# Sarah Hennesy *American lawyer and associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court* Sarah E. Hennesy (born 1969 or 1970) is a lawyer and an associate justice of the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]]. She took up that seat on May 13, 2024.[^1][^2] Governor [[Tim Walz]] announced her appointment on April 22, 2024. He named her to the seat left open when Justice G. [[Barry Anderson]] retired.[^2] Before joining the court, she sat as a district court judge in [[Minnesota]]'s Seventh Judicial District from 2012 to 2024. She was that district's chief judge from 2021 to 2024.[^1] Her district court appointment in 2012 came from Governor [[Mark Dayton]].[^3] ## Education Hennesy received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central College in 1991. Drake Law School awarded her a Juris Doctor three years later, in 1994.[^4] ## Career Her first listed position after law school was assistant appellate defender in the State Appellate Defender's Office, a post she held from 1994 to 1996.[^5] She then worked in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia: - associate attorney at Kohn & Einstein in Washington, D.C., 1998–1999; - the Alexandria Public Defender's Office in Alexandria, Virginia, 1999–2003; - associate attorney at Damiani & Damiani, P.C., also in Alexandria, 2003–2005.[^5] Between 2006 and 2012 she was a staff attorney for St. Cloud Area Legal Services in [[St. Cloud, Minnesota]].[^5] The state's [[governor]], Dayton, appointed her to the Seventh Judicial District bench on March 12, 2012. She took the place of Judge Steven P. Ruble, who had retired in 2011.[^3] In December 2023 she was one of three candidates put forward for a vacancy on the [[Minnesota Court of Appeals]]. That seat had opened when Judge [[Jeffrey Bryan]] resigned. President Joe Biden had appointed Bryan to the [[United States District Court for the District of Minnesota]].[^6] ### Appointment to Minnesota Supreme Court In April 2024 Hennesy was among six people named as possible appointees to the Supreme Court.[^7] Walz announced on April 22, 2024 that he had selected her to succeed Anderson, and she took office on May 13, 2024.[^2] In the same round, Walz also announced that Judge [[Theodora Gaïtas]] would fill the vacancy expected on the retirement of Justice [[Margaret Chutich]].[^7] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Sarah E. Hennesy, associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She was formerly chief judge of the Seventh Judicial District.[^1] ### What - She is an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She was previously a district court judge of the Seventh Judicial District from 2012 to 2024.[^1] ### When - Born 1969 or 1970.[^1] - Received a B.A. from Central College in 1991 and a J.D. from Drake Law School in 1994.[^4] - Appointed to the Seventh Judicial District on March 12, 2012.[^3] - Chief judge of the Seventh Judicial District, 2021–2024.[^1] - Named as a Court of Appeals candidate in December 2023.[^6] - Named as one of six Supreme Court candidates in April 2024.[^7] - Appointment announced April 22, 2024; took office May 13, 2024.[^2] ### Where - Seventh Judicial District, Minnesota.[^1] - Earlier positions in Washington, D.C.; Alexandria, Virginia; and St. Cloud, Minnesota.[^5] ### How - Both of her judicial seats came by gubernatorial appointment: - Dayton made the district court appointment in 2012.[^3] - Walz made the Supreme Court appointment in 2024.[^2] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sarah Hennesy* (revision 1380291179, retrieved 2026-10-26), lead section — establishes her birth year (1969 or 1970), her service as associate justice, her Seventh District judgeship from 2012 to 2024, and her chief judgeship from 2021 to 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Hennesy [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sarah Hennesy* (revision 1380291179, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Appointment to Minnesota Supreme Court" — establishes Walz's April 22, 2024 announcement, the Anderson seat, and the May 13, 2024 start date. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Hennesy [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sarah Hennesy* (revision 1380291179, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Career" — establishes Dayton's March 12, 2012 appointment and the succession to Judge Steven P. Ruble, who retired in 2011. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Hennesy [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sarah Hennesy* (revision 1380291179, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Education" — establishes the B.A. from Central College (1991) and the J.D. from Drake Law School (1994). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Hennesy [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sarah Hennesy* (revision 1380291179, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Career" — establishes her positions and their dates from 1994 to 2012. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Hennesy [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sarah Hennesy* (revision 1380291179, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Career" — establishes the December 2023 Court of Appeals candidacy and Judge Jeffrey Bryan's resignation after his federal appointment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Hennesy [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Sarah Hennesy* (revision 1380291179, retrieved 2026-10-26), "Appointment to Minnesota Supreme Court" — establishes the April 2024 list of six candidates and the Gaïtas appointment to the Chutich vacancy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Hennesy