Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea

Lorie Skjerven Gildea is Minnesota’s 22nd Chief Justice, appointed by Governor Pawlenty in 2010. Prior to becoming Chief Justice, she served as an associate justice since 2006. Before her appointment to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Gildea served as a district court judge in Hennepin County and as a prosecutor in the County Attorney’s Office. She also served as Associate General Counsel at the University of Minnesota following private practice in Washington, D.C. As Chief Justice, she chairs the Judicial Council and is a member of the Capitol Area Security Committee, the Capitol Preservation Commission, and the Board of Pardons. She is a current member of the Conference of Chief Justices and a current and past member of its Board of Directors (2013-2015 & 2019-2021). In 2018, United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts appointed her to serve on the Judicial Conference Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction. Prior to becoming a judge, Chief Justice Gildea was a member of the Sentencing Guidelines Commission; the Board of Directors of YWCA, Minneapolis; and the Advisory Board, MINNCORR Industries. Chief Justice Gildea earned her B.A. Degree with distinction from the University of Minnesota Morris, and her J.D. Degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center.