Stearns County District Court Judge Among Finalists for Minnesota Supreme Court Vacancies

(KNSI) – A Stearns County District Court judge is on the shortlist to fill one of two vacancies coming to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Earlier this year, Governor Tim Walz asked a selection panel to find candidates to sit on the highest court in the state. On Monday, the panel recommended six finalists to fill two seats. Making the list was

Sarah Hennesy is the chief judge of the Seventh Judicial District and is chambered in St. Cloud. She previously practiced law in appellate and trial courts as a public defender and criminal defense attorney in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and as a staff attorney at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid in St. Cloud.

The open spots will occur with the retirement of the Honorable G. Barry Anderson and the Honorable Margaret H. Chutich.

The other judges looking to fill one of the spots are:

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.

Elizabeth Bentley is the founder and director of the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic and a visiting assistant law professor at the University of Minnesota Law School. She was previously special counsel to Senator Amy Klobuchar during the confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Bentley also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor on the U.S. Supreme Court.

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, and was an assistant attorney general in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Theodora Gaïtas is a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She previously served as a judge in the Fourth Judicial District, presiding over a felony caseload in the criminal division and as co-chair of the Domestic Violence Steering Committee.

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.

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