William Donohue ’70 devoted his entire career as a lawyer to public service. He served for eight years in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office providing advice and representation to numerous state agencies, including the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Donohue litigated numerous environmental cases and was the State’s leading expert on the then newly enacted amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. He litigated and won many cases that improved water quality throughout Minnesota. He also spent several years in the Solicitor General’s Office litigating cases in which he defended the constitutionality of statutes and the actions of government.
Following his time in the Attorney General’s Office, Donohue served for more than 30 years in the Office of General Counsel at the University of Minnesota, for several years as General Counsel responsible for all legal services provided to the University.
As the chief litigator for the University, Donohue tried and resolved numerous cases in federal and state courts. Among the most prominent of his cases was a patent infringement case defending the University patent on Ziagen—one of the cocktail of drugs used in the treatment of AIDS—where the University recovered over $600 million. He also was responsible for representing the University in a suit against the IRS over the payment of Social Security taxes by medical residents—recovering over $40 million for the University.
Donohue also helped establish a system for advising and monitoring the University Athletic Department’s compliance with NCAA rules, leading the change on the national enforcement of these complicated rules. He also wrote and advised the Athletic Department on ever-controversial coaching contracts.
Donohue has been an important mentor to many attorneys working with him and for him over the years. Three of his attorneys were later appointed as appellate court judges, one of whom ultimately became Chief Justice of the State. His talent has also been recognized in retirement as he was appointed to Minnesota’s Legislative Salary Council established by the Minnesota Constitution to set the salaries of state legislators.