Please join MJF to celebrate this year’s Outstanding Service Award winners and hear from keynote speaker Pete Farrell.
At this event we will honor members of Minnesota’s legal community for their pro bono and public interest legal work. The event will be held on September 22, 2026 at the Campus Club at the University of Minnesota in the evening. The event will feature a social hour with heavy appetizers provided and a cash bar, with both indoor and outdoor space (weather-depending) available for mingling. There will then be a seated portion of the event with a presentation of the awards and the keynote speech.
About our Keynote Speaker:
Pete Farrell is the Deputy Solicitor General at the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General. In that role, Pete focuses on appellate, constitutional, and regulatory litigation on behalf of the State of Minnesota and its agencies. He also co-leads the office’s Rule of Law division, which specializes in affirmative and defensive litigation against the federal government. Pete’s federal cases currently include litigation over transgender rights, affirmative action, and access to evidence in the shootings of Alex Pretti, Renée Good, and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
Outside of the Attorney General’s Office, Pete is active in the legal community. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the American Constitution Society. He was recently elected to the Governing Council of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section. And he is a contributing author to the Eighth Circuit Appellate Practice Manual.
Before his service in state government, Pete was a litigator at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP and DLA Piper, and he clerked for Justice Paul Anderson, Justice G. Barry Anderson, and Justice David R. Stras at the Minnesota Supreme Court. He is a graduate of NYU School of Law and St. Olaf College.
About MJF:
MJF’s mission: The Minnesota Justice Foundation creates opportunities for law students to engage in public interest and pro bono legal service and increases the capacity of legal organizations that serve the public interest.
Donations made at the event support our Summer Fellowship Program, which provides summer funding for students to work full-time at public interest law offices.
Accommodation requests:
Please contact anna@mnjustice.org at least two weeks before the event, if possible, to request accommodations.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Where is the venue?
The Campus Club is located on the 4th Floor of Coffman Memorial Union. 300 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis MN 55455.
Where is parking?
Paid parking is available in the East River Road Garage. https://pts.umn.edu/park-and-drive/general-information/facilities/east-river-road-garage
Where would I drop someone off to attend the event?
To be dropped off at the event, follow Delaware to the south entrance of Coffman. There are several drop-off locations. The quickest access is next to the West Loading Dock. There is an entrance to the East River Parking Garage on Delaware opposite the West Loading Dock.
What food will be available at the event?
The food at this event is heavy appetizers served buffet style during the social hour (no seated dinner service). Any remaining food will be available for self-service during the seated portion of the event. The food selection will include vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options.
Where is the all-gender restroom?
There is an all-gender restroom on the second floor in 237B. There are other restrooms on the fourth floor.
Where is the lactation space?
There is a lactation space on the first floor accessible via checking in at the Welcome Desk. It closes at 6 pm.