Collett, Teresa
Teresa Stanton Collett
Professor
1000 LaSalle Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Office Location: MSL 463
J.D., University of Oklahoma College of Law
B.A., University of Oklahoma
A passionate advocate for the protection of human life and the family, Professor Teresa Collett is a nationally sought-after scholar and speaker on the topics of marriage, religion and bioethics. She has published numerous legal articles and is the co-author of a law casebook on professional responsibility and co-editor of a collection of essays exploring "catholic" and "Catholic" perspectives on American law .
Professor Collett is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and has testified before committees of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, as well as before legislative committees in several states. In 2009, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed Collett to a five year term on the Pontifical Council for the Family.
Recently she represented Congressman Ron Paul and various medical groups in the defense of the federal ban of partial-birth abortion, and the Governors of Minnesota and North Dakota defending the N.H. requirement of state parental involvement prior to performance of an abortion on a minor before the United States Supreme Court. She is often asked to represent the interests of government officials before federal appellate courts. She has served as special Attorney General for the States of Oklahoma and Kansas , as well as assisting other state Attorneys General in defending laws protecting human life and marriage. Prior to joining St. Thomas in 2003, Professor Collett taught at the South Texas College of Law where she established the nation's first annual symposium on legal ethics.
Courses Taught
| Number | Title | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 630 | Property | 4 | ||
| Description of course 630 : | This course will cover fundamental issues associated with the law of property. Students will examine the rights arising from various interests in property, the concept of possession and how possession is acquired and protected and the ways in which possession is transferred, shared and divided. Additionally, students will explore the right to use or restrict the use of property. In the context of property law, students will explore various aspects of law- yering such as interviewing and counseling, fact invest- igation, dispute resolution, problem-solving and profess- ional responsibility. | |||
| 725 | Professional Responsibility | 3 | ||
| Description of course 725 : | This course will examine issues of legal ethics and the professional responsibility of lawyers. Students will study the law governing the conduct of lawyers in areas like formation of the lawyer/client relationship, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, client communications and the lawyer's role within the adversarial process. Additionally, students will move beyond the legal rules and regulations to explore expanded and aspirational ideas of what a lawyer's role can and should be in the lawyer/client relationship, in the profession and in society. | |||
| 771 | Int'l Law & CST | 3 | ||
| Description of course 771 : | The course provides service-learning opportunities to students interested in advancing Catholic Social Teaching through international law. Class readings and other instructional materials provide a brief introduction to the international legal framework that governs international relations among states, with a special emphasis on the actions of the United Nations and the relationship of those actions to the domestic law of states. Particular issues addressed by Church teaching and international agreements or statements will be examined in preparation for student participation in lobbying activities at meetings of United Nation's bodies. After the conclusion of a one-week lobbying experience, students prepare two papers. Enrollment limited to 10 students admitted by permission of the instructor. 3 credits. Offered yearly. | |||
| 793 | Topics | 0 | ||
| Description of course 793 : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | |||
| 798 | Topics | 0 | ||
| Description of course 798 : | ||||
| 875 | Human Sexuality, Constitution | 3 | ||
| Description of course 875 : | Legal regulation of sexual conduct is one of the most contentious issues in contemporary American law. Such regulation requires application of contested moral principles and disputed legal interpretations to human behavior substantially affecting both individual and communal well being. Sexual conduct has also been a significant focus of religious thought, and has led to the development of a rich body of Church teaching on what Pope John Paul, II called the "theology of the body." This course introduces students to the competing understandings of human anthropology found in contemporary law and in Church teaching about human sexuality. Students evaluate the use of public and private law in regulating sexual conduct, while also considering the influence of other social structures including the Chruch. | |||
| 930 | Mentor Externship | 0 | ||
| Description of course 930 : | Each year of law study, students are paired with respected lawyers and judges in the community. Mentors introduce students to a wide range of lawyering tasks and judicial activities and share with them the traditions, ideals and skills necessary for a successful career. Second and third year students participate in an academic credit pro- gram that combines fieldwork with a contemporaneous seminar component. The seminar fosters the habit and skill of reflective lawyering and draws upon student/ mentor experiences to examine the law school's mission in a practical setting. Class topics are designed to bridge the gap between student learning and life as a lawyer. Each student is given the opportunity to individualize learning goals specific to his or her unique path of professional development. | |||
| 950 | Supervised Resrch & Writing | .5 | ||
| Description of course 950 : | Under the supervision of a faculty member, a student may receive up to two hours of course credit for researching and writing a substantial paper on a topic of the student's own choosing. The student must receive the instructor's per- mission to enroll in this course and must meet periodically with the instructor for discussion, review and evaluation. Each faculty member may supervise the research of no more than five students each semester. | |||
Areas of Academic Expertise:
Marriage
Religion
Bioethics
From the article "Grand Ideas: Faculty members describe the best ideas from their scholarship" St. Thomas Lawyer Magazine Fall 2011
In 2002 my article “Fetal Pain Legislation: Is it Viable?” appeared in the Pepperdine Law Review. I discussed the scientific evidence that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks of gestation, and argued that, at a minimum, women should be informed of fetal pain prior to an abortion. A few legislatures responded immediately by including the existence of fetal pain in the information that women must receive prior to performance of abortions. Last year Nebraska lawmakers went even further and passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, recognizing prevention of fetal pain as a compelling state interest and prohibiting all abortions after 20 weeks except those necessary to preserve the life or the health of the mother. This year the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act has been enacted in Idaho, Kansas and Oklahoma, with several other legislatures, including Minnesota’s, still considering the Act.
