Spring 2009 Contents

In this issue…

The Leadership Equation What qualities make for a true leader? As these four alumni have discovered, there is no single trait or answer—other than a willingness to stand up to challenges and make tough decisions.

From Boardroom to Classroom Professor Thuy-Nga Vo applies the lessons she learned in business and corporate law to her William Mitchell classes.

Professors of Practice A timeline highlighting Professors Roger Haydock’s and John Sonsteng’s pioneering contributions to practical legal education over the past 30 years.

The Best Defense William Mitchell’s new clinic gives students exposure to criminal law and a chance to connect with the local community.

Alumni Profile: The Good Fight Neil Thompson ’99 used his training as a pharmacist and lawyer to bring a major corporation’s questionable billing practices to light.

Departments

• Mitchell in FOCUS: A close-up look at Professor Mark Edwards’ Property II class
• 875 Summit: News and updates PDF, 587 Kb
• Gratitude: Paving the Way PDF, 269 Kb
• Class Notes/In Memoriam PDF, 676 Mb
• To the Point—Message from Dean Janus PDF, 139 Kb

©2009 William Mitchell College of Law

Spring 2009

The Leadership Equation

What qualities make for a true leader? As these four alumni have discovered, there is no single trait or answer—other than a willingness to stand up to challenges and make tough decisions

By Kevin Featherly

What qualities make for a true leader? As these four alumni have discovered, there is no single trait or answer—other than a willingness to stand up to challenges and make tough decisions.

From Boardroom to Classroom

Professor Thuy-Nga Vo applies the leadership lessons she learned in business and corporate law to her William Mitchell classes learning.

By Jenny Sherman

For professors of any discipline—business, economics, sociology, politics—the current economic maelstrom has an upside: It’s providing a wealth of material for classroom discussion. The Madoff scandal, the furor over AIG executive bonuses, and, closer to home in the Twin Cities area, the allegations that Petters Group Worldwide CEO Tom Petters defrauded investors out of billions have offered rich talking points and ripe illustrative examples of leadership (or the lack thereof).

The Best Defense

A new William Mitchell clinic gives students exposure to criminal law and a chance to connect with the local community

By Mary Lahr Schier

George T. Stephenson ’85 understands the demography and geography of criminal justice in St. Paul. As a former prosecutor and criminal defense and family lawyer, and now a Ramsey County judge, many of the defendants he sees are young people of color who often don’t live far from William Mitchell’s campus. Some are represented by lawyers from the Neighborhood Justice Center, a nonprofit legal aid organization located four blocks from campus.

The Good Fight

Neil Thompson ’99 used his training as a pharmacist and lawyer to bring a major corporation’s questionable billing practices to light

By Meleah Maynard

When he was growing up, Neil Thompson wanted to be a pharmacist like his dad. He followed that path and eventually took over the family business, enjoying his job immensely, particularly the closeness he shared with longtime customers. But he also harbored an ambition of becoming a lawyer. Not long after he fulfi lled that ambition, he found himself at the center of an investigation of one of the country’s top drugstore chains.