Mark Osler

More frustrated prosecutors at the U.S Attorney's office in Minnesota call it quits Turmoil continues at the U.S. Attorney's office in Minneapolis. This week another attorney was removed from a special assignment dealing with immigration cases after telling a judge she hates her job.

I got to talk about what's up in MN a little on NPR's "All Things Considered" this afternoon.

www.npr.org/2026/02/05/n...

As a student of both the Constitution and the death penalty, I'm pretty sure of one thing: Exercising two Constitutional rights at the same time is not a legitimate justification for use of the death penalty.

I've always wanted to see things with my own eyes. It is part of what made me a good prosecutor. Today at about noon I went to the corner of 26th and Nicollet here in Minneapolis, where earlier i... I've always wanted to see things with my own eyes. It is part of what made me a good prosecutor. Today at about noon I went to the corner of 26th and Nicollet here in Minneapolis, where earlier in th...

www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-o...

Republicans think they know Minnesota better than Minnesotans. They’re wrong Try as they might, there is no secret conservative side of Minneapolis that Republican violence can uncover.

Yeah, we're related.

episodes.ghost.io/minnesota-mi...

Just up for download at SSRN! A defense of the institution of clemency, with a detour through NYC's Penn Station.

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Sentence I never thought I would write: Trump probably can't invade Greenland right now if the arctic-trained paratroopers of the 11th Airborne Division are tied up with the invasion of Minnesota.

New art for the office. I think this is the last piece my dad completed.

Zounds!

A Terrible Use of a Beautiful Machine Clemency, broken norms, and a path to redemption

sentencing.substack.com/p/a-terrible...

As many of you know, I run a clemency clinic where my students visit our clients in federal prison. We are short on travel money this year, because I took on more students. Please support us-- go to "commutation clinic" in the "designation" drop-down.

www.givecampus.com/campaigns/40...

A GOP-led House committee takes aim at what it calls Biden's 'autopen presidency' NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with University of St. Thomas law professor Mark Osler about the House Oversight Committee's call for an investigation into President Biden's executive actions signed by autop...

Here is the four minutes I got (and really enjoyed) talking with Ailsa Chang on NPR's "All Things Considered" this afternoon.

www.npr.org/2025/10/28/n...

Sunday Reflection: The Heartbroken On Friday, I was riding home from work along Minnehaha Creek and realized I was just five blocks from Annunciation Catholic Church where c...

oslersrazor.blogspot.com/2025/08/sund...

Fresh (and short) scholarship to download for free!

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Mark Osler: 2 big AI time bombs loom on horizon AI will transform much of our society and economy. More money is being spent to build AI chip factories than on construction related to all other American manufacturing combined.

wacotrib.com/opinion/colu...

It Happened to Me: Goldy Gopher Came to My Gay Wedding - Racket Goldy’s in-your-face affection knows no labels or limits, though his fee and time constraints are nonnegotiable.

Here it is: My daughter's full published account of how Goldy Gopher ended up at her wedding.

racketmn.com/goldy-gopher...

Local Event: White Collar Speaker: Prof. Mark Osler, Univ. of St. Thomas Law School Check out the latest community post from one of your neighbors. (The views expressed in this post are the author’s own.)

patch.com/new-york/new...

It about narcotics sentencing. And, kind of, The Band.

read.dukeupress.edu/fsr/article/...

Minnesotans! Come hear @rachelbarkow.bsky.social talk about her new book on April 29.

The Open Mind | Clemency for America | Season 2025 Legal scholar Mark Osler discusses the justice solution of clemency.

www.pbs.org/video/clemen...

A letter from Jimmy Carter It followed from a direct — and unanticipated — challenge he gave me regarding impact and effective change.

www.startribune.com/a-letter-fro...

Biden pardoned son while leaving hundreds seeking clemency in limbo President Biden’s historic one-day clemency act included commutations that sparked outrage, in part because the White House skipped normal vetting procedures.

Accurately quoted, and this is a great news piece:
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

That's a weird take. If you listen to the actual interview, I defend Biden's grant to CARES Act people after they quoted Amy Klobuchar's criticism of what Biden did. Here is the segment:

www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...

What Biden's historic commutations mean President Biden announced he's commuting the prison sentences of some 1,500 people and issuing pardons to 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes. That marks the largest number of commutations by a ...

Tonight on PBS's NewsHour, I got to talk about the clemency grants today:
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...

YouTube video by The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law President Biden’s Pardon Legacy and the Future of the Federal Clemency Power

This was a great discussion of clemency (though I got a little rant-y at the end).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN2p...

I'll be on PBS NewsHour tonight talkin' clemency.

Which is pretty much what I love talking about.

YouTube video by University of St. Thomas | Minnesota Clemency in 2022: The Power of the Pardon

Here is a video of Sarah speaking at UST on a panel with Cynthia Roseberry of the ACLU and Paul Larkin of the Heritage Foundation. Her talk begins at 2:20: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2GU...

She's one of 18,000 people waiting for a presidential pardon. She knows an answer may take years. "Everywhere I go there will be background checks and I don't want that to be a hindrance for my future," one woman says.

Here is a 2021 story about Sarah Carlson, our client who got a pardon:
www.cbsnews.com/news/pardon-...

I am happy about Biden's pardons and commutations today. There must be more,. BUT... the CARES group is good, and one of the groups that @rachelbarkow.bsky.social and I described in our NYT op-ed. Also, one of my UST clinic clients received a pardon based on the great work of student Jessica Ally.

To my new connections- I have been blogging daily since 2006, about everything and nothing. I skipped right over Ted talks, podcasts, Tik Tok, etc. and just kept it old school. On Fridays I welcome everyone to offer a haiku. You can find it here:

oslersrazor.blogspot.com/2024/12/haik...