Upcoming: I will write about using ultrasound when counseling women seeking abortions. Multiple studies evidence the benefits to women receiving this information.
Contributions and mentions in the media
Baptist Press - "Teen-abortion bill would give parents a say" View Publication
Boise Weekly - "Senate Committee Passes 20-Week Abortion Ban Measure" View Publication
Idaho Reporter - "Fetal-Pain Abortion Ban Moves Forward in Idaho Senate" View Publication
The Washington Times - "A New Breed of Republicans" View Publication
LifeNews - "House Panel OKs Bill to Stop Secret Abortions on Teenagers" View Publication
National Right to Life News: "Pain-Capable Unborn Children and the ABCs of Abortion" View Publication
Fox 9 Television - "Contraception coverage mandate takes effect" View Publication
Minnesota Daily - "What will the ballot look like?" View Publication
WCCO Radio - "Family Speaks Out In Support Of Marriage Amendment" View Publication
The Washington Post - "Abortion may be legal, but very difficult in many states; in past 2 years, 41 set new limits" View Publication
USA Today - "Protracted fight over abortion rights comes due" View Publication
St. Paul Pioneer Press - "Gay marriage lawsuit on hold in Hennepin County" View Publication
Fox 9 News - "What's New After Benedict XVI?" View Publication
NPR On Point - "Gay Marriage On The Docket" View Publication
Kare11 News - Judge OKs 'morning-after pill' for girls of all ages View Publication
St. Paul Pioneer Press - "Redefining marriage: Religious liberty is at risk" View Publication
Books
Teresa Stanton Collett & Michael Scaperlanda, Recovering Self-Evident Truths: Catholic Perspectives on American Law (Catholic Univ. of America Press 2007).
Teresa Stanton Collett & Michael Scaperlanda, Recovering Self-Evident Truths: Catholic Perspectives on American Law (Catholic Univ. of America Press 2007).
Teresa Stanton Collett & Robert Cochran, Jr., Cases and Materials on the Rules of the Legal Profession (2d ed. West 2003).
Teresa Stanton Collett & Robert Cochran, Jr., Cases and Materials on the Rules of the Legal Profession (2d ed. West 2003).
Chapters
Teresa Stanton Collett, Testimony in hearing to examine the consequences of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution (June 23, 2005), in You Decide: Current Debates in American Politics (3d ed. Longman 2006).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Testimony in hearing to examine the consequences of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution (June 23, 2005), in You Decide: Current Debates in American Politics (3d ed. Longman 2006).
Articles
Teresa Stanton Collett, Judicial Independence and Accountability in the Age of Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments, 41 Loy. U. Chi. L.J. 327 (2010).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, Judicial Independence and Accountability in the Age of Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments, 41 Loy. U. Chi. L.J. 327 (2010).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Whose Life Is It Anyway? Texas Public Policy and Contracts to Kill Embryonic Children, 50 S. Tex. L. Rev. 371 (2009).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, Whose Life Is It Anyway? Texas Public Policy and Contracts to Kill Embryonic Children, 50 S. Tex. L. Rev. 371 (2009).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Advancing the Culture of Life Through Faithful Citizenship, 2 U. St. Thomas J.L. & Pub. Pol’y 20 (2008).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, Advancing the Culture of Life Through Faithful Citizenship, 2 U. St. Thomas J.L. & Pub. Pol’y 20 (2008).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Judicial Modesty and Abortion, 59 S.C. L. Rev. 701 (2008).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, Judicial Modesty and Abortion, 59 S.C. L. Rev. 701 (2008).
