The Joint Degree Program Advisory Board is a group of lawyers, physicians, and policymakers whose work directly involves an area covered by the Joint Degree Program. Board members serve as mentors to Joint Degree Program students and have been instrumental in funding events and scholarships. The Advisory Board meets twice per year and holds a reception each fall in honor of the Joint Degree Program students.
Current board members are:
Martha Brand,
JD, former Executive Director (now retired) of the Minnesota Center for Environmental
Advocacy (MCEA), a nonprofit organization working to protect
Minnesota's natural resources, wildlife and the health of its people.
Prior to being selected as Executive Director of the MCEA, she
completed a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship and served as an
environmental consultant, after having been a partner at the
Minneapolis-based law firm Leonard, Street and Deinard practicing
environmental law from 1981 to 1998. Currently, along with her
executive directorship of the MCEA, Ms. Brand serves as chair of the
Board of Directors of American Rivers in Washington, DC, and is active
in the local community as a member of organizations including the
Minnesota State Bar Association and the Citizen's League. She earned
her JD at Boston University.
Amos S. Deinard, Jr., MD, MPH, is an Associate Professor in the
Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
His long career has focused on aiding underserved communities in the
Twin Cities. He has worked as a Pediatric Consultant to the Minnesota
Department of Health and Director of the Community University Health
Care Clinic (CUHCC). CUHCC serves uninsured or underinsured children in
the Phillips neighborhood, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the
state, a highly diverse community made up of Native American, Hispanic,
Southeast Asian, Somali, and white residents. Dr. Deinard has received
numerous awards for his efforts, including the University of
Minnesota's Award for Outstanding Community Service, the Minneapolis
Award for Contributions to the City of Minneapolis, and the Minnesota
Department of Health's Betty Hubbard Maternal and Child Health
Leadership Certificate of Recognition.
Brian Dorn, JD, PhD, Merchant & Gould, P.C., practices general Intellectual
Property law with an emphasis on patent prosecution and client counseling
(U.S. and foreign). His practice is concentrated in biotechnology and
pharmaceuticals. Dr. Dorn has prosecuted patents and worked on opinions
regarding stem cells, humanized antibodies, siRNA, small molecule
pharmaceuticals and therapeutic uses, pharmaceutical delivery systems,
antimicrobials, therapeutic peptides, diagnostic and immuno-assays, phage
display systems, microarrays, therapeutic medical device coatings, and
transgenic animals. He has also authored multiple, peer reviewed scientific
publications relating to his research in microbiology, human and microbial
genetics, and cell biology. He received his PhD in Biomedical Sciences with
a concentration in Microbiology/Immunology and his JD magna cum laude from
the University of Florida.
Mark Ellinger,
JD, PhD, is a Principal in the Twin Cities office of Fish &
Richardson P.C., one of the country's largest intellectual property law
firms. Dr. Ellinger's practice emphasizes patent prosecution, opinions,
due diligence investigations, licensing and counseling in the medical
biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology, diagnostic, pharmaceutical,
and medical science fields. His practice has involved subject matter
such as genomics, proteomics, gene therapy, xenotransplantation,
transgenic animals, transgenic plants, metabolic engineering,
immunoassays, nucleic acid-based assays, antisense technology, nucleic
acid analogues, microarrays, vaccines, stem cells, medical devices,
food science, and potential treatments for diseases such as
cardiovascular disease, cancer, allergy, arthritis, diabetes, and
Alzheimer's Disease.
Keith Halleland, JD, is a founder and shareholder of Halleland Lewis Nilan & Johnson, where he co-chairs the health law practice, and is a founder of the firm's affiliated consulting company, Halleland Health Consulting. Keith focuses his practice in the areas of regulatory compliance, business transactions and health care policy. He serves as general counsel for the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA), as well as the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE).
Hubert (Skip) H. Humphrey, III,
JD, is a Senior Fellow in Public Health Policy and Law in the Division
of Epidemiology at the University's School of Public Health, Senior
Vice President at GCI Tunheim, and a former Minnesota Attorney General.
As a long time advocate for non-smoking issues, Mr. Humphrey's numerous
accomplishments include being the first attorney general in the nation
to bring an anti-trust and consumer fraud lawsuit again the tobacco
industry, reaching a landmark settlement of the Minnesota litigation;
in 1999, he was awarded the Tobacco Free World Prize by the World
Health Organization for his efforts. Mr. Humphrey holds a Juris
Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School and a bachelor's
degree from American University in Washington, DC.
