Born on Long Island, N.Y., in 1871, Arthur W. Selover came to Lake City, MN as a boy. After receiving his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1894, he joined the editorial staff of West Publishing Company in St. Paul. While there he continued his legal education, earning an LL.M. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1897. During this time he also wrote textbooks on subjects such as negotiable instruments and suretyship.
Selover practiced law in Minneapolis from 1899 until 1926. In 1926 he was appointed judge of the probate court. Four years later, he moved to the Hennepin County District Court, where he served for the next two decades. During that time he was also a Minneapolis alderman, served as president of the city council, and, in 1912 served as acting mayor. Selover was the last dean of Minnesota College of Law, which merged in 1940 with Minneapolis College of Law.