Judge-designate Jon Schmidt ’03 of the Minnesota Court of Appeals
Jon Schmidt ’03, a principal attorney at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and a former shareholder at Briggs and Morgan, was appointed Monday to the Minnesota Court of Appeals by Governor Tim Walz.
Walz, in a statement, said Schmidt’s “nearly two decades of appellate practice has made him a respected expert in the field across the state. He is well prepared to be on the bench, and he brings empathy and compassion to his work.”
As a student at William Mitchell College of Law, Schmidt served as editor in chief of the law review. He also externed for U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank ’77, who is currently a member of Mitchell Hamline’s board of trustees.
Professor Mike Steenson, who has been faculty advisor for the law review during its entire 50-year existence, called Schmidt’s appointment “wonderful.”
“Jon was an outstanding law student and an outstanding editor in chief of our law review,” said Steenson. “And he has distinguished himself in practice.”
Since graduating, Schmidt has remained close to Mitchell Hamline. He’s been an adjunct/affiliated professor for several years, teaching advocacy courses. And in 2009, Schmidt assisted former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Sam Hanson ’65 in the writing of an article for the William Mitchell Law Review titled “The Minnesota Court of Appeals: Arguing to, and Limitations of, an Error-correcting Court.”
Schmidt was head of Hennepin County’s appellate unit in the special litigation when he was named a 2019 Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer. He’s familiar with the court he’s joining, having argued eight times before the Court of Appeals that year – and seven times before the Minnesota Supreme Court.
“I love the appellate work,” Schmidt told Minnesota Lawyer. “I love the storytelling aspect, digging into the law and figuring out what the law should be. It’s a fascinating job.”
“Jon Schmidt, simply put, is a class act,” said Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Anne McKeig ’92, in the same statement from the governor’s office. “Not only is he a remarkable attorney, but he also cares deeply about the integrity and future of the profession and spends countless hours mentoring young attorneys and students so that they can be successful members of our legal community.”
Schmidt is married to Judge Sara Grewing ’03, who recently ended her service as a member of the Mitchell Hamline board of trustees.
Schmidt was one of two people named to the court on Monday. The other is Hennepin County Judge Keala Ede, who will be the first Asian Pacific Islander on the Court of Appeals. Ede isn’t a Mitchell Hamline alum, but he has volunteered at the school’s annual McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court competition.
Schmidt and Ede will replace Judges Denise Reilly ’83 and Lucinda Jesson, who also have deep connections to Mitchell Hamline. You can read more about them here.