Ryan Johnson, Esq.
is a shareholder of Fredrikson & Byron, PA and a member of the
firm's Life Sciences, Health Law, and Corporate Groups. Among his
clients are medical device companies, health care systems, physician
groups, physician management companies, and other health care
professionals and businesses. His practice focuses on mergers and
acquisitions, financings, joint ventures, strategic alliances,
regulatory compliance, and general tax and business planning. He
received his JD magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School where he was an articles editor for the Minnesota Law Review. Minnesota Law & Politics
has consistently named him a "Rising Star." After Law School he clerked
for Judge Frank J. Magill of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth
Circuit.
Rep. Phyllis Kahn,
PhD, MPA, is a member of the Minnesota Legislature serving her 15th
term. She is currently a member of Governmental Operations and Veteran
Affairs, State Government Finance, Capital Investment, and Regulated
Industries Committees. Her legislative interests include issues dealing
with pension and investment policy, science and technology (most
recently DNA testing and the role of biotechnology in agriculture)
information policy, natural resources and women's rights. She has been
the chief author of the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act (controlling
smoking in public places), the computer crime and computer virus laws,
and legislation on nuclear safety, radioactive waste disposal, field
tests of genetically modified crops and infectious waste disposal. She
also authored laws to require gender equity in athletics and laws
prohibiting discrimination based on age or disability. She has been
instrumental in obtaining funding for parks, trails, historic
preservation, art-enhancement of State buildings, and the expansion of
community and urban forests. She has served on many national
committees, particularly in the field of Science and Public Policy and
has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS). She received a BA in physics from
Cornell, a PhD in biophysics from Yale and a MPA from the J.F.K. School
of Government at Harvard.
Vanessa Laird, is currently General Counsel, Enterprise Services, United HealthGroup. She was previously Vice President and Senior Counsel for Medtronic's Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management and Neuromodulation businesses, as well as Senior Legal Counsel, based in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, for Medtronic Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to Medtronic, Ms. Laird practiced U.S. and international law in the Legal Adviser's Office at the U.S. Department of State. Earlier in her career, she taught law at the University of Sheffield in England, and clerked for Judge Stephen S. Trott of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Ms. Laird holds a BA in English and political science from Williams College, magna cum laude with Highest Honors in English; a BA and MA in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University (Worcester College); and a JD from Stanford University.
Kenneth A. Liebman,
JD, Faegre & Benson LLP, is chair of Faegre & Benson's
Intellectual Property Group. He served as lead counsel for the
University of Minnesota in its patent licensing litigation with Glaxo
Wellcome over the AIDS drug Ziagen. The case settled with the defendant
recognizing the validity of the University's patents and agreeing to
pay royalties estimated to be $300 million over the life of the
patents. The settlement is reported to be the largest ever obtained by
any public university in patent license litigation. He is also an
Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and William
Mitchell Law School. He is one of only two Minnesota lawyers listed in
the International Who's Who of E-Commerce Lawyers.
David R. Melloh,
JD, chairs Lindquist & Vennum's Health Law practice group. He has
advised healthcare providers such as hospitals and integrated delivery
systems, physician group practices, pharmacies, and long-term care
organizations for his entire career. In doing so, he has developed a
national reputation in structuring hospital-physician joint ventures
and other health industry transactions. Mr. Melloh specializes in
devising strategies to solve complex problems and ensure compliance
with applicable laws (such as the Stark and anti-kickback statutes)
while helping his clients meet their business objectives. He earned an
BA from Carleton College, an MA in Political Science at the University
of Minnesota, and received his JD from Vanderbilt University, where he
was an editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review.
Ruth A. Mickelsen,
JD, MPH, is an Adjunct Professor, teaching Bioethics at William Mitchell College of Law and finishing a Masters degree in Bioethics and Health Policy. Previously she was Vice President and Ethics Advisor for Allina Hospitals and Clinics, a non-profit hospital and clinic organization. She practiced health law in the public sector, in private practice and as in house counsel for over 20 years. She was appointed a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at William Mitchell College of Law during the 1999-2000 academic year and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of William Mitchell. Ms. Mickelsen is a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics (ASLME) and a past president of ASLME. She is currently an Associate with the Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics. Ms. Mickelsen is co-author of Law and Mental Health Professionals, American Psychological Association and is a frequent lecturer on issues of health law, policy and ethics. Ms. Mickelsen was awarded a Bush Leadership Fellowship in 1985 and has been named a leading Health Law Lawyer by the Minnesota Business Guidebook Law and Leading Attorneys. She received her Masters of Public Health 1986 from the Harvard School of Public Health and her Juris Doctor in 1981, cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law.
