# Paul Thissen *American politician and jurist; associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court* Paul Thissen, born on December 10, 1966, is a lawyer and former legislator who sits as an associate justice of the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]].[^1] Before joining the court, he was Speaker of the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] and, at another point, the House DFL Minority Leader.[^1] As a member of the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] (DFL), he held the House seat for District 61B in south [[Minneapolis]].[^1] He won his first House election in 2002. Voters returned him to the seat at each biennial election through 2016.[^1] Wikipedia's account describes him as having led the House Democrats longer than anyone since Martin Olav Sabo in the 1970s.[^1] Governor [[Mark Dayton]] named Thissen to the Supreme Court in 2018.[^1] Wikipedia's account states that no one before him had held both the office of Minnesota House Speaker and a seat on the state's Supreme Court.[^1] ## Family and education Thissen's birthplace is Bloomington, [[Minnesota]].[^2] Both of his parents, Frank and Barb Thissen, spent their careers in education.[^2] Frank held teaching, counseling and administrative posts with the [[Saint Paul Public Schools]]. Barb taught special education for Richfield Public Schools.[^2] Thissen is a graduate of the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota.[^2] He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University in 1989, graduating with high honors.[^2] In 1992 he received a J.D. from the [[University of Chicago Law School]].[^2] He and his wife, Karen Wilson Thissen, have three children.[^2] ## Career After law school, Thissen served as a law clerk to Judge James B. Loken of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.[^3] He then joined Briggs & Morgan, a Minneapolis firm, practicing general litigation and appellate law and chairing its Pro Bono Committee.[^3] According to Wikipedia's account, the firm's hours of free legal work for low-income clients and nonprofits more than doubled while he held that role.[^3] He also worked in the Minnesota State Public Defender's Office.[^3] He founded Access for Persons with Disabilities, an organization of lawyers offering legal services to people with disabilities.[^3] Thissen subsequently practiced health care law with Ballard Spahr in its Minneapolis office.[^3] Business and trade publications listed him in several rankings: the *Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal*'s "Forty Under 40" in 2006, *Mpls.St.Paul Magazine*'s "Best Brains" in 2008, and, in 2008 and 2012, *Physician Magazine*'s 100 Influential Minnesotans in Health Care.[^3] *Minnesota Monthly Magazine* ranked him sixth among the most powerful people in Minnesota in 2013.[^3] He sat on the board of the Minnesota Justice Foundation, among other local nonprofit boards.[^3] ### Minnesota House of Representatives The 2002 House race was Thissen's first campaign for any public office.[^3] Wikipedia's account credits him with a role, during his first two terms, in passing changes to Minnesota's eminent domain laws.[^3] The cached text of that section is truncated, and the pack carries no legislative record of the bills, votes or session laws involved.[^3] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Paul Thissen, DFL member of the Minnesota House for District 61B, later Speaker and, at another point, DFL Minority Leader.[^1] - Mark Dayton, Governor, who appointed Thissen to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018.[^1] ### What - Associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.[^1] ### When - Born December 10, 1966.[^1] - First elected to the Minnesota House in 2002; reelected every two years through 2016.[^1] - Appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018.[^1] ### Where - Born in Bloomington, Minnesota;[^2] represented District 61B in south Minneapolis.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Paul Thissen* (revision 1377973321, retrieved 2026-10-26) — lead section: birth date, offices held, party, district, election years, leadership tenure and 2018 appointment by Governor Dayton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Thissen [^2]: Wikipedia, *Paul Thissen*, "Family and education" section (revision 1377973321, retrieved 2026-10-26) — birthplace, parents' careers, schooling, degrees, marriage and children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Thissen [^3]: Wikipedia, *Paul Thissen*, "Career" section and "Minnesota House of Representatives" subsection (revision 1377973321, retrieved 2026-10-26) — clerkship, law-firm and public defender work, listings and boards, first election and early House service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Thissen