The Commission on Judicial Selection announced today it is recommending three candidates to Governor Mark Dayton for consideration to fill the current vacancy in Minnesota's Second Judicial District. This vacancy was created upon the retirement of the Honorable Gail Chang Bohr. Judge Bohr's seat will be chambered at St. Paul in Ramsey County.

Thomas Gilligan: Mr. Gilligan is a shareholder and trial lawyer with the law firm of Murnane Brandt, where he has practiced for 24 years in civil litigation, focusing on personal injury, toxic tort, and employment discrimination matters. He is a former adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas Law School, and currently Mr. Gilligan volunteers as a guardian ad litem with the Ramsey County Guardian Ad Litem Program and as a volunteer attorney for the Tubman Safety Project. He is also a board member of the St. Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club and the Sanneh Foundation.

Nicole Starr: Ms. Starr is an Assistant Public Defender in the Second Judicial District Public Defender's Office, where she practices in the adult felony unit. She is also an associate attorney at The Law Office of John C. Conard, and previously served as a judicial law clerk to The Honorable Katherian D. Roe in Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District and The Honorable Justice Zakeria Mohammed Yacoob in the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Ms. Starr is an organizer for the Ramsey County Tour for Law Students of Color and a volunteer with the Minnesota Fringe Festival.

Jessica McConaughey: Ms. McConaughey is a supervising attorney in the Criminal Division of the St. Paul City Attorney's Office, where she supervises the prosecution of gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and petty misdemeanor offenses. Ms. McConaughey also serves as the lead prosecutor for the Ramsey County DWI Court Program, and is an adjunct professor at the William Mitchell College of Law. Ms. McConaughey is a board member for Project Remand, Inc., a member of the Minnesota Criminal Justice DWI Task Force, and is actively involved in the Ramsey County Veterans Justice Initiative.

Minnesota's Second Judicial District consists of Ramsey County.

An announcement of the appointments will be made following an interview process over the next few weeks.