The Opinion

The William Mitchell Opinion was William Mitchell College of Law's student newspaper from 1959-1979, when it was renamed simply The Opinion, after losing funding from the school administration. The Opinion continued publication under that name from 1979-1998. It was revived in 2000 as an online publication and ceased publication again in 2009.

The Opinion was published by the Student Bar Association of WMCL from 1959-1998, and a student organization from 2000-2009. Over the course of its publication, it won multiple national awards for legal writing. Regular features included school news, editorials, legal opinions, and even a sports section.

This digital collection is maintained by the staff of the Warren E. Burger Library of Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

Disclaimer: These newspapers reflect the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times. Neither the library nor the school endorses the views expressed in these collections.

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The Opinion – Volume 10, August 2003

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- International Students Meet the Challenge / Yang, Christy
- Bakke, Grutter, and the Continuing Saga of Racial Preferences / Kilgus, Mary
- Federal Regulation Denies Medicare Patient Access to Cutting-Edge Medical Therapies / Schmidt, Kathryn
- Dicta Dreams, or the Parable of Pertinent Parts / Magnuson, Carla
- Grutter Commentary/Meta-Opinion / Magnuson, Carla
- Golf - Fore Sure! / Bakken, Shawn
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary; Magnuson, Carla; Yang, Rong; Kissinger, Scott; Krause, Jason
The Opinion – Volume 9, May 2003

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- William Mitchell Students Rank First! / Kilgus, Mary
- Annual Food Drive Aims to Stamp Out Hunger! / Hughes, Sarah
- Poe-etic Justice / Cristol, A. Jay
- The Hijackers of September 11 / Lorente, Alfredo
- Corporate Ethics is a No-Brainer---Isn't It? / Dady, Sara
- State Run Churches? / Collins, Chad
- Float Away / Lorente, Alfredo
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 8, March 2003

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- WMCL Alum Puts on a Wellstone Benefit and CD Release Party for May 9
- Pioneers
- Reflections of an Immigration Lawyer / Ingber, Prof. Jerome
- The Examined Life / Bakken, Shawn
- If the Governor Lived in My House / Dady, Sara
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 7, February 2003

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Charles Hamilton Houston / Student X
- Liberal Media? / Lorente, Alfredo
- Dam Those Beavers
- Getting the Willies / Bakken, Shawn
- Women's Right to Remain Inferior / Dady, Sara
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 6, January 2003

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- 25-year-old Law has Ripple Effect on Environment / NAPSI
- No Entiendo / Lorente, Alfredo
- Identity Crisis... What to do if your Identity is Stolen
- Putting a Lid on Deceptive Spam
- Professorship 101 / Salchert, Michael
- Down South, and Singin' / Bakken, Shawn
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 5, January 2002

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Hi-Tech Elections? / Lorente, Alfredo
- Back in Iraq / Gilchrist, Dan
- Why does the water look like root beer? / Krohn, Matthew
- Visual Learning in the Legal Journey / Bower, Lori
- Chicken Little is Here! / Dady, Sara
- Sound Reasoning Battles Chicken Little / Collins, Chad
- Horses and the Joy of Playing in Traffic / Bakken, Shawn
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 4, November 2002

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Sentencing and the Federal Judiciary / Berglund, Gena; Vue-Benson, Robin
- Standing Room Only / Bower, Lori
- Heavy Breathing / Bakken, Shawn
- Rebellious Lawyering Conference: An Experience in Disparity / Berglund, Gena
- Strange Judicial Opinions / McClurg, Andrew
- Now, Not Playing in a Courtroom Near You... / Dady, Sara
- The Law Student's Cookbook / Lorente, Alfredo
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary.; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 3, October 2002

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Interview with Senator Wellstone
- Two Mitchell Grads running for District Courts / Kilgus, Mary
- Ghosts and Goblins in St. Paul? / Kilgus, Mary
- Down with Great Vengeance / Gilchrist, Dan
- Hey, if I can do it... / Bakken, Shawn
- Democracy, Death Penalty and Justice Scalia / Dzebuadze, Alexander
- "The Child's Genes Await" / Lorente, Alfredo
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 2, September 2002

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Senator Mee Moua: Working in the System / Dady, Sara
- Law School: The Place to Be? / Kilgus, Mary
- The Middle East Conflict: A View From the Left / Dgebuadze, Alexander
- Check Your Pocket Protector at the Door / Drange, Erik
- "Intellectual Property" and the Information Economy / Schaumann, Niels
- What Have We Done for you Lately? / Lorente, Alfredo
- Is the Glass Ceiling Shattering?
- A Frivolous Trend... / Collins, Chad
- Corporations Owe People the Truth About Their Products / Dady, Sara
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 1, August 2002

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- The Making of a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice / Williams, Dyan
- Get Involved: A message from the SBA / Schindel, Jon
- Tough Questions for Imperfect Times / Lorente, Alfredo
- Elder Law, the Inside Scoop / Schmidt, Jeffrey W.
- Fear and Loathing in the Law Library / Dady, Allyn
- Opinions: Everyone has One / Collins, Chad
- The President Said What!? / Dady, Sara
- My Mother, the Law Student / Kilgus, Schawnne
Editorial Board

