This event, hosted in collaboration with the Dean’s Office of the University of Minnesota Law School, provides an opportunity for University of Minnesota law students to gain insights into the experience of accomplished leaders with juris doctor degrees from business, government, non-profit organizations or academia. Hosted informally over lunch, the focus of the Series is to provide insight into the variety of leadership and management positions that lawyers and people with legal training can give, as well as how legal training can be an asset and/or a hindrance in collaborating with others to drive change and results.
Fall 2022 Events
September 2022 - Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright, US District Judge, District of Minnesota
Nominated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2015, Judge Wright is the only jurist in Minnesota’s history to be a state district court judge, appellate court judge, and state Supreme Court justice. During this luncheon, students had the opportunity to ask questions of the accomplished jurist, lawyer, and leader in a small group setting.
October 2022 - Suzanne Spellacy, General Counsel, Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx
In her role, Suzanne has responsibility for all legal matters including contract negotiations, corporate transactions, intellectual property, dispute resolution, employment law and league rules and regulations for the Timberwolves and Lynx. She is also a member of the Executive Team. During the luncheon, students had the opportunity to hear Suzanne’s thoughts on law and leadership, what skills have helped her most both in heading the legal function and in serving as part of the leadership team for major sports teams.
Past Speakers
President Joan Gabel, University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel reflected on law and leadership – how to guide and represent a large public university and partner effectively in often contested spaces with the different groups comprising university constituencies and leadership.
Rising 'Minnesota Young American Leaders Program' Participants
Rising Minnesota leaders, Ron Garber (Medtronic), Rachel Hughey (Merchant & Gould), Veena Iyer (Immigrant Law Center), Anisha Murphy (Community Reinvestment Fund), and Adebisi Wilson (Ward & Wilson, P.C) all with extensive legal expertise and experience in different sectors, with specializations ranging from immigration to healthcare to community development shared their thoughts on law and leadership and reflected on the skills that have helped them most in leading teams and coordinating across diverse interests to achieve results in contested spaces. All five speakers are members of the 2020 cohort of the Minnesota Young American Leaders Program (MYALP) offered by the Center for Integrative Leadership.
Cameron Boyd, General Counsel, Metropolitan Airports Commission
Cameron Boyd, General Counsel, Metropolitan Airports Commission, reflected on law and leadership – how to guide and represent a public corporation and partner effectively with the range of private and public, organizational and individual actors with which it must successfully interact.
Gaye Adams Massey, Chief Executive Officer, YWCA of St. Paul
Gaye Adams Massey, Chief Executive Officer, YWCA of St. Paul, spoke on how to drive change in service of the YWCA’s mission of breaking down barriers and building up communities, how her legal training helps and challenges her, and how to inspire others to come together to address common goals.
Andrea Walsh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Health Partners
Andrea Walsh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Health Partners, kicked off the inaugural session of the Law and Leadership Conversation series were she spoke of how to drive change, how her legal training helps and challenges her, and how to inspire others to come together to address a common goals.