Lorie Gildea
From Judgepedia
Lorie Skjerven Gildea is an Associate Justice (Seat #4) on the Minnesota Supreme Court, a position to which she was appointed on January 11, 2006 by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
In the 2008 Minnesota Supreme Court elections, Gildea faces three challengers, Deborah Hedlund, Jill Clark and F. Richard Gallo in a non-partisan election for a six-year term on the bench. A four-way primary vote to narrow the field to two contenders for the November 4 general election takes place on September 9.[1],.[1],[1],[1]
Gildea grew up in Plummer, Minnesota. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. in 1986 and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, Morris in 1983. While in law school, Justice Gildea achieved high academic honors, including election to the Order of the Coif. She also served as an editor of the American Criminal Law Review.
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Legal career
Justice Gildea was associate general counsel for the University of Minnesota from 1993 to 2004, and an associate attorney with the law firm of Arent Fox in Washington, D.C. from 1986 to 1993. She was appointed to a Fourth Judicial District judgeship by Governor Pawlenty in September 2005 and as Associate Justice in January 2006. She had previously served, since 2004, as an Assistant Hennepin County Attorney.[1]
2008 campaign
Endorsements
In her 2008 campaign, Gildea has been endorsed by three former chief justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court: three former chief justices, Russell A. Anderson, Sandy Keith and Kathleen Blatz.[1]
Lawsuit to remove Gildea from ballot
One of Gildea's opponents, Jill Clark, filed a 41-page petition in early August seeking to have Gildea's name removed from the September 9 primary ballot.
Clark's position is that the judicial appointment process currently operative in Minnesota is unconstitutional because it undermines the election process. She is trying to prevent the word "incumbent" from appearing next to Gildea's name.
Gildea was appointed to her current seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2006 by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, which is why she is an incumbent--she has not previously won election to the seat she holds.[1]
The petition to remove Gildea from the ballot must be considered by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Since the court is composed of Gildea's colleagues, who have therefore recused themselves, chief justice Eric Magnuson has appointed a special board of five retired justices to adjudicate the case. Three of the five retired justices sitting on the special 5-member board have previously endorsed Gildea's re-election campaign: Sam Hanson, Edward Stringer and Esther Tomljanovich.[1]
External links
- Minnesota Supreme Court associate justice Lorie Gildea biography
- Lorie Gildea for Justice, campaign website.