Kim Otte, JD, MA, has been Legal Counsel at Mayo Clinic Rochester since 2002. Ms. Otte focuses her practice on regulatory compliance issues, including HIPAA, Medicare, and fraud and abuse. She is also a member of the Mayo Ethics Consult Service and the Mayo Reproductive Medicine Advisory Board. Ms. Otte participates in education of the medical school students, residents, and nurses at Mayo. Ms. Otte is an active member of the Fraud and Abuse Practice Group of the American Health Lawyers Association. Prior to joing Mayo Clinic, Ms. Otte worked for Medica Health Plans in their legal and public policy department and for Halleland Lewis in their Health Law Practice Group. Ms. Otte has been an adjunct professor of Health Law at the University of Minnesota, William
Mitchell College of Law, and Hamline University School of Law. Ms. Otte holds a JD from the University of Minnesota and a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota, with areas of expertise in biomedical ethics and feminist philosophy.
Winthrop A. Rockwell,
JD, Faegre & Benson LLP, concentrates on commercial and product
liability litigation. He serves as head of Faegre & Benson's
General Litigation Group which concentrates in the areas of
agribusiness litigation, appellate practice, data practices litigation,
drug and device litigation, the energy industry, environmental
litigation, insurance, media/First Amendment litigation and privacy.
Mr. Rockwell served for six months in 1979 as associate general counsel
of President Carter's Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island.
He has served on the board of directors of various Minnesota nonprofit
organizations. Mr. Rockwell is a Fellow of the British-American Project
founded by the Royal Institute of International Affairs and the Johns
Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Before law
school, he worked on the Foreign Desk of the New York Times and as an
Assistant to the President of Dartmouth College. Mr. Rockwell received
his A.B. from Dartmouth College in 1970 and his JD from New York
University in 1975.
Mark B. Rotenberg,
JD, MPhil, is currently General Counsel of the University of
Minnesota. Prior to becoming General Counsel in 1992, Mr. Rotenberg was
a partner in the Labor/Employment Law Department of the Minneapolis law
firm of Dorsey & Whitney. He has served as an attorney in the
Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel in Washington, DC, and was
law clerk to Judge Patricia M. Wald on the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia Circuit. Mr. Rotenberg received his
undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, in history and politics from
Brandeis University, and holds MA, MPhil and JD degrees from
Columbia University where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and an
editor of the Columbia Law Review.
Ann L. Russell, JD, MSW, is a lawyer with twenty years of
experience in advising health care entities. Currently an Associate
Counsel for Catholic Health Initiatives, a national organization with
over a hundred hospitals, clinics, and skilled nursing facilities, she
has also represented the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic
and Hennepin County Medical Center and Community Health Department. Ms.
Russell has extensive experience in teaching and advising health care
providers who are dealing with operational, regulatory, patient care,
and ethical dilemmas. She is currently a member of the Ethics
Committees of Fairview University Health Center and Hennepin County
Medical Center. She also serves on the Advisory Board to the University
of Minnesota Center for Bioethics. Ms. Russell is a frequent speaker on
ethical issues and teaches biomedical ethics at William Mitchell
College of Law. Prior to practicing law, Ms. Russell was a psychiatric
social worker in the Hennepin County Mental Health Center for 10 years.
Paul Savereide,
JD, PhD, was recently a Senior Associate at Patterson, Thuente, Skaar, and Christensen, a Minneapolis law firm specializing in intellectual property law. Previously, he was a Senior Intellectual Property Attorney at Cargill, Inc. and Corporate Patent Counsel for Chiron Corporation in Emeryville, CA. He also worked as an Associate with the Minneapolis office of the Dorsey & Whitney law firm. He is a member of the Minnesota Bar and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a Patent Attorney. Mr. Savereide earned his PhD in Cell and
Developmental Biology from the University of Minnesota and his JD from
the University of Minnesota in December, 1991.
