March 17, 2008


Pawlenty Names Eric Magnuson MN Supreme Court Chief


MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – Gov. Tim Pawlenty today announced the Minnesota Supreme Court’s next chief justice, naming Eric J. Magnuson of Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association to the state’s highest court. The governor’s announcement was made at a morning press conference at the state capitol.

“It is a great honor for our firm to see one of our partners join the state Supreme Court to take on such an esteemed role,” says Alan H. Maclin, president of Briggs and Morgan. “We are proud of Eric’s accomplishments. There are more to come. Eric will continue to play a very important role in maintaining the integrity of the Minnesota judiciary.“

Magnuson’s appointment did not come by way of the most traditional path, where chief justices are often appointed after previously serving on the district court bench or at the appellate level. Magnuson’s appellate credentials have instead been evidenced by his skill in handling several hundred appeals over an impressive 30-year legal career.

Magnuson succeeds the Honorable Russell A. Anderson. He will remain a shareholder of Briggs and Morgan until June 1, 2008. As a member of the firm’s litigation section, he practices almost exclusively in state and federal appellate courts, and assists with matters on appeal. He is a writer and editor of the state’s most widely recognized appellate treatises, and speaks regularly on related topics.

He is the founding president of the 8th Circuit Bar Association, a fellow and past president of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and co-reporter to the Minnesota Supreme Court Appellate Rules Committee. He has been a longtime member of the American Bar Association, serving as co-chair of the Appellate Practice Committee of the Section on Litigation and in the same capacity for the Appellate Advocacy Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section. He is also a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, where past leadership roles have included serving as chair of the Court Rules and Judicial Administration Committee, as well as the Court of Appeals Task Force. In addition, Magnuson has served as chair of the governor’s Commission on Judicial Selection since 2003.

Magnuson received a B.A. in history from the University of Minnesota. After graduating cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in 1976, he clerked for Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert J. Sheran, as well as Chief Justice Douglas K. Amdahl who was then with Hennepin County District Court.

Magnuson joins a long history of Briggs and Morgan attorneys who have served the Minnesota judiciary, going back many decades. He is the second shareholder of the firm to be appointed chief justice.

Briggs’ History with the Judiciary

Since the 1920s, Briggs and Morgan’s history has been closely intertwined with the Minnesota judiciary. Most recently, Sam Hanson returned to Briggs from the state’s high court in January 2008 after serving five years as a Minnesota Supreme Court justice. Briggs and Morgan alumni also include:

  • Frank B. Kellogg, justice of the World Court
  • Edward J. Devitt, probate judge, Ramsey County; U.S. district court judge and chief judge, district of Minnesota
  • Leonard J. Keyes, judge, Ramsey County
  • Peter S. Popovich, chief judge, Minnesota Court of Appeals; chief justice, associate justice Minnesota Supreme Court
  • Richard Kyle, U.S. district court judge, district of Minnesota
  • Edward C. Stringer, justice, Minnesota Supreme Court
  • John Van de North, district court judge, Ramsey County
  • Elena Ostby, district court judge, Ramsey County
  • Sam Hanson, justice, Minnesota Supreme Court

Celebrating 125 years, Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association, is a trusted name in business law and litigation services. With offices in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, the firm has more than 170 attorneys committed to providing superior client service and sound legal counsel to clients nationwide. Briggs and Morgan ranks among The NLJ 250 as one of the nation’s largest firms and has received numerous accolades, including recognition by Corporate Counsel and top clients as a “Go-To Law Firm®,” since 2005, in the areas of litigation, corporate transactions, corporate governance, and labor and employment. The firm and its attorneys have also been selected for publication in The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA. Briggs is a founding member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law firms, and serves as the exclusive member firm for Minnesota. For more information, visit www.briggs.com.

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