# Minnesota Supreme Court *Highest appellate court of the State of Minnesota* The Minnesota Supreme Court is the court of last resort for the U.S. state of [[Minnesota]]. It sits in the Supreme Court chamber of the [[Minnesota State Capitol]] and in the adjoining Minnesota Judicial Center.[^1][^2] It has seven justices, each elected to a renewable six-year term. When a seat falls vacant mid-term, the [[Governor of Minnesota]] appoints a replacement.[^1][^3] The court also writes rules and appoints regulators. It promulgates the rules of the Board on Continuing Legal Education and the Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure.[^4][^5] It created the Lawyer Trust Account Board by order of December 27, 1982,[^6] and it appoints all 23 members of the [[Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board]].[^7] Its documented rulings include the unanimous abolition of the champerty doctrine on June 3, 2020.[^8] In February 2024 it affirmed the removal of the trustee of the [[Otto Bremer Trust]].[^9] On January 8, 2025, it dismissed a taxpayer challenge to a [[Minneapolis]] Public Schools layoff provision on standing alone.[^10] On January 14, 2026, the [[United States Department of Justice]] issued release No. 26-21, titled *United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's "Affirmative Action" Regime*. Attorney General Pamela Bondi certified the case as a matter of general public importance.[^11] The same word appears in federal law for foreign governments: the [[Iraq Liberation Act]] of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-338) states a policy of supporting efforts to remove "the regime headed by Saddam Hussein."[^12] The project's catalogue of U.S.-government "regime" usages ([[How Minnesota Got Here]], note 40) finds Minnesota the only U.S. state so described.[^12] ## History Minnesota's highest court began in 1849, while Minnesota was still a territory, as a panel of three judges. President Zachary Taylor appointed its first members, all of them lawyers from outside the region. Statehood in 1858 brought a reorganized court system.[^1][^3] Until 1983, appeals from the district courts went straight to the Supreme Court, which handled some 1,800 cases a year. That year the [[Legislature]] established the [[Minnesota Court of Appeals]] as an intermediate appellate court to take most of that caseload.[^1][^3] The Supreme Court now receives about 900 appeals a year and grants review in roughly one case in eight. Appeals in tax, first-degree murder and workers' compensation matters still come to it directly.[^1] The court convened a Racial Bias Task Force, which sat from 1993 to 1998. The Judicial Branch keeps its records under the heading *Racial Bias in the Judicial System*.[^13] ## Composition Each of the seven justices holds a six-year term that can be renewed. A justice appointed by the governor serves until the general election held more than one year after the appointment. Most vacancies arise during a term, and judges must retire at 70.[^1][^2] The last election to an open seat was in 1992. Alan Page, a former Minnesota Vikings player, won it.[^1] Isaac Atwater served as an associate justice in 1859.[^14] Rosalie E. Wahl joined the court in 1977, and [[Alan Page]] took his seat in 1993.[^1] Former Justice Kathleen Blatz is documented in the Judicial Branch's justice histories.[^15] [[Anne McKeig]] joined in 2016,[^1][^16] and [[Karl Procaccini]] in 2023.[^1] [[Isaac Atwater]] and [[Rosalie E. Wahl]] appear in the Judicial Branch's historical directory of justices.[^2][^14] ## Salary For 2025, the chief justice's salary was set at $236,429. Each associate justice was paid $214,935.[^1] ## Notable cases - *Baker v. Nelson*, 291 Minn. 310, 191 N.W.2d 185 (1971). The court ruled that refusing gay citizens the statutory right to marry did not violate the United States Constitution. That holding was overturned by *Obergefell v. Hodges*, 576 U.S. 644 (2015).[^1] - *Doe v. Gomez*, 542 N.W.2d 17 (1995). The court read the Minnesota Constitution's privacy right to include abortion. It also held that the state could not refuse to fund abortion while funding other pregnancy-related medical care.[^1] - *Mammenga v. Department of Human Services*, 442 N.W.2d 786 (Minn. 1989). The court set out its arbitrary-and-capricious framework.[^17] - [[Brayton v. Pawlenty]], 781 N.W.2d 357 (Minn. 2010). The court decided this case in 2010.[^18] - *City of Lake Elmo v. Metropolitan Council*, No. A03-458 (Minn. Aug. 5, 2004). [[Lake Elmo]], a city of about 7,000 residents, had submitted a comprehensive plan restricting development. The [[Metropolitan Council (Minnesota)]] found the plan a substantial departure from regional system plans. Those plans forecast at least 31,600 residents by 2040 at minimum densities of three units per acre, and required room for about 9,350 sewered households plus connection to regional wastewater infrastructure. The dossier record states that the court affirmed.