Debra A. Shetka, JD, is a frequent speaker on biotechnology patent issues and has lectured on patent interference law at Stanford University, Santa Clara University, and the University of Washington. Her practice focuses on life science patent law with a special emphasis on patent interferences and appeals to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Ms. Shetka was involved in two especially important Federal Circuit appeals addressing the patentability of DNA sequences as principal author in an appeal on behalf of Chiron Corporation and as amicus curiae on behalf of the Biotechnology Industry Organization and the Bay Area Bioscience Center.
Byron E. Starns,
JD, is shareholder and partner at the firm of Leonard, Street and
Deinard, P.A., practicing in the areas of Environmental & Public
Law, Energy, and Regulated Industries. To his areas of practice, as
well as to his current position as chair of Leonard, Street &
Deinard's Litigation Division, he brings his past experience as
Minnesota chief deputy attorney general (1974-1979) and deputy attorney
general for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (1973-1974). Mr.
Starns is admitted to practice in the State of Minnesota, the State of
Illinois, before the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota,
before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and before the U.S. Supreme
Court. He earned his JD at the University of Chicago.
Martin J. Stillman,
MD, JD practices internal medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center
and is Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota
Medical School. He serves on the Core Curriculum Seminar Steering
Committee for the Graduate Medical Education Office at the University
of Minnesota as well as the Advisory Committee for the monthly
publication, Minnesota Medicine. He is a Fellow in the American College
of Legal Medicine (ACLM), President of the Minnesota Medical Alumni
Society, and co-chairs the Health and Safety Committee for the Herzl
Camp Board of Directors. Dr. Stillman graduated from the University of
Minnesota Law School in 1993 and the University of Minnesota Medical
School in 1997. He completed his training in internal medicine at
Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2000.
During his residency, he was recognized as an outstanding teacher,
winning a Minnesota Medical Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award.
Margo S. Struthers,
JD, Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP, is chair of the Health Law
Practice Group. She represents a variety of health care clients,
including hospitals and other health care providers, provider
associations, third-party payors and other managed care entities,
medical manufacturers, and integrated delivery systems. Her practice
involves organizational structure and other issues affecting nonprofit,
professional, and business organizations in health care. She also has
substantial experience related to health care contracts, institutional
and professional licensure, HMO and insurance regulation, fraud and
abuse, director and officer liability, conflict of interest and tax
exemption issues, medical staff bylaws and credentialing, bioethical
issues, and medical records and other confidentiality issues. In
addition to being an active member of the Minnesota State Bar
Association Health Law Section (past chair), she also is a member of
the American Health Lawyers Association and is a past President of the
Minnesota chapter of the former American Academy of Healthcare
Attorneys. Ms. Struthers has also written and lectured extensively on a
variety of health care, third-party payment, tax exemption, and other
nonprofit organization issues.
Robert L. Thompson,
JD, LLM, joined Lindquist & Vennum in 2006 and focuses his practice
on corporate and business law, mergers and acquisitions, and antitrust
law, with particular emphasis on the life sciences industries. Mr.
Thompson chairs Lindquist & Vennum's life sciences group and serves
on the board of directors of LifeScience Alley. He has more than 30
years of experience as a lawyer and international business executive in
the Twin Cities and in New York, Boston and India. Before joining
Lindquist & Vennum, he served as vice president and general counsel
of Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. in Cambridge, MA,
and prior to that as president of Novartis India in Mumbai. In his
early career, he represented agribusiness, pharmaceutical, nutrition,
and specialty chemical companies in a wide range of business law
matters and strategic transactions. He earned an LLM at New York
University School of Law and received his JD from the University of
Oregon School of Law.
Judith Walker is Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Chief
Compliance and Ethics Officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Minnesota. Ms. Walker
is accountable for providing leadership on regulatory compliance issues
and for maintaining the company's compliance and ethics program. She
has held
several positions at Blue Cross since joining the company in 1988, most
recently serving as Deputy General Counsel. Prior to joining Blue
Cross, Ms.
Walker worked for the Minnesota Department of Health in HMO regulation
and taught undergraduate students at the University of St. Thomas. Ms.
Walker
serves on the advisory board of the Health Law Institute of Hamline
University School of Law and is a member of the Health Law Governing
Council
of the Minnesota State Bar Association. She has participated in the
mentoring programs of the University of St. Thomas Law School and the
University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Ms. Walker is
currently board chair of the Minnesota Literacy Council, a statewide
nonprofit
organization committed to improving lives by improving literacy. Ms.
Walker received her undergraduate degree from St. Mary's University in
Winona,
Minnesota and her law degree from Hamline University School of Law.