# David Lillehaug *Former associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and former United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota* David Lee Lillehaug (born May 22, 1954) sat as an associate justice of the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]] from June 3, 2013, until his retirement, which took effect on July 31, 2020.[^1] Before that, from 1994 to 1998, he held the office of United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota.[^2] Between his federal service and his judicial appointment, he twice sought a statewide nomination of the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] (DFL). In 1998 he ran for [[Minnesota Attorney General]] and finished second in the primary.[^3] In 2000 he sought the party's nomination for the [[United States Senate]] from [[Minnesota]] and withdrew after the party convention did not endorse him.[^4] ## Early life and education Lillehaug was born in Waverly, Iowa, and grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where his father was a music teacher.[^5] He received a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from Augustana College in Sioux Falls in 1976.[^5] In 1979 he earned a Juris Doctor cum laude at Harvard Law School.[^5] ## United States Attorney President Bill Clinton named Lillehaug United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, and his tenure began in 1994.[^2] He left the post on May 22, 1998, to become a candidate for attorney general.[^2] ## 1998 Minnesota Attorney General campaign On May 27, 1998, Lillehaug declared his candidacy for the DFL nomination for attorney general. The field already included [[Mike Hatch]] and Ember Reichgott Junge.[^3] Hatch won the DFL primary held on September 15, 1998, and Lillehaug finished second.[^3] ## 2000 United States Senate campaign Lillehaug declared on March 16, 1999, that he would seek the DFL nomination for the 2000 Senate race in Minnesota.[^4] The DFL convention of June 3, 2000, did not endorse him, and he left the race that day.[^4] He then asked his supporters to back State Senator Jerry Janezich, who went on to receive the party endorsement.[^4] ## Minnesota Supreme Court On March 26, 2013, Governor [[Mark Dayton]] appointed Lillehaug as an associate justice to fill the seat of the retiring Justice Paul H. Anderson.[^1] Lillehaug took office on June 3, 2013, and his formal investiture followed on June 28, 2013.[^1] On June 12, 2019, he announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He also announced that he would retire from the court effective July 31, 2020.[^1] ## Personal life Lillehaug and his wife, Winifred Smith, have one daughter. The family lives in [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota.[^6] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *David Lillehaug* (rev. 1381059169, retrieved 2026-10-26) — appointment by Governor Mark Dayton on March 26, 2013, succession to Justice Paul H. Anderson, start of term June 3, 2013, investiture June 28, 2013, and the June 12, 2019 announcement of retirement effective July 31, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lillehaug [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *David Lillehaug* (rev. 1381059169, retrieved 2026-10-26) — appointment by President Bill Clinton as United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota from 1994, and departure on May 22, 1998 to run for attorney general. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lillehaug [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *David Lillehaug* (rev. 1381059169, retrieved 2026-10-26) — May 27, 1998 entry into the DFL attorney general race alongside Mike Hatch and Ember Reichgott Junge, and second-place finish in the September 15, 1998 primary. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lillehaug [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *David Lillehaug* (rev. 1381059169, retrieved 2026-10-26) — March 16, 1999 Senate announcement, the June 3, 2000 withdrawal after the convention, and his support for Jerry Janezich. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lillehaug [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *David Lillehaug* (rev. 1381059169, retrieved 2026-10-26) — birth on May 22, 1954 in Waverly, Iowa, upbringing in Sioux Falls, and degrees from Augustana College (1976) and Harvard Law School (1979). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lillehaug [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *David Lillehaug* (rev. 1381059169, retrieved 2026-10-26) — marriage to Winifred Smith, one daughter, and residence in Minneapolis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lillehaug