FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 8, 2024
Claire Lancaster
claire.lancaster@state.mn.us
651-219-2975
Commission on Judicial Selection Recommends Fourth Judicial District Candidates to Governor Walz
[ST. PAUL, MN] – The Commission on Judicial Selection announced today that it is recommending four candidates for consideration to fill the vacancy in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District. This vacancy will occur upon the retirement of the Honorable James A. Moore. This seat will be chambered in Minneapolis in Hennepin County.
LeeAnn Bell: LeeAnn Bell is senior litigation counsel for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, where she prosecutes a variety of felonies in the criminal division, including violent crimes, national security matters, drug trafficking, and civil rights violations. She also serves as the district’s training officer, overseeing the office’s training program. Bell was previously an associate attorney at Halleland, Lewis, Nilan and Johnson, where she practiced complex commercial litigation. Her community involvement includes serving as a volunteer for the U.S. District Court’s Open Doors Program.
Emily Froehle: Emily Froehle is an assistant county attorney in the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, where she handles criminal prosecution. She was previously an assistant public defender in Hennepin County and a law clerk for the Honorable Gina M. Brandt and the Honorable Mark S. Wernick in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District. She is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee and the Hennepin County Bar Association Bar Memorial Committee. Her community involvement includes serving as a volunteer at Cornerstone.
Elizabeth Johnston: Elizabeth Johnston is a manager and assistant attorney general at the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General, where she leads a division representing the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. She previously represented state agencies including the Departments of Labor and Industry and Health. Johnston was an assistant county attorney in Hennepin County in the child protection, criminal appeals, and criminal trials divisions. She was also a law clerk to the Honorable John R. Tunheim on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Her community involvement includes volunteering with First Nations Kitchen and her children’s schools and swim team.
Jane Maschka: Jane Maschka is a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, where she leads the firm’s financial litigation team and represents clients in complex matters involving fraud and insolvency. She was previously a law clerk for the Honorable R. Lanier Anderson III on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and an associate attorney at WilmerHale in Washington, D.C. Maschka’s community involvement includes serving on the board of Youthlink, volunteering as a graduation coach for AchieveMSP, and serving as a mock trial judge. Her community involvement has also included providing pro bono representation for the Tubman Safety Project and volunteering with Hennepin County’s Legal Access Point Clinic.
For more information about the judicial selection process, please visit the Governor’s Judicial Appointments webpage.
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