School of Law, Citizens League to host Feb. 23 conference on how judges are selected

School of Law, Citizens League to host Feb. 23 conference on how judges are selected

How recent court decisions might change the way Minnesota state court judges are selected is the topic of an upcoming conference co-sponsored by the University of St. Thomas School of Law and the Citizens League.

The conference, “Judicial Selection After Republican Party v. White,” will be held from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in the School of Law’s Schulze Grand Atrium on the university’s downtown Minneapolis campus.

Following two court decisions in Republican Party v. White – the first by the U.S. Supreme Court and the second by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit – Minnesota’s process for selecting its state court judges might have been transformed.

The Feb. 23 conference will examine a number of questions: How will the White decisions change the manner in which we select judges? Will the changes improve or diminish the quality of our state judiciary? If the changes are not for the good, what options might Minnesota consider to ensure a fair, impartial and excellent state judiciary.

The conference will begin with opening remarks by Minnesota Supreme Court Judge Alan Page, who will comment on judicial independence and selection. Two panels of lawyers and academics will address issues raised by the White decisions.

More information about how to register for conference, CLE credits, and the panelists is available on the St. Thomas School of Law Web site at: https://www.stthomas.edu/law/newsandheadlines.asp#news5.