Teresa Stanton Collett, The Courts’ Confused (and Confusing) Understanding of the Creation and Taking of Human Life, 68 Mont. L. Rev. 265 (2007).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, The Courts’ Confused (and Confusing) Understanding of the Creation and Taking of Human Life, 68 Mont. L. Rev. 265 (2007).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Gonzales v. Carhart: Women Tell the Court About Abortion: An Introduction, 1 U. St. Thomas J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 175 (2007).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Gonzales v. Carhart: Women Tell the Court About Abortion: An Introduction, 1 U. St. Thomas J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 175 (2007).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Constitutional Confusion: The Case for the Minnesota Marriage Amendment, 33 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 1029 (2007).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, Constitutional Confusion: The Case for the Minnesota Marriage Amendment, 33 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 1029 (2007).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Transporting Minors for Immoral Purposes: The Case for the Child Custody Protection Act & the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, 16 Health Matrix 107 (2006).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, Transporting Minors for Immoral Purposes: The Case for the Child Custody Protection Act & the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, 16 Health Matrix 107 (2006).
Teresa Stanton Collett, A Brief Catechism on Marriage, 18 Regent U. L. Rev. 301 (2005-2006).
Teresa Stanton Collett, A Brief Catechism on Marriage, 18 Regent U. L. Rev. 301 (2005-2006).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Same Sex Marriage and Its Implications for Employee Benefits: Proceedings of the 2005 Meeting of the Association of American Law Schools Sections on Employee Benefits, and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues, 9 Employee Rights & Employment Pol’y. L. J. 499 (2005).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Same Sex Marriage and Its Implications for Employee Benefits: Proceedings of the 2005 Meeting of the Association of American Law Schools Sections on Employee Benefits, and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues, 9 Employee Rights & Employment Pol’y. L. J. 499 (2005).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Restoring Democratic Self-Governance through the Federal Marriage Amendment, 2 U. St. Thomas L.J. 95 (2004).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Restoring Democratic Self-Governance through the Federal Marriage Amendment, 2 U. St. Thomas L.J. 95 (2004).
Teresa Stanton Collett, “No Hymns, No Sermons”? Faith-Based Pro Bono Initiatives and the Challenge of Interfaith Activities, 72 UMKC L. Rev. 327 (2003).
Teresa Stanton Collett, “No Hymns, No Sermons”? Faith-Based Pro Bono Initiatives and the Challenge of Interfaith Activities, 72 UMKC L. Rev. 327 (2003).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Fetal Pain Legislation: Is it Viable?, 30 Pepp. L. Rev. 161 (2003).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, Fetal Pain Legislation: Is it Viable?, 30 Pepp. L. Rev. 161 (2003).
Teresa Stanton Collett & Shayna Rosen Taibel, Foreword: Symposium: The Ethics of Litigation, 44 S. Tex. L. Rev. 25 (2002).
Teresa Stanton Collett & Shayna Rosen Taibel, Foreword: Symposium: The Ethics of Litigation, 44 S. Tex. L. Rev. 25 (2002).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Benefits, Nonmarital Status, and the Homosexual Agenda, 11 Widener J. Pub. L. 379 (2002).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Benefits, Nonmarital Status, and the Homosexual Agenda, 11 Widener J. Pub. L. 379 (2002).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Protecting Our Daughters: The Need for the Vermont Parental Notification Law, 26 Vt. L. Rev. 101 (2001).
View Publication
Teresa Stanton Collett, Protecting Our Daughters: The Need for the Vermont Parental Notification Law, 26 Vt. L. Rev. 101 (2001).
Teresa Stanton Collett, ‘The King’s Good Servant, But God’s First’: The Role of Religion in Judicial Decisionmaking, 41 S. Tex. L. Rev. 1277 (2000).
