Gov. Walz Appoints First Black Chief Of Minnesota Supreme Court

ST. PAUL, MN — Gov. Tim Walz on Wednesday morning announced the appointment of Justice Natalie Hudson to serve as chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She will be the first person of color to lead the state's high court.

Hudson is currently an associate justice on the state Supreme Court. She will fill the upcoming vacancy that will be left when Chief Justice Lorie Gildea retires in October.

Walz on Wednesday also announced the appointment of Karl Procaccini to serve as associate justice, filling the vacancy left by Hudson's elevation to chief justice.

"Justice Hudson is one of our state’s most experienced jurists. She has a strong reputation as a leader and consensus builder," Walz said in a statement.

"I am greatly honored to be selected as the next chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, and I thank Governor Walz and his team for their consideration," Hudson said.

"This is a tremendous responsibility that I approach with humility and resolve, seeking to continue the work of my predecessors in administering one of the best state court systems in the nation, and always seeking to deliver the most accessible, highest-quality court services for the citizens of Minnesota."

Hudson graduated from Arizona State University in 1979, and the University of Minnesota Law School in 1982.

Her work in the private sector includes:

• Staff attorney with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc., from 1982 to 1986
• An associate attorney in employment law and general civil litigation at the law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi from 1986 to 1988
• Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Hamline University School of Law from 1989 to 1992

Her work in government includes:

Working as the St. Paul City Attorney from 1992 to 1994.

Office of the Minnesota Attorney General from 1994 until 2002, when Gov. Jesse Ventura appointed her to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Gov. Mark Dayton appointed her to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2015. She was elected and reelected to the position in 2016 and 2022.

Karl Procaccini