# Gordon Moore (judge) *Associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court; former Nobles County district judge* Gordon L. Moore III (born April 6, 1963) is a [[Minnesota]] lawyer and an associate justice of the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]].[^1] Before he joined the state's highest court, Moore was a district court judge in Nobles County, in the Fifth Judicial District, from 2012 to 2020.[^1] Earlier he was an assistant attorney general, Nobles County [[county attorney]], and assistant city attorney in Worthington.[^1] Governor [[Mark Dayton]] appointed him to the trial bench in January 2012. Governor [[Tim Walz]] appointed him to the Supreme Court in May 2020.[^1] ## Early life and education Moore was raised in Rochester and is a Mayo High School graduate.[^1] After living in Northfield and [[Mankato]], he settled in Worthington in 1995 to raise his family.[^1] Carleton College awarded him a Bachelor of Arts in 1985. The University of Iowa College of Law conferred his Juris Doctor, with honors, in 1988.[^1] ## Legal career In Worthington, Moore practiced as an associate attorney at the firm of Von Holtum, Malters & Shepherd and held the post of assistant city attorney.[^1] He also worked as a special assistant and assistant attorney general during the tenure of [[Attorney General of Minnesota]] [[Skip Humphrey]]. He later became the Nobles County attorney.[^1] ## State judicial service Governor Mark Dayton appointed Moore on January 18, 2012, to the Minnesota Fifth Judicial District Court. The seat had opened when Judge Jeffrey L. Flynn retired.[^1] Moore took the oath of office on March 1, 2012.[^1] ## Appointment to Minnesota Supreme Court Walz weighed four candidates for the vacancy. They were Moore, Court of Appeals Judges Diane Bratvold and Jeffrey Bryan, and Chief Deputy Attorney General John Keller.[^1] On May 15, 2020, Walz chose Moore for the seat that opened with the retirement of Justice [[David Lillehaug]].[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Gordon L. Moore III, born April 6, 1963, is a lawyer and associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.[^1] ### When - January 18, 2012: Governor Mark Dayton appointed Moore to the Fifth Judicial District Court.[^1] - March 1, 2012: Moore was sworn in as a district judge.[^1] - May 15, 2020: Governor Tim Walz appointed Moore to the Minnesota Supreme Court.[^1] ### Where - Worthington: Moore moved there in 1995 and practiced law there as an associate attorney and assistant city attorney.[^1] - Nobles County: Moore served there as county attorney, and later as a Fifth District court judge from 2012 to 2020.[^1] ### How - Moore was appointed to the Supreme Court by the [[governor]] after Walz considered four candidates.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Gordon Moore (judge)*, English Wikipedia (revision 1377971932, retrieved 2026-10-26) — Moore's birth date, education, legal career, district court appointment of January 18, 2012, swearing-in of March 1, 2012, and Supreme Court appointment of May 15, 2020. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Moore_(judge)>