Fall 2009 Contents

In this issue…

Think Global (even if you) Practice Local A look at how William Mitchell alumni—and the law school—are facing the increasingly interconnected global legal community

One World William Mitchell Vice Dean Nancy Ver Steegh on how the college is working to help students navigate the ever-flattening and interconnected global marketplace

Hanging Out a Shingle Thinking of opening your own firm? Before you hang out a shingle, check out the lessons learned by these William Mitchell alumni

5 Things About David Sparby ’80 David Sparby, vice president and CFO, Northern States Power

Off the Beaten Track: Danielle Satterfield-Williams ’97 advocates on behalf of clients every day, but she works in a classroom rather than a courtroom

Scholarship and Gratitude: Jim Frey ’93 and Joe Moravchik 2L have a lot in common: They’re both committed to giving back to society

Departments

• Mitchell in FOCUS: Meet the students who participated in Mitchell in London 2009 Photo on Facebook
• William Mitchell CLEs PDF, 102 Kb
• 875 Summit: News and updates PDF, 512 Kb
• Class Notes/In Memoriam PDF, 697 Mb
• To the Point—Message from Dean Janus PDF, 113 Kb
• Minneapolis College of Law Class of 1914 Photo on Facebook

©2009 William Mitchell College of Law

Fall 2009

Think Global (even if you) Practice Local

A look at how William Mitchell alumni—and the law school—are facing the increasingly interconnected global legal community

By Kevin Featherly

Tempers nearly flared in Jim Hilbert’s new International Negotiation and Dispute Resolution class last July. Hilbert, a resident adjunct and director of the Center for Negotiation and Justice, was leading students through lessons in which 12 William Mitchell students squared off against a dozen students visiting from Turkey in a series of negotiation and role-playing scenarios on international business transactions, foreign policy negotiations, and international legal dispute resolutions.

One World

William Mitchell Vice Dean Nancy Ver Steegh on how the college is working to help students navigate the ever-flattening and interconnected global marketplace

How is William Mitchell working to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate this new world? We asked Nancy Ver Steegh, professor and vice dean for academic programs, to talk about some of the ways in which the college is meeting the challenge.

Hanging Out a Shingle

Thinking of opening your own firm?

Before you hang out a shingle, check out the lessons learned by these William Mitchell alumni

By Sara Aase

William Mitchell recently held a four-part series of programs on what it takes for lawyers to successfully open and operate their own practice. It was a popular event among alumni.

5 Things About David Sparby ’80

Vice president and CFO of Northern States Power (NSP), on William Mitchell then and now, how his mom inspired him to study law, his love of running, and more

David Sparby has enjoyed a career that’s been nothing short of stellar. Prior to his current position, he served as vice president of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Xcel Energy, NSP’s parent company. He began his tenure with NSP in 1982 as a staff attorney and has served in many other capacities, including director of Gas Supply, managing director of Corporate Rates, and vice president of Regulatory Affairs. He has also been part of the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group, in which he and other state citizens are charged with developing state-level energy policy recommendations.

We asked him to take a break to answer a few questions.

Off the Beaten Track: Danielle Satterfield-Williams ’97

Contracts, moot court, and the legal system…

just another day in the life of Danielle Satterfield-Williams ’97

Danielle Satterfield-Williams has never used her William Mitchell degree to practice law, but she is using it to make a powerful impact on numerous lives. She’s a literacy teacher at Robert A. Van Wyck Middle School 217 in Briarwood, N.Y., a neighborhood smack in the heart of Queens.

Scholarship and Gratitude: Jim Frey ’93 and Joe Moravchik 2L

The True Mobility of a William Mitchell Scholarship

Jim Frey ’93 received motivation and backing at a critical point in his life; now he’s found a way to return the favor

As a survivor of a car accident at age 17 that left him wheelchair bound, Jim Frey appreciates the power of receiving the right motivation and backing at a critical moment in his life. Years later, his personal experiences led him and his wife to establish the James and Mary Frey Scholarship Endowment for William Mitchell students with physical disabilities.