List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Minnesota
This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Minnesota. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are men who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
Firsts in state history
[edit]
Law Degree
[edit]- First Somali American male:[1] Hassan Ali Mohamud in 2002
Lawyers
[edit]- Jacob Jackson Noah (1851):[2] First Jewish American male lawyer in Minnesota
- Fredrick McGhee (1889):[3] First African American male lawyer in Minnesota
State judges
[edit]- Charles Bechhoefer:[4] First Jewish American male judge in Minnesota (1923)
- L. Howard Bennett:[5] First African American male judge in Minnesota (1957)
- Stephen L. Maxwell (1953):[6] First African American male to serve as a district court judge in Minnesota (1968)
- Alberto Miera, Jr.:[7][8] First Hispanic American male judge in Minnesota (1983)
- Alan Page (1978):[9] First African American male to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court (1993)
- Tony N. Leung:[10][11][12] First Asian American male judge in Minnesota (1994)
- Robert A. Blaeser (1979):[13][14] First Native American (Anishinaabe from the White Earth Band of Ojibwe) male judge in Minnesota (1995)[15]
- Edward Toussaint:[16] First African American male to serve on the Minnesota Court of Appeals (1995)
- David Stras:[17] First Jewish American male to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court (2010)
- Peter Reyes Jr. (1997):[9] First Hispanic American male to serve on the Minnesota Court of Appeals (2014)
- David Stras:[17] First Jewish American male to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court (2010)
- Leonardo Castro:[18] First Hispanic American male to serve as a chief judge in a judicial district in Minnesota (2020)
- Karl Procaccini:[19] First Muslim American male to serve as a Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court (2023)
Federal judges
[edit]- Michael J. Davis (1972):[20] First African American male appointed as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (1994) and its Chief Judge (2008)
- Leo Brisbois:[21] First Native American male to serve as a U.S. Magistrate judge in Minnesota (2010)
- Tony N. Leung:[10][11][12] First Asian American male to become a federal court judge in Minnesota (2011)
- Jeffrey Bryan:[22] First Latino American male federal judge in Minnesota (2023)
Attorney General
[edit]- Keith Ellison (1990):[23][24] First African American (and first Muslim) to become Attorney General of Minnesota (2018)
United States Attorney
[edit]- B. Todd Jones:[25] First African American male to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota (2009)
Assistant United States Attorney
[edit]- Donald M. Lewis:[26] First African American male to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota (1982-1988)
County Attorney
[edit]- John C. Choi (1995):[27][28][29] First Korean American male to serve as a County Attorney in Minnesota (2011)
Public Defender
[edit]- Daniel Lew:[30] First Asian American male to serve as a Chief Public Defender in Minnesota (2014)
Political Office
[edit]- Keith Ellison (1990):[23][24] First African American male (and first Muslim) elected to the U.S. Congress from Minnesota (2006)
Bar Association
[edit]- Jarvis Jones:[31] First African American to serve as the President of the Minnesota State Bar Association (c. 2001)[32]
- Leo Brisbois:[33] First male of American Indian descent to serve as the President of the Minnesota State Bar Association (2009)
- Phil Duran:[34] First openly LGBT male to serve as the President of the Minnesota State Bar Association (2013)
Firsts in local history
[edit]- John Francis Wheaton:[35] First African American male to graduate from the University of Minnesota Law School (1897) [Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, Minnesota]
- William R. Morris (c. 1889):[36] First African American male lawyer in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Hennepin County, Minnesota]
- Esteban Rivera:[37] First Latino American male to serve as the President of the Hennepin County Bar Association
- Leonardo Castro:[18] First Hispanic American male to serve as a Chief Judge of the Second Judicial District (2020) [Ramsey County, Minnesota]
- Shawn L. Pearson:[38] First African American male judge in the Sixth Judicial District in Duluth, Minnesota (St. Louis County, Minnesota; 2021)
See also
[edit]Other topics of interest
[edit]- List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
- List of first women lawyers and judges in Minnesota
References
[edit]- ^ "Notable Alumni – About Mitchell Hamline School of Law". mitchellhamline.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
- ^ Rosenblum, Gene H. (2001). Jewish Pioneers of Saint Paul, 1849-1874. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-1862-6.
