Panel Chooses 6 Finalists for Soon-To-Be Vacant Seats on MN’s Supreme Court
A merit selection panel has recommended six finalists to fill two seats, which will soon be vacant, on the Minnesota Supreme Court.
According to Governor Tim Walz’s office, the appointed justices will replace Associate Justices G. Barry Anderson and Margaret H. Chutich, who are retiring in May and June of this year, respectively.
The selection panel consisted of leadership within Walz’s administration, the chair of the Commission on Judicial Selection, as well as at-large members of the same commission. Over the past several months, the panel has sought out applicants, reviewed applications, and recommended the six hopeful appointees.
According to a press release published in January, as Governor Walz first announced the opening of the selection process for new justices, applicant diversity was of utmost importance. “The panel is searching for fair, experienced, and civic-minded individuals to serve on the bench and offer their talents and services to Minnesota’s judicial system. The Governor is seeking applicants who reflect Minnesota’s full diversity,” the statement read.
Justices on Minnesota’s Supreme Court serve 6 year-terms, and their positions are nonpartisan. Although they are appointed if a justice should retire, die or otherwise vacate their seat, they also face election on a statewide ballot.
According to the Minnesota Judicial Branch website, “The Minnesota Supreme Court is the court of last resort in cases filed in Minnesota state courts, exercising original or appellate jurisdiction as conferred by the Minnesota Constitution. The court often resolves challenges that concern the constitutional rights of the people of the State of Minnesota. Supreme Court decisions serve as precedent for the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota's trial courts.”
Here’s what we know about the diverse group of finalists. The below biographical information is courtesy of the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan.
Lisa Beane
Lisa Beane: Lisa Beane is a senior associate general counsel in the University of Minnesota's Office of the General Counsel. She previously was an associate in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day and at Robins Kaplan LLP. Beane also previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Wilhelmina M. Wright on the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and Minnesota Supreme Court. Her community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Minnesota Lavender Bar Association and the Minnesota Women Lawyers Foundation.
Elizabeth Bentley
Elizabeth Bentley: Elizabeth Bentley is the founder and director of the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic and a visiting assistant professor of law at the University of Minnesota Law School. She was previously special counsel to Senator Amy Klobuchar during the confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and an attorney in the appellate practice group at Jones Day. Bentley also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Honorable Robert A. Katzmann on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the Honorable Jed S. Rakoff on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Her community involvement includes serving on the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee of the Appellate Practice Section Council of the Minnesota State Bar Association and as co-chair of the Justice and Democracy Center Committee, which is a civic education initiative of the Minnesota Federal Bar Association.
Keale Ede
Keala Ede: Keala Ede is a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He previously served as a judge in the Fourth Judicial District, an assistant federal defender in the Office of the Federal Defender in Minneapolis, an assistant attorney general in the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, and a law clerk to the Honorable Steven H. Levinson on the Hawai'i Supreme Court. Ede’s community involvement includes providing meal delivery for the Wilder Foundation's Meals on Wheels and volunteering as a youth sports official. He also serves on the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association's Scholarship Committee, the Minnesota Court of Appeals Equal Justice Committee, and the board of directors for the Division of Indian Work.
Theodora Gaïtas
Theodora Gaïtas: Theodora Gaïtas is a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She previously served as a judge in the Fourth Judicial District, where she presided over a felony caseload in the criminal division and as co-chair of the Domestic Violence Steering Committee. Gaïtas is co-chair of the Tribal Court State Court Forum, a committee that promotes collaboration between tribal courts and state courts in Minnesota, and co-chair of the Court of Appeals’ Equal Justice Committee and law clerk recruiting committee. Gaïtas’s community involvement includes presenting at legal education events, serving as a moot court judge, and volunteering with Meals on Wheels.
Sarah Hennesy
Sarah Hennesy: Sarah Hennesy is the chief judge of the Seventh Judicial District and is chambered in St. Cloud. She previously practiced law in both appellate and trial courts as an appellate public defender in Iowa, as a criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C. and Virginia, and as a staff attorney at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid in St. Cloud. Hennesy also serves as chair of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the General Rules of Practice. Her community involvement includes speaking at Minnesota Women Lawyers Association and other legal organization events, volunteering as a judge and coach for mock trial teams, and working with local schools to help students learn about the judiciary.
Liz Kramer
Liz Kramer: Liz Kramer is the solicitor general for the State of Minnesota, where she defends the constitutionality of state laws and represents Minnesota in state and federal appellate courts. She was previously a partner at Stinson LLP, where she practiced complex commercial litigation, and a law clerk to the Honorable Helen M. Meyer on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Kramer’s community involvement includes serving on the Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Rules on Civil Appellate Procedure and the boards of the Minnesota State Fair Foundation and Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society. Kramer’s community involvement has also included serving on the Appellate Practice Section Council of the Minnesota State Bar Association and helping found the Appeals Self-Help Clinic for self-represented parties in appeals.