Teresa Stanton Collett, ‘The King’s Good Servant, But God’s First’: The Role of Religion in Judicial Decisionmaking, 41 S. Tex. L. Rev. 1277 (2000).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Seeking Solomon’s Wisdom: Judicial Bypass of Parental Involvement in a Minor’s Abortion Decision, 52 Baylor L. Rev. 513 (2000).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Seeking Solomon’s Wisdom: Judicial Bypass of Parental Involvement in a Minor’s Abortion Decision, 52 Baylor L. Rev. 513 (2000).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Authentic Pluralism: The Case for Including Religiously-Affiliated Schools in Publicly-Funded Voucher Systems, 15 Focus on L. Studies 4 (1999).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Authentic Pluralism: The Case for Including Religiously-Affiliated Schools in Publicly-Funded Voucher Systems, 15 Focus on L. Studies 4 (1999).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Researching Professional Responsibility Issues via the Internet, 11 Prof. Law 24 (1999).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Researching Professional Responsibility Issues via the Internet, 11 Prof. Law 24 (1999).
Teresa Stanton Collett, The Common Good and the Duty to Represent: Must the Last Lawyer in Town Take Any Case?, 40 S. Tex. L. Rev. 137 (1999).
Teresa Stanton Collett, The Common Good and the Duty to Represent: Must the Last Lawyer in Town Take Any Case?, 40 S. Tex. L. Rev. 137 (1999).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Recognizing Same-Sex Marriage: Asking for the Impossible?, 47 Cath. U. L. Rev. 1245 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Recognizing Same-Sex Marriage: Asking for the Impossible?, 47 Cath. U. L. Rev. 1245 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Love Among the Ruins: The Ethics of Counseling Happily Married Couples, 22 Seattle U. L. Rev. 139 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Love Among the Ruins: The Ethics of Counseling Happily Married Couples, 22 Seattle U. L. Rev. 139 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Speak No Evil, Seek No Evil, Do No Evil: Client Selection and Cooperation with Evil, 66 Fordham L. Rev. 1339 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Speak No Evil, Seek No Evil, Do No Evil: Client Selection and Cooperation with Evil, 66 Fordham L. Rev. 1339 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Heads, Secularists Win; Tails, Believers Lose—Returning Only Free Exercise to the Political Process, 20 U. Ark. Little Rock L. J. 689 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Heads, Secularists Win; Tails, Believers Lose—Returning Only Free Exercise to the Political Process, 20 U. Ark. Little Rock L. J. 689 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword to the Ethics of Lawyers’ Business Associations, 39 S. Tex. L. Rev. 205 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword to the Ethics of Lawyers’ Business Associations, 39 S. Tex. L. Rev. 205 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Teaching Professional Responsibility in the Future: Continuing the Discussion, 39 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 439 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Teaching Professional Responsibility in the Future: Continuing the Discussion, 39 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 439 (1998).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Professional Versus Moral Duty: Accepting Appointments in Unjust Civil Cases, 32 Wake Forest L. Rev. 635 (1997).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Professional Versus Moral Duty: Accepting Appointments in Unjust Civil Cases, 32 Wake Forest L. Rev. 635 (1997).
Teresa Stanton Collett, The Promise and Peril of Multiple Representation, 16 Rev. Litig. 567 (1997).
