Skip to Main Content

NEWS

Eighth Graders in UPLIFT Legal Institute for Teens Hold Mock Trials at the University of Minnesota Law School

March 9, 2023

This week, the students of UPLIFT Legal Institute for Teens—diverse groups of eighth graders from St. Louis Park Middle School, Columbia Academy, and Roseville Area Middle School—presented criminal mock trials before Minnesota judges at the University of Minnesota Law School. It was the culmination of a six-month program in which students were trained by volunteer coaches, including law students and attorneys from Maslon and the broader legal community.

Launched by Maslon in September 2017, UPLIFT is a legal diversity pipeline nonprofit serving middle school students reflecting the rich diversity of the Twin Cities. The afterschool mock trial program is taught by volunteer attorneys and law students who meet with participating middle school students throughout the academic year, instructing them on the legal profession, the court system, and key criminal law and practice concepts. Participation in the program helps students build confidence, develop analytical and speaking skills, foster long term vision, and create a framework to pursue academic excellence in high school. In the fall, UPLIFT will initiate a mentoring program for its graduates as they move into high school.

Together with volunteer law students and lawyers from throughout the Twin Cities, Maslon attorneys Nate Ajouri, Carmen Carballo, Clayton Carlson, Yemaya Hanna, Peter Hennigan, Carly Johnson, Jessica Karp, Evan Nelson, Terry Newby, Julian Zebot, as well as firm alumni Gabriel Ramirez-Hernandez, Cooper Ashley, and Laura Walvoord, served as volunteer coaches.

As of next week, nearly 200 middle school students will have completed the UPLIFT mock trial program since 2017 (the mock trial program went on hiatus in the 2020-2021 school year due to the pandemic).

This year, UPLIFT participants were assigned to teams representing either the prosecution or defense in the fictional manslaughter case of State of Minnesota v. Dannie LeLuca. To lend authenticity to the experience, students presented their cases before sitting Minnesota judges, including Luis Bartolomei and Sydnee Woods of Hennepin County District Court and Ramsey County District Judge JaPaul Harris.

"The UPLIFT mock trials serve as an opportunity for students to explore their own voices as advocates, and it is exciting to see their transformation throughout the year," said Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, executive director of UPLIFT. "The connection that develops between UPLIFT volunteer lawyers and the students they mentor is meaningful and often continues beyond our program. It is deeply gratifying to see students start to talk with their coaches about not only their trial strategy today, but their plans for high school, college, and even law school."

Catherine is a former Maslon partner who serves as the executive director of UPLIFT and in the role of public interest counsel at Maslon, serving as a mentor and leader across the firm's pro bono efforts overall.

DISCLAIMER

Thank you for your interest in contacting us by email.

Please do not submit any confidential information to Maslon via email on this website. By communicating with us we are not establishing an attorney-client relationship, and information you submit will not be protected by the attorney-client privilege and cannot be treated as confidential. A client relationship will not be formed until we have entered into a formal agreement. You should also be aware that we may currently represent parties whose interests may be adverse to yours, and we reserve the right to continue to represent them notwithstanding any communication we receive from you.

If you would like to discuss possible representation, please call one of our attorneys directly or use our general line (p 612.672.8200). We can then fully discuss our intake procedures and, if appropriate, introduce you to an attorney suited to assist with your matter. Alternatively, you may send us an email containing a general inquiry subject to these terms.

If you accept the terms of this notice and would like to send an email, click on the "Accept" button below. Otherwise, please click "Decline."

MEDIA INQUIRIES

We welcome the opportunity to assist you with your media inquiry. To ensure we do so properly and promptly, please feel free to contact our representative below directly by phone or via the email option provided. We look forward to hearing from you.

Emily Gurnon, Marketing Communications Manager | Office: 612.672.8251 | Mobile: 651.785.3616

EMAIL DISCLAIMER

This email is intended for use by members of the media only.

Please do not submit any confidential information to Maslon via email on this website. By communicating with us we are not establishing an attorney-client relationship, and information you submit will not be protected by the attorney-client privilege and cannot be treated as confidential. A client relationship will not be formed until we have entered into a formal agreement. You should also be aware that we may currently represent parties whose interests may be adverse to yours, and we reserve the right to continue to represent them notwithstanding any communication we receive from you.

If you would like to discuss possible representation, please call one of our attorneys directly or use our general line (p 612.672.8200). We can then fully discuss our intake procedures and, if appropriate, introduce you to an attorney suited to assist with your matter. Alternatively, you may send an email containing a general inquiry subject to these terms.

If you are a member of the media, accept the terms of this notice, and would like to send an email, click on the "Accept" button below. Otherwise, please click "Decline."