Thanks to efforts championed by Governor Dayton, the Commission on Judicial Selection, and the legal community, diversity in Minnesota’s judiciary has increased by nearly 100 percent since 2011

National conference being held in Minnesota this week highlights progress made, and challenges remaining, to ensure equal justice for all

ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today proclaimed Thursday, June 14, 2018 as “Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts Day” throughout the State of Minnesota. The Governor’s proclamation recognizes the 30^th Annual National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts, which is being hosted by the Minnesota State Bar Association in our state this week. The theme of this year’s conference is “Equal Justice for All: A Work in Progress,” and it runs from June 13 through June 16, 2018.

“All Americans expect and deserve a justice system that is fair to all, and free of racial and ethnic bias and disparities,” reads Governor Dayton’s proclamation. “The State of Minnesota has improved the diversity of its state judiciary by nearly 100 percent since 2011. Despite these efforts, racial and ethnic biases persist throughout the American legal system, which in turn unfairly disadvantage individuals from communities of color.” 

Since 2011, Governor Mark Dayton has appointed 159 new judges to fill vacancies in Minnesota’s ten judicial districts, the Court of Appeals, and the Minnesota Supreme Court. In making these appointments, Governor Dayton has been mindful of improving diversity on the bench – helping ensure that the state’s judges better-reflect the cultural, racial, and gender diversity of the Minnesotans they serve. Those intentional efforts, shared also by the Affinity Bar Associations and the Commission on Judicial Selection, have greatly improved diversity in Minnesota’s Judicial Branch, increasing diversity on the bench by nearly 100 percent since 2011.

To read Governor Dayton’s proclamation, CLICK HERE. 

Improving Diversity and Inclusion in the Courts: By the Numbers

Below, see how efforts championed by Governor Dayton and the Commission on Judicial Selection have improved diversity and inclusion in the Minnesota Judicial System.

99%      Governor Dayton has increased the racial diversity of Minnesota’s judges by 98.5%

82%      Governor Dayton has appointed 82% of all Hispanic judges in Minnesota (9 of 11 judges)

38%      Governor Dayton has increased the proportion of female judges in Minnesota by 38%

82%      Governor Dayton has increased the proportion of female judges in Greater MN by 82%

157%    Governor Dayton has increased diversity in the 4^th District (Hennepin County) by 157% (the number of non-Caucasian judges has increased from 7 to 18)