# Barry Anderson *Former associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court* Grant Barry Anderson (born October 24, 1954) is a Minnesota jurist. He sat as an associate justice of the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]] from 2004 until he retired in 2024, after serving on the [[Minnesota Court of Appeals]] from 1998.[^1] Governor [[Tim Pawlenty]] named him to the Supreme Court in 2004. Voters then gave him a six-year term in 2006, and a second in 2012, when he defeated former U.S. Senator Dean Barkley with 58.9% of the vote.[^1] Every fact in this article comes from one secondary source. The record assembled for this article contains no primary document about his appointment, his elections or his service, such as a commission, a canvass, an opinion or a filing.[^1] ## Early life and education Anderson was born on October 24, 1954, and was raised in [[Mankato]], Minnesota.[^1] He earned a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, at Gustavus Adolphus College in 1976. He then earned a Juris Doctor at the [[University of Minnesota Law School]] in 1979.[^1] His legal career began in general practice in Fairmont. He later moved his practice to Hutchinson and was that city's attorney for more than ten years.[^1] The [[Minnesota State Bar Association]] certified him as a civil trial specialist. He tried cases for both plaintiffs and defendants across a broad range of matters.[^1] ## Career In Hutchinson, Anderson chaired the board of the Hutchinson Community Video Network, a local public-access television project. He also served two terms as president of the Hutchinson Rotary Club.[^1] His other civic work includes a seat on the Minnesota Valley YMCA community board, coaching youth athletics, and serving as a national judge for the "We the People" high school civics competition. For more than two decades he moderated Pioneer PBS's *Your Legislators*.[^1] He has taught in continuing legal education programs, including lectures on expert witnesses. He also sat on the Judicial Council, the statewide governing board of the Minnesota Judicial Branch.[^1] Anderson served on the Court of Appeals from August 1998 to 2004. Governor Pawlenty appointed him to the Supreme Court, and his service there began on October 13, 2004.[^1] He won election to a six-year term in 2006. In 2012 he was challenged by Dean Barkley, who had briefly served as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota in 2002 after the death of Paul Wellstone. Anderson won reelection with 58.9% of the vote. He left the court on May 10, 2024.[^1] ## See also - [[Paul Anderson (judge)]] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Barry Anderson* (revision 1284600211, retrieved 2026-10-26) — name and birth date; Mankato upbringing; Gustavus Adolphus (1976) and University of Minnesota Law School (1979) degrees; practice in Fairmont and Hutchinson and Hutchinson city attorney service; MSBA civil-trial certification; civic and Judicial Council service; Court of Appeals service August 1998–2004; Pawlenty appointment effective October 13, 2004; 2006 election; 2012 reelection over Dean Barkley with 58.9%; retirement May 10, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Anderson