Teresa Stanton Collett, The Promise and Peril of Multiple Representation, 16 Rev. Litig. 567 (1997).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword: Symposium: The Lawyer's Duties and Responsibilities in Dispute Resolution, 38 S. Tex. L. Rev. 375 (1997).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword: Symposium: The Lawyer's Duties and Responsibilities in Dispute Resolution, 38 S. Tex. L. Rev. 375 (1997).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword: Symposium: The Lawyer's Duties and Liabilities to Third Parties, 37 S. Tex. L. Rev. 957 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword: Symposium: The Lawyer's Duties and Liabilities to Third Parties, 37 S. Tex. L. Rev. 957 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Life and Death Lawyering: Dignity in the Absence of Autonomy, 1 J. Inst. for Study Legal Ethics 177 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Life and Death Lawyering: Dignity in the Absence of Autonomy, 1 J. Inst. for Study Legal Ethics 177 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Marriage, Family, and the Positive Law, 10 Notre Dame J.L. Ethics & Pub. Pol’y 467 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Marriage, Family, and the Positive Law, 10 Notre Dame J.L. Ethics & Pub. Pol’y 467 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, To Be a Professing Woman, 27 Tex. Tech. L. Rev. 1051 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, To Be a Professing Woman, 27 Tex. Tech. L. Rev. 1051 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Sacred Secrets or Sanctimonious Silence, 29 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 1747 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Sacred Secrets or Sanctimonious Silence, 29 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 1747 (1996).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword: Symposium: Ethics and the Multijurisdictional Practice of Law, 36 S. Tex. L. Rev. 657 (1995).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword: Symposium: Ethics and the Multijurisdictional Practice of Law, 36 S. Tex. L. Rev. 657 (1995).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Significant Probate and Trust Legislation, 30 Real Prop. Prob. & Tr. J. 143 (1995).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Significant Probate and Trust Legislation, 30 Real Prop. Prob. & Tr. J. 143 (1995).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Teaching Law as a Profession of Faith, 36 S. Tex. L. Rev. 109 (1995).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Teaching Law as a Profession of Faith, 36 S. Tex. L. Rev. 109 (1995).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword: Symposium: The Attorney-Client Relationship in a Regulated Society, 35 S. Tex. L. Rev. 571 (1994).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Foreword: Symposium: The Attorney-Client Relationship in a Regulated Society, 35 S. Tex. L. Rev. 571 (1994).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Significant Probate and Trust Legislation, 29 Real Prop. Prob. & Tr. J. 381 (1994).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Significant Probate and Trust Legislation, 29 Real Prop. Prob. & Tr. J. 381 (1994).
Teresa Stanton Collett, The Ethics of Intergenerational Representation, 62 Fordham L. Rev. 1453 (1994).
Teresa Stanton Collett, The Ethics of Intergenerational Representation, 62 Fordham L. Rev. 1453 (1994).
Teresa Stanton Collett, And the Two Shall Become As One… Until the Lawyers are Done, 7 Notre Dame J. L. Ethics & Pub. Pol’y 101 (1993).
Teresa Stanton Collett, And the Two Shall Become As One… Until the Lawyers are Done, 7 Notre Dame J. L. Ethics & Pub. Pol’y 101 (1993).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Understanding Freedman’s Ethics, 33 Ariz. L. Rev. 455 (1991).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Understanding Freedman’s Ethics, 33 Ariz. L. Rev. 455 (1991).
Short Pieces
Teresa Collett, A New Breed of Republicans; Finally More Than a Dime’s Worth of Difference Between Parties, Wash. Times, Oct. 11, 2010 at B1.
Teresa Collett, A New Breed of Republicans; Finally More Than a Dime’s Worth of Difference Between Parties, Wash. Times, Oct. 11, 2010 at B1.
Teresa Collett, Reflection, in Applying Catholic Teaching: Family Life, 13.34 The Catholic Spirit 13 (2008).
Teresa Collett, Reflection, in Applying Catholic Teaching: Family Life, 13.34 The Catholic Spirit 13 (2008).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Life in the Times of the Roberts Supreme Court, 2.2 The Christian Lawyer 12 (2006).
Teresa Stanton Collett, Life in the Times of the Roberts Supreme Court, 2.2 The Christian Lawyer 12 (2006).
Faculty & Staff
- Deans
- Faculty
- Bateson, Ann
- Berg, Thomas
- Blanchard, Lindsey
- Bowser, Rene
- Carpenter, Benjamin
- Collett, Teresa
- Delahunty, Robert
- Gordon, Mitchell
- Griffith, Daniel
- Hamilton, Neil
- Hernandez-Crespo, Mariana
- Holloran, Thomas
- Johnson, Lyman
- Joyce, Thomas
- Kaal, Wulf
- Kahn, Robert
- Levy-Pounds, Nekima
- Nichols, Joel
- Organ, Jerry
- Orr, Laura
- Oseid, Julie
- Osler, Mark
- Paulsen, Michael
- Reid, Charles
- Schiltz, Elizabeth
- Shea, Hank
- Sisk, Gregory
- Stabile, Susan
- Taylor, Scott
- Tyner, Artika
- Vischer, Robert
- Whitt, Reginald
- Wiebe, Virgil
- Wright, Jennifer
- Adjunct Faculty
- Staff by Department
- Faculty in the News
- Scholarship by Faculty