[^19][^20] - *State v. Noor* (2021). The court set aside the third-degree murder conviction of former police officer [[Mohamed Noor]].[^21][^22] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - The court created the Lawyer Trust Account Board by order of December 27, 1982. The order is reported as *Petition of Minn. State Bar Ass'n*, 332 N.W.2d 151 (Minn. 1982).[^6] - The court appoints the 23 members of the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board: 14 attorneys and 9 non-lawyers, who serve without compensation.[^7][^23] - The court affirmed the Ramsey County order removing the trustee of the Otto Bremer Trust.[^9] ### What - The record describes the Lawyer Trust Account Board as "the nation's first mandatory IOLTA by court rule," dating it to 1983. Since July 1, 2025, it has been the State Board of Civil Legal Aid.[^6] See [[IOLTA]]. - The court keeps an archive of rule-promulgation orders. That archive is the source of its authority over the Continuing Legal Education board and over bar admission.[^24][^4] - The court's rules include the Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure, published by the Revisor of Statutes.[^5] ### When - **December 27, 1982:** The court issued the order creating the Lawyer Trust Account Board.[^6] - **August 5, 2004:** The court decided *City of Lake Elmo v. Metropolitan Council*, No. A03-458.[^19] - **June 3, 2020:** In *Maslowski v. Prospect Funding Partners LLC*, No. A19-1535, the court unanimously abolished the champerty doctrine. Since 1897, that doctrine had barred third parties from funding lawsuits in Minnesota. The court held that "modern rules of professional responsibility and civil procedure sufficiently address" the historical concerns about abuse.[^8] - **August 2023:** In the second *Maslowski* decision, No. A21-1338, the court held that consumer litigation funding is not subject to usury law, because repayment is contingent.[^25] - **February 2024:** The court affirmed the removal of the Otto Bremer Trust trustee. Ramsey County had ordered the removal on April 29, 2022, and that order was affirmed in January 2023. The matter arose under the Supervision of Charitable Trusts and Trustees Act, Minn. Stat. §§501B.33–.45.[^9] - **January 8, 2025:** The court dismissed a taxpayer challenge to MPS Article 15, a layoff-protection provision keyed to race. The dismissal rested on standing only; the court did not reach the merits.[^10] ### How - The Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board does not itself investigate.[^7] - The [[District Ethics Committees]] are staffed by volunteers. Their chairs are appointed by the court, and members serve three-year terms for up to 12 years. "Public members (non-lawyers) fill at least 20 percent of DEC seats."[^7][^26] - Committee recommendations are non-binding and are reviewed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.[^7][^27] ### How much - The court-created Lawyer Trust Account Board administered $36,385,957 in FY2025 for civil legal aid.[^6] - The record reports an audited return of $4.32 per $1 and a social return of $239 million.[^6] ### How many - In 2023 the civil-legal-aid program reached 47,708 households and 114,593 people across all 87 counties.[^6] - The Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board has 23 court-appointed members.[^7] ## In the at-issue record [[At issue 017 - Hennepin County Attorney William Nash was acquitted by|At-issue entry 017]] concerns the court's review of the removal of a county prosecutor. According to MNopedia, [[Hennepin County Attorney]] [[William Nash]] was indicted on April 6, 1920, arrested on May 13, and acquitted by a federal jury on July 3.[^28] On July 31, twenty-eight days after the acquittal, Governor J.A.A. Burnquist removed him from office. The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the removal on December 17, 1920.[^28] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Minnesota Supreme Court* (revid 1379728646, retrieved 2026-10-26) — history, composition, salary, notable cases. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Supreme_Court [^2]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Minnesota Supreme Court — History & Current Justices* — court seat, justices. https://mncourts.gov/SupremeCourt/About.aspx [^3]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Overview* (judicial directory and history) — court structure and history. https://www.mncourts.gov/About-The-Courts/Overview/ [^4]: Minnesota Board of Continuing Legal Education, *Rules of the Minnesota Supreme Court Board on Continuing Legal Education* (current) — court-promulgated CLE rules. https://www.mbcle.state.mn.us/rules/ [^5]: Office of the Revisor of Statutes, *Court Rules* (Minn. R. Civ. App. P.) — court-promulgated appellate rules. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/court_rules/ [^6]: *The Instrument No One Will Name* (densified, 2026-06-18), §8 and note 64 (validated) — Lawyer Trust Account Board created by Minnesota Supreme Court order Dec. 27, 1982 (*Petition of Minn. State Bar Ass'n*, 332 N.W.2d 151); State Board of Civil Legal Aid since July 1, 2025; FY2025 and 2023 figures. Source note cites mncourts.gov; no order URL is in the allowed set. [^7]: Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, *Discipline System & Process* — 23 court-appointed members (14 attorneys, 9 non-lawyers); the Board does not investigate; DEC structure; recommendations non-binding. https://lprb.mncourts.gov/about/the-discipline-process/ [^8]: Minnesota Supreme Court, *Maslowski v. Prospect Funding Partners LLC*, No. A19-1535 (June 3, 2020) — abolition of champerty. https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/supreme-court/2020/a19-1535.html [^9]: *How Minnesota Got Here* (merged master, footnoted), note 31 (validated) — Otto Bremer Trust trustee removed by Ramsey County order Apr. 29, 2022; affirmed Jan. 2023 and by the Minnesota Supreme Court Feb. 2024; Minn. Stat. §§501B.33–.45. The source's Revisor URL is not in the allowed set. [^10]: Star Tribune, *MN Supreme Court: Mpls taxpayers' suit over policy protecting teachers of color lacks standing* (Jan. 8, 2025) — dismissal on standing. https://www.startribune.com/mn-supreme-court-mpls-taxpayers-suit-over-policy-protecting-teachers-of-color-lacks-standing/601203456 [^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, *United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota's "Affirmative Action" Regime*, release No. 26-21 (Jan. 14, 2026) — title; Attorney General's certification. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-department-justice-files-lawsuit-against-minnesotas-affirmative-action-regime [^12]: U.S. Congress, *Iraq Liberation Act of 1998*, Pub. L. 105-338 — "the regime headed by Saddam Hussein"; with the project's catalogue finding (How Minnesota Got Here, note 40). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-105publ338/pdf/PLAW-105publ338.pdf [^13]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Racial Bias in the Judicial System* — Racial Bias Task Force (1993–1998) records. https://www.mncourts.gov/About-The-Courts/Equity-and-Fairness/Racial-Bias-in-the-Judicial-System.aspx [^14]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Isaac Atwater* (justice biography) — service on the court in 1859. https://mncourts.libguides.com/atwater [^15]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Kathleen Blatz* (justice history). https://mncourts.libguides.com/blatz [^16]: *Justice Anne K. McKeig* (biography). https://www.justicemckeig.org/ [^17]: *Mammenga v. Department of Human Services*, 442 N.W.2d 786 (Minn. 1989) — arbitrary-and-capricious framework (CourtListener). https://www.courtlistener.com/ [^18]: Minnesota Supreme Court, *Brayton v. Pawlenty*, 781 N.W.2d 357 (Minn. 2010) (CourtListener). https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1630535/brayton-v-pawlenty/ [^19]: Minnesota Supreme Court, *City of Lake Elmo v. Metropolitan Council*, No. A03-458 (Aug. 5, 2004). https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/supreme-court/2004/opa030458-0805.html [^20]: Minnesota Supreme Court, *City of Lake Elmo v. Metropolitan Council*, No. A03-458 (Aug. 5, 2004) (FindLaw) — Met Council findings and figures. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/mn-supreme-court/1267424.html [^21]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *State v. Mohamed Noor* (2021). https://mn.gov/courts/ [^22]: West Central Tribune, *Minnesota Supreme Court tosses 3rd-degree murder conviction of ex-cop Mohamed Noor* (2021). https://www.wctrib.com/news/minnesota-supreme-court-tosses-3rd-degree-murder-conviction-of-ex-cop-mohamed-noor [^23]: Minnesota Supreme Court, *Rules on Lawyers Professional Responsibility* — Board and discipline structure. https://mncourts.gov/_media/migration/appellate/supreme-court/professional-regulation-rules/rlpr.pdf [^24]: Minnesota Supreme Court, *Rule Promulgation Orders* archive — the court's authority over the CLE Board and bar admission. https://www.mncourts.gov/SupremeCourt.aspx [^25]: Minnesota Supreme Court, *Maslowski v. Prospect Funding Partners LLC*, No. A21-1338 (Aug. 2023) — litigation funding not subject to usury law. https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/supreme-court/2023/a21-1338.html [^26]: Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, *2022 Annual Report* — discipline system operations. https://lprb.mncourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2022-Annual-Report.pdf [^27]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Supreme Court announces vacancies on the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board* — court appointment of Board members. https://mncourts.gov/about-the-courts/newsandannouncements/supreme-court-announces-vacancies-on-the-lawyers-professional-responsibility-board [^28]: Minnesota Historical Society, MNopedia, *Winnipeg Liquor Conspiracy* — Nash indictment, acquittal, removal and Supreme Court affirmance, 1920 (source graded F; attributed). https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/thing/winnipeg-liquor-conspiracy