# United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (in case citations, D. Minn.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Minnesota. Its two primary courthouses are in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Cases are also heard in the federal courthouses in Duluth and Fergus Falls.
Appeals from the District of Minnesota are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

## United States Attorney

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. One notable former U.S. attorney for the District was Cushman K. Davis, who later became governor of the state and was elected to the United States Senate.
As of January 16, 2025, the acting United States attorney is Lisa Kirkpatrick.

## Current judges

As of September 16, 2024:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Term of service | Term of service | Appointed by |
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Active | Chief | Senior | Appointed by |
| 33 | Chief Judge | Patrick J. Schiltz | Minneapolis | 1960 | 2006–present | 2022–present | — | G.W. Bush |
| 36 | District Judge | Eric C. Tostrud | Saint Paul | 1965 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 37 | District Judge | Nancy E. Brasel | Minneapolis | 1969 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 38 | District Judge | Katherine M. Menendez | Minneapolis | 1971 | 2021–present | — | — | Biden |
| 39 | District Judge | Jerry W. Blackwell | Saint Paul | 1962 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 40 | District Judge | Jeffrey Bryan | Saint Paul | 1976 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 41 | District Judge | Laura Provinzino | Saint Paul | 1975 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 20 | Senior Judge | Donald Alsop | Saint Paul | 1927 | 1974–1992 | 1985–1992 | 1992–present | Ford |
| 24 | Senior Judge | Paul A. Magnuson | Saint Paul | 1937 | 1981–2002 | 1994–2001 | 2002–present | Reagan |
| 26 | Senior Judge | David S. Doty | Minneapolis | 1929 | 1987–1998 | — | 1998–present | Reagan |
| 28 | Senior Judge | Michael J. Davis | Minneapolis | 1947 | 1994–2015 | 2008–2015 | 2015–present | Clinton |
| 29 | Senior Judge | John R. Tunheim | Minneapolis | 1953 | 1995–2023 | 2015–2022 | 2023–present | Clinton |
| 30 | Senior Judge | Ann D. Montgomery | Minneapolis | 1949 | 1996–2016 | — | 2016–present | Clinton |
| 31 | Senior Judge | Donovan W. Frank | Saint Paul | 1951 | 1998–2016 | — | 2016–present | Clinton |
| 32 | Senior Judge | Joan N. Ericksen | Minneapolis | 1954 | 2002–2019 | — | 2019–present | G.W. Bush |
| 34 | Senior Judge | Susan Richard Nelson | Saint Paul | 1952 | 2010–2021 | — | 2021–present | Obama |
| 35 | Senior Judge | Wilhelmina Wright | Saint Paul | 1964 | 2016–2024 | — | 2024–present | Obama |
* ↑ Judge Alsop was nominated by President Nixon but was officially appointed to the Court by (i.e., received his commission from) President Ford.