Kilgus, Mary.; Dady, Sara
The Opinion – Volume 48, No. 3, Spring 2002

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- William Mitchell's Grading Policy / Downs, Matthew
- Meet Professor Port! / Kilgus, Mary
- Paul Marino - Champion for the Powerless / Kirwin, Kenneth; Erlinder, Peter
- The Bar Exam: Another Test of Your Mental Constitution? / Macaulay, Jennifer
- Up Yours, Selig! / Torgerson, Matt
- What Happened to My GRADES?! / Henderson, Jen
Editorial Board

Henderson, Jennifer D.; Macaulay, Jennifer
The Opinion – Volume 48, No. 2, Winter 2001

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- The September 11 Assault, The October 7 Response, and the U.N. Charter / Winer, Anthony S.
- Attack on America: What you Need to Know / Frank, Chris
- Faculty Support of LRAP and PILF Summer Stipend Challenge Gift Proposal is Awesome / Haynsworth, Harry J.
- Creaky Worldviews / Macaulay, Jennifer
- International Human Rights Financial Estoppel / Ndikum, Philip Forsang
- Jihad & Terrorism - An Islamic Perspective / Mohamud, Hassan Ali
- A Meeting of the Minds / Ostergren, Patrick W.
- Congress Must Thwart Justice's Power Grab / Erlinder, Peter
- Alumni Corner: Life After Law School / Angus, Kristi
Editorial Board

Henderson, Jennifer D.; Macaulay, Jennifer
The Opinion – Volume 47, No. 1, Fall 2001

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Welcome Back / Macaulay, Jennifer
- Mea Culpa / Macaulay, Jennifer
- Random Thoughts / Frank, Chris
- Emotional Distress in William Mitchell Law Students and Its Impact on Learning / Wagner, Richard
- Circuit City, So What? / Macaulay, Jennifer
- Supreme Court v. Average American / Kilgus, Mary
- The U.S. Federal Death Penalty Comes Alive / Gilchrist, Dan
Editors

Henderson, Jennifer D., Macaulay, Jennifer
The Opinion – Volume 46, No. 3, Spring 2001

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Multicultural Center Opens
- Swimming Through Emotional Seaweed; Six Ingredients in the Culture of Law / Wagner, Richard
- The Good News Club v. Milford School District
- Public Fora and Government Entanglement: The Constitutional Issues / Macaulay, Jennifer
- The New "Religion" of Secularism / Harris, Tracy
- The Founding Fathers Were Much Smarter Than You or I / Needham, Lisa
- Every Vote Counts, Unless It's Not Counted / Brown, Alex
- Time to Think Seriously About Plagiarism / Macaulay, Jennifer
- The Informational Interview Demystified / Frank, Chris
- A Conflict of Interest - The Elusive Problem of Interpretation / Brown, Alex
Editorial Board

Needham, Lisa M.; Macaulay, Jennifer
The Opinion - Volume 46, No. 2, Winter 2000

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Reflecting on a Warrior for Justice
- Random Thoughts: Rampology 101 / Frank, Chris
- Train in Vain, Subway to Boredom / Scott, Robert
- Writing Law Examinations / Langbien, John H.
- Truth, Justice, and the Adversarial Way / Brown, Alex
- No Attention to Detail: Americans Need to Change the Way We Vote / Scott, Robert
- America Must Develop a Policy Regarding the Kurds / Ostergren, Patrick W.
- Cuba and the Establishment of a Just International Legal Order / DeLeon, Susana
- Law in the Islamic Perspective / Mohamud, Hassan
Editorial Board

Needham, Lisa M.; Macaulay, Jennifer
The Opinion – Volume 46, No. 1, Fall 2000

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
Editors

Needham, Lisa M., Macaulay, Jennifer
The Opinion – Volume 45, No. 1, Spring 2000

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- An Opinion About the Opinion / Heidenreich, Doug
- The Confederate Flag is a Symbol of Hate / Ring, Angela M.
- A Symbol of Heritage, Not Hate / Forbes, Scott
- The Right to Hate / Thomas, Leah
- All Things Considered, Salary Inflation Not so Exciting / Henderson, Jennifer
- WMCL Reference Librarians Contribute to 1-L Nightmare / Needham, Lisa
- "Everybody Has a Right to At Least One Phone Call" ...or Maybe Not In MN / Erlinder, Peter
- It's Time to Make WMCL Faculty Less Monochrome / Juergens, Ann
- Thoughts on the Call for Faculty Diversity / Erlinder, Peter
Editorial Board

Macauley, Jennifer; Needham, Lisa; Ring, Angela; Cheatum, Dewey
The Opinion - Volume 44, No. 1, Spring 1998

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- How Not to Get a Judicial Clerkship / Edwards, Mathew A.
- Two Crows, A Shovel Handle; and An Essay on Professional Restraint / Gerlach, Charles S.
- The Nontraditional Student and Law Clerking Experience
- Student Bar Assoc. Budget 1997-1998 School Year
- WMCL Federalists Welcome Dr. Michael Greve
- 1998 Delta Theta Phi Talent Show a Success
- "You Cant Do That to Me" / Gottschalk, Randall E.
- Who's th Highest Paid Student Government Leader in the Nation?
Editorial Board

