Download PDF Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) is proud to announce the launch of two new chapters at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis and William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul. These “twin” chapters in the Twin Cities mark the continued expansion of the Brandeis Center Law Student Chapter Initiative, and the initiation of what LDB hopes is continued development in the Midwest. The Initiative has chapters at many top U.S. law schools including the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Pennsylvania, University of Virginia (UVA), Northeastern University and American University law schools. LDB law students host speakers and events on a variety of civil rights and anti-Semitism issues, provide pro-bono legal research, alert LDB to anti-Semitic incidents on their campuses and provide advocacy services to victims of discrimination. “We are thrilled to welcome our first two Midwest chapters,” said LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus. “We are seeing a resurgence of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel incidents on college campuses around the country, and we are pleased that these law student leaders are responding by standing up on the side of civil rights and social justice.” William Mitchell’s students are very excited about their new chapter. William Mitchell’s chapter president, Nik Mendoza, explained how, as a student, he often saw missed opportunities to have honest conversations concerning Jewish topics in the classroom. At the same time, he saw the interest many of his classmates and professors had in learning more about the Jewish people and culture. “As I started to speak up on these delicate topics, I saw people recognized biases and misconceptions they had heard or learned for so long,” Nik said. “More importantly, I saw many of my classmates and professors start to recognize the real life and ever-present dangers of anti-Semitism, as well as the subtle forms it takes in our times. Establishing an LDB Chapter was the perfect match because of the expertise and strong support the Center provides students like me.” University of St. Thomas students are equally as excited about their new chapter. “As a Catholic school with a social mission, St. Thomas strives to allow more inclusion of religious and social discussion. I think it actually encourages a civil rights group like Brandeis to be welcome here to help further that mission,” says Sara Gangelhoff, one of the chapter’s founding members. St. Thomas chapter president, Bethany Hanson, adds, “Civil rights issues are not just a thing of the past. Though some may not see them in their everyday lives, others frequently experience these types of issues. Having an LDB chapter at St. Thomas will help further the education of others about the issues and serve as a support system to those experiencing discrimination.” With the launches of these “twin” chapters in Minnesota, and a launch of a chapter at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City on November 10th, LDB will have eight chapters joining in the fight against campus anti-Semitism.