten rid of the nervousness. You gain confidence in your ability to practice law and find your own style. I learned that sometimes you have to play the game a little differently depending on what you are doing.”

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“You gain confidence in your ability to practice law and find your own style. I learned that sometimes you have to play the game a little differently depending on what you’re doing.”

Adjunct professor Katherine Nixon ’21, legal clerk for the US Bankruptcy Court in St. Paul, found the skills he learned during the LiP could immediately be transferred to work at the Minnesota Legal Bankruptcy Clinic as a 2L and 3L. Nixon says he regularly applies his LiP experience to case management, client communications, and advocacy.

Nixon had legal exposure during college when he helped trial teams in federal court. But watching lawyers in action is not the same as diving into yourself.

“It’s a very different experience when you have the case files, and you’re the one asking the questions,” Nixon said. “It’s hard to imagine yourself doing these things. But I’ve gotten to a point where I know the case files all too well, I know the questions I want to ask, and I know what goals I want to achieve.

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“It’s in a safe room so if you mess up Law in Practice it’s okay. You will always remember the mistakes you made, and you will not repeat them.”

Nixon says LiP provides a conducive environment for learning. “It’s in a safe room so if you mess up Law in Practice it’s okay. You will

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