Losing a legend: Former Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich ’55 dies at age 94

Mitchell Hamline mourns the loss of the trailblazer and inspirational leader, former Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich ’55, who passed away on July 26 at the age of 94. Tomljanovich—or “Justice T” as she was lovingly known by the Mitchell Hamline community—spent her life serving in the law, advancing the cause of women’s rights, and inspiring others with true dedication and care.

“Justice Esther Tomljanovich was truly one of a kind. She didn’t just break barriers—she held the door open for others. She believed deeply in creating opportunities for those who came behind her, and her impact will continue to be felt for generations,” said President and Dean Camille Davidson.

“When I first arrived at Mitchell Hamline, I had the privilege of spending time with Esther and her husband, Bill,” Dean Davidson continued. “I will always remember their warmth, kindness, and unwavering commitment to this law school and its students. We are profoundly grateful for Justice T’s life, her leadership, and the legacy she leaves behind.”

Esther Jeanne Moellering was born in Iowa and raised in Minnesota’s Iron Range. At age 19, she moved to St. Paul and rented a room at the YWCA so she could attend law school, which was then St. Paul College of Law. She was the only woman in her class, and among its top three graduates.

After law school, she married her law school classmate, the late William “Bill” Tomljanovich ’55, in 1957. She became assistant revisor of statutes, a position she served in until their son Bill was born in 1966. While raising their son, she remained active in the legal field by drafting bills for lobbyists and working part time for West Publishing and Minnesota Continuing Legal Education.

When she returned to the field full time, she worked with the Minnesota County Attorney’s Association, where she helped write the first set of Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure. Later, she was appointed as the first woman revisor of statutes, the second woman district court judge in the state, and the third woman appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court, where she served as an associate justice from 1990 to 1998.

Justice T was an advocate of women’s rights and a trailblazer for women throughout her life. She was one of the founding mothers of Minnesota Women Lawyers, a group that supports and mentors other women within the legal field.

She also helped form the Committee on the Status of Women, whose work continued as a national Council on the Status of Women, that respectively passed a bill for “equal pay for equal work” for women and was significant in making women a protected class under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

Justice T left a profound impact on many individual women she mentored, supported, and inspired. One of those women was Judge Richelle Wahi ’03, who serves as a district court judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District and was previously one of Justice T’s law clerks.

“Justice Tomljanovich changed the course of my life with a simple invitation to coffee in 1999, when I was a first-year law student and a first-generation American who knew no one in the legal profession,” said Judge Wahi.

“Over the next 27 years, she became far more than a mentor—she became a cherished friend, trusted confidant, and the person whose faith in me made it possible for me to believe in myself. I stood on her shoulders as she generously shared her wisdom, opened doors I never knew existed, and paved the path that led me to serve as a district court judge.”

Beyond her impact on the legal community, Justice T was an invaluable servant dedicated to advancing the mission of Mitchell Hamline. She served on the Board of Trustees from 1994 and 2003 and made generous philanthropic contributions to support student scholarships and academic programs. She and her late husband even established a scholarship fund in her name, the Justice Esther Tomljanovich ’55 Scholarship.

Justice T was also named as one of the “100 Who Made a Difference” publication produced in 2000 in honor of 100 years of the law school, and she received the Honorable Warren E. Burger Distinguished Alumni Award in 2002.

Another of the most enduring parts of her legacy at Mitchell Hamline is the annual spring event that she established more than 25 years ago: the Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich Celebration of Women in Law Tea, which honors the struggles and accomplishments of women in the legal profession. At the event, alumni and students gather to network with old and new friends—all while wearing fancy hats and sipping tea, inspired by Justice T’s experience with the Phi Delta Delta Legal Fraternity while she was a young lawyer.

Senior Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks ’85, who served as part of the Tea’s planning committee in 2026, said this of her colleague and dear friend: “Esther Tomljanovich was a pillar in the legal community and a great inspiration to me and countless others. She had many exceptional qualities, but one that I most admired was her ability to view complex legal issues through a lens that combined a keen intellect with fundamental common sense. Regardless of the professional heights Justice Tomljanovich reached, she remained her unpretentious, authentic, wonderful self—always. She will be sorely missed.”

Justice T will be lovingly remembered by her son, Bill, and grandsons, Tony and Justin, as well as an expansive network of those who were mentored, inspired, and impacted by her life and legacy.

“Though small in stature, she was a giant in the law,” said Judge Wahi. “What I will remember most is her unwavering devotion to public service—a devotion she reaffirmed in our final conversation about difficult cases, the day before she died, when she reminded me that our highest calling is service to others—a charge I will forever carry with me.”

According to her obituary in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, a Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 am on Aug. 11 at Church of the Assumption in downtown St. Paul. A visitation will be held 6-8 pm on Aug. 10 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Stillwater.