An alumnus of St. Paul College of Law, class of 1904, John A. Burns became the school’s last dean following the death of Sigurd B. Severson. Before assuming its deanship, Burns taught for many years at St. Paul College of Law and was a member of its board of trustees. He was named the first dean of William Mitchell College of Law, which was formed by the 1956 merger of St. Paul College of Law and Minneapolis-Minnesota College of Law. He retired two years later.
Like his predecessors George L. Bunn and Oscar Hallam, Burns was born in Wisconsin. Following his graduation from St. Paul College of Law, he obtained an LL.M. from the University of Minnesota Law School. Burns maintained a busy practice and served as a city attorney for West St. Paul and as an assistant corporate counsel for the City of St. Paul. He also served as president of the Ramsey County Bar Association and the Minnesota State Bar Association.