- ^ Smith, Jr., J. Clay (1999-01-01). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812216857.
- ^ Landman, Isaac; Cohen, Simon (1943). The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia ...: An Authoritative and Popular Presentation of Jews and Judaism Since the Earliest Times. Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Incorporated.
- ^ "Wisconsin Students Get Election Break". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. October 6, 1970. p. 20. Retrieved 2018-01-11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Judge Stephen L. Maxwell (1921 -2009)". ramseylawlibrary.org. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Report to the Legislature" (PDF). Spanish Speaking Affairs Council. March 1, 1984.
- ^ Meryhew, Richard (9 November 1986). "Accused judge built reputation of compassion". Minneapolis Star and Tribune. p. 4B. ProQuest 417759161.
- ^ a b "Dayton's appointments increase diversity among Minnesota judges". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- ^ a b "Exhibit, Film Explore the "Asian Pacific Legal Experience in America" | Asian American Press". aapress.com. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
- ^ a b Ahern, Will. "Guest lecture: Judge Tony Leung on civics | China Insight". chinainsight.info. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
- ^ a b "Leung named to federal bench". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
- ^ "Minnesota's first Native American judge on the Supreme Court". Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ "Trailblazing judge retires after 17 years". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ Upon Blaeser's appointment as a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District-Hennepin County in 1995
- ^ "Learn at the library: Black History Month | Minitex". minitex.umn.edu. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
- ^ a b "Is Stras the first Jewish Minnesota high court justice? - MinnLawyer Blog". 2013-12-07. Archived from the original on 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- ^ a b "Ramsey County appoints first Hispanic judicial district chief judge in Minnesota". Twin Cities. 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
- ^ Tribune, Rochelle Olson Star. "Justice Natalie Hudson will be first Black chief of Minnesota Supreme Court". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ Hoppe, Lousene M. "Judicial Profile: Hon. Michael J. Davis - Chief U.S. District Judge, District of Minnesota" (PDF).
- ^ "Aurora native becomes state's first American Indian magistrate judge". Duluth News Tribune. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ "Klobuchar, Smith Statements on Bipartisan Confirmation of Jeffrey Bryan to be U.S. District Court Judge". U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ^ a b "First Muslim elected to Congress". msnbc.com. 2006-11-08. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
- ^ a b Boorstein, Michelle (2012-10-04). "Conversations: Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, discusses the current crisis in Libya and Muslims in America". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-01-31.
- ^ "Legal Diversity: 30 Years In The Trenches". digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
- ^ "Donald Lewis Named One of the Most Influential Black Attorneys in the Country". Nilan Johnson Lewis PA. 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
- ^ "Hamline Alumnus John Choi is First Korean-American County Attorney in the US". www.hamline.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
- ^ "Choi is 1st Korean-American county attorney in US". Twin Cities. 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
- ^ "Choi Is 1st Korean-American County Attorney In US". AM 1240 WJON. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
- ^ Olsen, Tom (March 13, 2014). "Daniel Lew named chief public defender". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
- ^ The Barrister. The Association. 2001.
- ^ "Presidents of the MSBA".
- ^ Stoghill, M (2017-11-13). "Iron Range native is first American Indian to lead state Bar..." www.duluthnewstribune.com. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
- ^ Press, Doug Belden | Pioneer (2013-06-27). "Minnesota State Bar Association names first openly gay president". Twin Cities. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
- ^ "History | University of Minnesota Law School". law.umn.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ "Morris, William R. · Notable Kentucky African Americans Database". nkaa.uky.edu. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
- ^ "MHBA Orgullo: Speaking with Luz María Frías". Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ "Duluth courthouse sees first Black judge sworn in". Duluth News Tribune. 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2022-01-24.