Gerlach, Charles S.; Botham, Debbie; Conroy, Tom; Gibbons, Michael; Ravnitzky, Mike; Connor, Crystal, Frundt, David; Anderson, Corey
The Opinion – Volume 43, No. 2, Winter 1997

William Mitchell College of Law
- Selected Table of Contents
- WMCL to allow military recruiters back on campus
- Sexual Orientation Discrimination: A Personal Perspective / Nemmers, Katie
- The Impractability of Legal Experience: The Dilemma of Non-Traditional Law Students / Gottschalk, Randall E.
- From the Client's Perspective
- Ramblings From a One-L / Zeman, Stephanie
- The Field of Carl Pohlad's Dreams / Gibbons, Michael P.
Editorial Board

Gerlach, Charles S.; Botham, Debbie; Conroy, Tom; Gibbons, Michael; Ravnitzky, Mike; Connor, Crystal, Frundt, David; Anderson, Corey
The Opinion - Volume 43, No. 1, Fall 1997

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Emotional Distress: WMCL Law Students - and Its Impact on their Learning / Wagner, Richard
- Government Demands Change Policy / Gerlach, Charles S.
- Dean Haynsworth recommends Granting MIlitary Access in Memo to Faculty / Haynsworth, Harry
- It's the Wrong Thing to Do / Nemmers, Katie
- Minnesota Justice Foundation Fall Fundraiser / Samsa, Kathy
- The Law and the Order / Gibbons, Michael
- Know Your Legal Employment Options / Brandt, Patrick
- VITA Goes to San Francisco / Kremer, Andrew
Editorial Board

Gerlach, Charles S.; Botham, Debbie; Conroy, Tom; Gibbons, Michael; Ravnitzky, Mike; Connor, Crystal, Frundt, David; Anderson, Corey
The Opinion - Volume 42, No. 2, Spring 1997

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Virnig elected Eigth Circuit Governor / Clubb, Carrie
- Outside of the Twin Cities, There's This Little Place Called Minnesota / Glaeser, Paul
- The View From Left Field: My Racial Attitudes / Gerlach, Charles S.
- Law Schools Examine Bar Exam Pass Rates
- What I Learned In Law School: A Charge to the Class of 1997 / Brehm, Peter C.
- Report From Sabbatical / Janus, Eric S.
- A Look (South) West to West Publishing / Ravnitzky, Michael
- As the Bear Gently Sleeps / Meizenburg, David
- It's Time to Say Goodbye and Get Off the Ride We Call Law School / Metz, Mark
Editorial Board

Mayer, Jo; Gerlach, Charles S.; Bessler, Lisa; Metz, Mark; Anderson, Corey
The Opinion - Volume 42, No. 1, Spring 1997

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Minnesota May Soon Use a New Type of Bar Exam / Ravnitzky, Michael
- The Life of a Lawyer
- A Meeting with the Deans / Mayer, Jo
- Judging Witness Credibility / Ver Ploeg, Christine
- The View from Left Field: A Hometown Murder / Gerlach, Charles S.
Editorial Board

Mayer, Jo Gerlach; Charles S.; Bessler, Lisa; Metz, Mark; Anderson, Corey
The Opinion – Volume 41, No. 3, Fall 1996

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- Jonnie Cochran conducts a Minnesota Meeting / Bessler, Lisa
- Interview Follow Up Techniques: Thank You Letters
- The Last Word: Addressing the Criticism / Metz, Mark
- A Visit to a Women's Prison in El Salvador: An Enriching Experience / Duckstad, Julie
- Hardly Trivial
- Student Mentor-Mentee Program undertakes Self-Evaluation / Gerlach, Charles S.
- Professional Esteem: Law V. Medicine / Ketroser, David B..
- A Primer in English Justice / Gibbons, Michael P.
Editors

Mayer, Jo; Gerlach, Charles S.; Bessler, Lisa; Metz, Mark; Alexander, Brian; Connor, Crystal; Jarvis, Will; Le, Dan
The Opinion – Volume 41, No. 2, Fall 1996

William Mitchell College of Law

Selected Table of Contents
- The Dean Speaks / Metz, Mark
- Career Services Red Alert
- To My Fellow Law Students / Duggins, Terry
- On a Scale of 1-5 / Nelson, Rene
- Ride of a Lifetime / Alfriend, Kim
- One Person, One Vote / Ravnitsky, Michael
- Vote Informed on Election Day / Gibbons, Michael P.
- National Lawyers Guild Continues Tradition of Activism at William Mitchell / Connor, David
- Attn. Dean Haynsworth: You Who Are Not / Brehm, Peter C.
Editors

Mayer, Jo; Gerlach, Charles S.; Bessler, Lisa; Metz, Mark; Alexander, Brian; Connor, Crystal; Jarvis, Will; Le, Dan