# Katherine M. Menendez *United States district judge for the District of Minnesota* Katherine Marie Menendez (born 1971) has held a district judgeship on the [[United States District Court for the District of Minnesota]] since 2021. Before that, from 2016 to 2021, she was a magistrate judge of the same court.[^1] In the Minnesota record she is the district judge in two suits the United States brought against Minnesota officials. In [[United States v. Walz (in-state tuition and North Star Promise)]], No. 0:25-cv-02668, the United States challenged Minnesota's in-state-tuition and North Star Promise statutes. She granted the motion to dismiss on March 27, 2026, substantially on standing and for a failure to prove discrimination, and the United States has moved to appeal.[^2] In [[United States v. Simon]], No. 0:25-cv-03761, the United States challenges Secretary of State [[Steve Simon]]'s refusal to provide the unredacted Statewide Voter Registration List. She is named as judge in that case with Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard.[^3] In 2023 she struck down Minnesota's age limits on carrying firearms and then stayed her own order.[^4] The record does not establish a merits holding that the statutes challenged in *Walz* are lawful. The source records the dismissal as a live matter on appeal, not as a merits holding that the preference is lawful.[^5] ## Early life and education Menendez's birthplace was Emporia, Kansas.[^1] She completed a bachelor's degree at the [[University of Chicago]] in 1993 and received her law degree from New York University in 1997.[^1] ## Career In 1996–1997 Menendez clerked for Judge Samuel James Ervin III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.[^1] From 1999 until 2016 she worked as an assistant federal defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Minnesota.[^1] ### United States magistrate judge The court chose Menendez in March 2016 to succeed Magistrate Judge Jeffrey J. Keyes, who was retiring. She took the oath on April 28 of that year.[^1] Her magistrate service ended when she became a district judge.[^1] ### District court service President Joe Biden announced on September 8, 2021, that he intended to nominate Menendez to the District of Minnesota. The nomination reached the Senate on September 20.[^6] The seat had opened when Judge [[Joan N. Ericksen]] took senior status on October 15, 2019.[^6] The Senate Judiciary Committee heard the nomination on November 3, 2021. It advanced the nomination 15–7 on December 2.[^6] The [[United States Senate]] voted 49–21 for cloture on December 17 and confirmed her by the same 49–21 margin on December 18. Her judicial commission is dated December 21, 2021.[^6] ### Notable cases On March 31, 2023, Menendez ruled Minnesota's age limits on carrying firearms unconstitutional.[^4] Commissioner of Public Safety Bob Jacobson and several county [[sheriff]]s then filed an emergency motion, and on April 24, 2023, she stayed her order, pausing the ruling.[^4] The [[Minnesota Attorney General]] appealed to the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit]]. The cached source text breaks off at a July 16, 2024, entry and does not show the appellate outcome.[^4] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who Menendez is the district judge in *United States v. Walz* (0:25-cv-02668) and in *United States v. Simon* (0:25-cv-03761).[^2][^3] The *Simon* docket also lists Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard. The [[League of Women Voters]] and [[Common Cause]] moved to intervene in *Simon*.[^3] ### What In *Walz*, the United States challenged two [[Minnesota]] statutes under 8 U.S.C. §1623: the in-state-tuition statute, Minn. Stat. §135A.043, and the North Star Promise statute, §136A.1465.[^2] Menendez granted the motion to dismiss (Dkt. 42).[^2] In *Simon*, the United States challenges the Secretary of State's refusal to provide the unredacted Statewide Voter Registration List. The challenge is brought under the [[Civil Rights Act of 1960]] and the [[Help America Vote Act]]. The refusal is defended on state law, §201.091.[^3] ### When - June 25, 2025: the Department of Justice filed *Walz*.[^2] - September 25, 2025: *Simon* was filed.[^3] - March 27, 2026: Menendez granted the motion to dismiss in *Walz* (Dkt. 42).[^2] - March 30, 2026: judgment was entered in *Walz* (Dkt. 43).[^2] ### Where Both cases were filed in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.[^2][^3] ### Why The *Walz* dismissal rested substantially on standing. The court held that the United States' "Take Care" duty did not connect it to enforcing the statutes. The dismissal also rested on a failure to prove discrimination.[^2] ### How As of the source's June 18, 2026, refresh, the United States had moved to appeal the *Walz* dismissal to the Eighth Circuit.[^2] On the same date, *Simon* was recorded as ongoing.[^3] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Katherine M. Menendez* (revision 1366568708, retrieved 2026-10-26), lead, "Early life and education", "Career" and "United States magistrate judge" sections — birth year, birthplace, education, clerkship, federal defender service, magistrate selection and swearing-in. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_M._Menendez [^2]: *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified, 2026-06-18), note [38], record row on *United States v. Walz*, 0:25-cv-02668 (D. Minn.) — DOJ filing June 25, 2025; statutes §135A.043 and §136A.1465 challenged under 8 U.S.C. §1623; motion to dismiss granted March 27, 2026 (Dkt. 42); judgment March 30, 2026 (Dkt. 43); appeal to the Eighth Circuit moved. Validated pack passage; no allowed URL carries this row. [^3]: *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified, 2026-06-18), note [54], record row on *United States v. Simon*, 0:25-cv-03761 (D. Minn., filed Sep. 25, 2025) — challenge under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and the Help America Vote Act; defense on §201.091; Judge Katherine M. Menendez and Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard; intervention motions; ongoing. Validated pack passage; no allowed URL carries this row. [^4]: Wikipedia, *Katherine M. Menendez* (revision 1366568708, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Notable cases" section — 2023 firearm age-limit ruling, April 24, 2023, stay, and appeal (text truncated in cache). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_M._Menendez [^5]: *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified, 2026-06-18), main text and note [38] — the *Walz* dismissal is recorded as a live, on-appeal matter and not a merits holding that the preference is lawful. Validated pack passage; no allowed URL carries this row. [^6]: Wikipedia, *Katherine M. Menendez* (revision 1366568708, retrieved 2026-10-26), "District court service" section — nomination announcement, transmission, vacancy, hearing, committee vote, cloture and confirmation votes, and commission date. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_M._Menendez