# Reynaldo Aligada *American lawyer and associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court* Reynaldo Aligada (born July 8, 1976) is a lawyer and an associate justice of the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]].[^1] Before joining that court, he was a trial judge of the Second Judicial District, the Ramsey County bench, from 2019 until 2026.[^1] Governor [[Tim Walz]] placed Aligada in both judicial offices. Walz appointed him to the district court in 2019, selected him for the Supreme Court in May 2026, and Aligada took his seat there in October 2026.[^2] This record contains no appointment order, commission or oath for either office. The dates rest on a single secondary source and are not established here by a primary document.[^2] ## Education and Career Aligada received a B.A. from Saint John's University in 1998. In 2002 he earned a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law, the school now called [[Mitchell Hamline School of Law]].[^3] After graduating, he clerked for two judges: [[Michael J. Davis]] of the [[United States District Court for the District of Minnesota]], and [[Wilhelmina Wright]] of the [[Minnesota Court of Appeals]].[^4] He also spent time in private practice as an associate at the firm Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. He served as First Assistant Federal Defender in the Office of the Federal Defender.[^4] In the Federal Defender's office, Aligada worked on the [[Danny Heinrich]] case. The plea agreement he negotiated in that case resulted in the recovery of the victim's remains.[^5] This record does not include the case's docket number, the court that took the plea, or the plea's date.[^5] Walz named Aligada to the Ramsey County District Court, in the Second Judicial District, in 2019.[^2] In May 2026, Walz chose him as an associate justice of the Supreme Court to succeed [[Theodora Gaïtas]]. Aligada assumed that office in October 2026.[^2] ## Personal life Aligada was born in Bismarck and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota.[^6] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Reynaldo Aligada* (revision 1378962646, retrieved 2026-10-26), lead section — gives his birth date, his current office as associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, and his service as a Second Judicial District (Ramsey County) judge from 2019 to 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynaldo_Aligada [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Reynaldo Aligada* (revision 1378962646, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Education and Career" section — states the 2019 district court appointment by Governor Walz, the May 2026 Supreme Court selection, the succession to Theodora Gaïtas, and the October 2026 start. No primary appointment document is in the record. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynaldo_Aligada [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Reynaldo Aligada* (revision 1378962646, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Education and Career" section — gives his 1998 B.A. from Saint John's University and his 2002 J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynaldo_Aligada [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Reynaldo Aligada* (revision 1378962646, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Education and Career" section — lists his clerkships with Judges Michael J. Davis and Wilhelmina Wright, his associate post at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, and his position as First Assistant Federal Defender. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynaldo_Aligada [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Reynaldo Aligada* (revision 1378962646, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Education and Career" section — describes his work on the Danny Heinrich case and the plea agreement that led to the recovery of the victim's remains. It gives no docket number or date. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynaldo_Aligada [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Reynaldo Aligada* (revision 1378962646, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Personal life" section — states his birthplace (Bismarck) and the town where he grew up (Jamestown, North Dakota). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynaldo_Aligada