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | Rensselaer Nelson | MN | 1826–1904 | 1858–1896 | — | — | Buchanan | retirement |
| 2 | William Lochren | MN | 1832–1912 | 1896–1908 | — | — | Cleveland | retirement |
| 3 | Page Morris | MN | 1853–1924 | 1903–1923 | — | 1923–1924 | T. Roosevelt | death |
| 4 | Milton D. Purdy | MN | 1866–1937 | 1908–1909 1909 | — | — | T. Roosevelt Taft | not confirmed resignation |
| 5 | Charles Andrew Willard | MN | 1857–1914 | 1909–1914 | — | — | Taft | death |
| 6 | Wilbur F. Booth | MN | 1861–1944 | 1914–1925 | — | — | Wilson | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 7 | John F. McGee | MN | 1861–1925 | 1923–1925 | — | — | Harding | death |
| 8 | William Alexander Cant | MN | 1863–1933 | 1923–1933 | — | — | Harding Coolidge | death |
| 9 | Joseph W. Molyneaux | MN | 1859–1940 | 1925–1937 | — | 1937–1940 | Coolidge | death |
| 10 | John B. Sanborn Jr. | MN | 1883–1964 | 1925–1932 | — | — | Coolidge | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 11 | Gunnar Nordbye | MN | 1888–1977 | 1931–1967 | 1948–1959 | 1967–1977 | Hoover | death |
| 12 | Matthew M. Joyce | MN | 1877–1956 | 1932–1954 | — | 1954–1956 | Hoover | death |
| 13 | Robert Cook Bell | MN | 1880–1964 | 1933–1961 | — | 1961–1964 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 14 | George F. Sullivan | MN | 1886–1944 | 1937–1944 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 15 | Dennis F. Donovan | MN | 1889–1974 | 1945–1965 | — | 1965–1974 | Truman | death |
| 16 | Edward Devitt | MN | 1911–1992 | 1954–1981 | 1959–1981 | 1981–1992 | Eisenhower | death |
| 17 | Earl R. Larson | MN | 1911–2001 | 1961–1977 | — | 1977–2001 | Kennedy | death |
| 18 | Miles Lord | MN | 1919–2016 | 1966–1985 | 1981–1985 | 1985 | L. Johnson | retirement |
| 19 | Philip Neville | MN | 1909–1974 | 1967–1974 | — | — | L. Johnson | death |
| 21 | Harry H. MacLaughlin | MN | 1927–2005 | 1977–1992 | 1992 | 1992–2005 | Carter | death |
| 22 | Diana E. Murphy | MN | 1934–2018 | 1980–1994 | 1992–1994 | — | Carter | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 23 | Robert G. Renner | MN | 1923–2005 | 1980–1992 | — | 1992–2005 | Carter | death |
| 25 | James M. Rosenbaum | MN | 1944–present | 1985–2009 | 2001–2008 | 2009–2010 | Reagan | retirement |
| 27 | Richard H. Kyle | MN | 1937–2021 | 1992–2005 | — | 2005–2021 | G.H.W. Bush | death |
* ↑ Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment.
* ↑ Received a second recess appointment but resigned prior to consideration.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 15, 1923, confirmed by the Senate on January 15, 1924, and received commission the same day.
* ↑ Judge Cant was given a recess appointment by President Harding.
* ↑ Judge Cant was nominated by President Harding but was appointed to the Court by (i.e., received his commission from) President Coolidge.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 16, 1931, confirmed by the Senate on February 3, 1932, and received commission on February 10, 1932.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 10, 1955, confirmed by the Senate on February 4, 1955, and received commission on February 7, 1955.

## Chief judges

Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

## Succession of seats

Seat 1 :
| Seat established on May 11, 1858 by 11 Stat. 285 ||||
| R. Nelson | 1858–1896 |
| Lochren | 1896–1908 |
| Purdy | 1908–1909 |
| Purdy | 1909 |
| Willard | 1909–1914 |
| Booth | 1914–1925 |
| Sanborn, Jr. | 1925–1932 |
| Joyce | 1932–1954 |
| Devitt | 1955–1981 |
| Magnuson | 1981–2002 |
| Ericksen | 2002–2019 |
| Menendez | 2021–present |
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on February 4, 1903 by 32 Stat. 795 ||||
| Morris | 1903–1923 |
| Cant | 1924–1933 |
| Bell | 1933–1961 |
| Larson | 1961–1977 |
| MacLaughlin | 1977–1992 |
| Davis | 1994–2015 |
| Wright | 2016–2024 |
| Provinzino | 2024–present |
Seat 3 :
| Seat established on September 14, 1922 by 42 Stat. 837 (temporary) ||
| McGee | 1923–1925 |
| Seat abolished on February 15, 1925 (temporary judgeship expired) ||
Seat 4 :
| Seat established on March 2, 1925 by 43 Stat. 1098 (temporary) ||||
| Seat made permanent on August 19, 1935 by 49 Stat. 659 ||||
| Molyneaux | 1925–1937 |
| Sullivan | 1937–1944 |
| Donovan | 1945–1965 |
| Lord | 1966–1985 |
| Doty | 1987–1998 |
| Frank | 1998–2016 |
| Tostrud | 2018–present |
Seat 5 :
| Seat established on May 28, 1930 by 46 Stat. 431 ||||
| Nordbye | 1932–1967 |
| Neville | 1967–1974 |
| Alsop | 1974–1992 |
| Tunheim | 1995–2023 |
| Bryan | 2023–present |
Seat 6 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| Renner | 1980–1992 |
| Kyle | 1992–2005 |
| Schiltz | 2006–present |
Seat 7 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 (temporary) ||||
| Seat made permanent on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 ||||
| Murphy | 1980–1994 |
| Montgomery | 1996–2016 |
| Brasel | 2018–present |
Seat 8 :
| Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 ||||
| Rosenbaum | 1985–2009 |
| S. Nelson | 2010–2021 |
| Blackwell | 2022–present |