University of St. Thomas

J.D., University of Minnesota Law School
M.A., Public Policy, University of Minnesota
B.A., Tufts University

Mitchell Gordon joined the School of Law in 2003 after serving as an adjunct instructor of Legal Writing & Research at the University of Minnesota Law School.

Gordon was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, and attended the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, where he served as student body president. He earned a B.A. magna cum laude in political science and English from Tufts University and an M.A. in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. His master's thesis examined the creation of the "Brandeis brief" method of legal argument. He was later named a Humphrey Institute Research Fellow and worked as an assistant to former Minnesota Gov. Orville Freeman.

Gordon graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was a director of the National Moot Court program and a member of Minnesota's competition team, which advanced to the national finals. He also clerked at the Minneapolis law firm of Mansfield & Tanick, P.A., and in the Special Litigation Division of the Hennepin County Attorney's office. After law school he joined the Minneapolis law firm of Lindquist & Vennum, P.L.L.P.

From 1999 to 2003, Gordon served in the office of Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch as an Assistant Attorney General. In that office Gordon represented the state in cases involving fraudulent charities and telemarketers, and participated in the Attorney General's groundbreaking investigation of HMOs and other health care nonprofits. He also advised numerous state agencies, primarily the schools of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system, and worked on behalf of the Attorney General's legislative agenda.

Gordon is a member of Temple of Aaron Congregation and many religious, social justice, and community organizations. In 1999 he was a candidate for the St. Paul City Council, and won the endorsements of both the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party and the Independence Party.

Gordon is married to his high school sweetheart (Karen). This achievement is the most significant example of his skills in negotiation and persuasion.

Representative Scholarship

 Adjusting the Rear-View Mirror: Rethinking the Use of History in Supreme Court Jurisprudence, 89 Marq. L. Rev. 475 (2006).

Courses Taught

Lawyering Skills I: Legal Reasoning, Research & Writing
Lawyering Skills II: Lawyering & Dispute Resolution
Lawyering Skills III: Appellate Brief Writing & Advocacy

Mailing Address

MSL 400
1000 LaSalle Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403-2015

"Adjusting the Rearview Mirror: Rethinking the Use of History in Supreme Court Jurisprudence," __ Marq. L. Rev. __ (forthcoming 2006).