Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced that he has accepted the recommendations of the Commission on Judicial Selection for three trial court bench vacancies in the Fourth Judicial District in Hennepin County. The vacancies are as a result of the retirement of the Honorable Thorwald H. Anderson on January 31, 2007, and the upcoming retirement of the Honorable Stephen D. Swanson on March 13, 2007, and the upcoming retirement of the Honorable Robert H. Lynn on April 2, 2007. The finalists are Ivy S. Bernhardson, Peter A. Cahill, Paula A. Callies, John C. Goetz, Fred Karasov, William H. Koch, James A. Moore, and D. Gerald Wilhelm.

Bernhardson, of Bloomington, is the chief legal officer at the Hazelden Foundation, a position she has held since 2004. She was a shareholder at the Leonard, Street and Deinard law firm in Minneapolis from 2000 to 2004, except for four months in 2002, when she was senior vice president and general counsel with Medica Health Plans in Minnetonka. Prior to joining Leonard Street and Deinard, she was a staff attorney, associate counsel, senior associate counsel, and associate general counsel with General Mills, Inc. in Golden Valley from 1978 to 2000. Bernhardson earned her juris doctorate degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978, and her bachelor of arts degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter in 1973.

Cahill, of Plymouth, is the managing attorney in the special litigation division of the Hennepin County Attorney’s office, a position he has held since January. He was the chief deputy attorney from 2000 through 2006, and has been an attorney in the Hennepin County Attorney’s office since 1997. He was the founder and chief executive officer of The Blue Pages, Inc., from 1996 to 1997, a solo practitioner in Wayzata from 1993 to 1997, an attorney and partner with the law firm of Colich and Cahill in Minneapolis from 1988 to 1993, an associate attorney with the law firm of Colich and Wieland in Minneapolis from 1987 to 1988, and an assistant Fourth Judicial District public defender in Hennepin County from 1984 to 1987. Cahill earned his juris doctorate degree magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1984, and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts in 1981.

Callies, of Shorewood, is the owner and president of Callies Law, PLLC, in Minneapolis, a position she has held since 2003. Callies was an associate attorney with the Kennedy and Graven law firm in Minneapolis from 2001 to 2003, and an attorney and later a partner with the Hoff, Barry and Kuderer law firm in Eden Prairie from 1989 to 2001. Callies earned her juris doctorate degree cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul in 1989, her masters degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in 1977, and her bachelor of science degree from the University of Minnesota in 1975.

Goetz, of Edina, is an attorney and partner with the Schwebel, Goetz and Sieben law firm in Minneapolis, and has been an attorney with the firm since 1979. He was an attorney with the Lindquist and Vennum law firm in Minneapolis from 1976 to 1978. Goetz earned his juris doctorate degree magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1976 and his bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota in 1973.

Karasov, of Minneapolis, is the senior attorney in the violent crimes division of the Hennepin County Attorney’s office, and has been an attorney in the Hennepin County Attorney’s office since 1983. He is also a military judge with the Minnesota Army National Guard, a position he has held since 2000, and was a staff judge advocate with the National Guard from 1988 to 2000. Prior to earning his law degree, Karasov was a senior deputy Hennepin County Sheriff from 1978 to 1982. Karasov earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul in 1982, his master of science degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts in 1978, and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1976.

Koch, of Bloomington, is an assistant United States Attorney in Minneapolis, a position he has held since 2000. He was an attorney and partner with the law firm of Downey, Brand, Seymour and Rohwer in Sacramento, California from 1997 to 2000, an attorney and shareholder with the law firm of Leonard, Street and Deinard in Minneapolis from 1991 to 1997, an area defense counsel with the United States Air Force at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland from 1990 to 1991, and a special assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maryland, as well as a prosecutor with the United States Air Force from 1988 to 1990. Koch earned his juris doctorate degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC in 1988, and his bachelor of science degree from Duke University in Durham, NC in 1985.

Moore, of Plymouth, is an assistant Minneapolis City Attorney, a position he has held since 1990. He was an assistant Bloomington City Attorney from 1986 through 1989, and an associate attorney with Robert J. Steigauf in 1986. Moore earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul in 1985, and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1981.

Wilhelm, of Minneapolis, is an assistant United States Attorney in Minneapolis, a position he has held since 1992. He was an assistant Hennepin County Attorney in 1992, an assistant Anoka County Attorney from 1991 to 1992, the Martin County Attorney as well as a partner with the Wilhelm and Viesselman law firm in Fairmont from 1979 to 1991, and an assistant Martin County Attorney as well as an associate attorney with the Erickson Law Office in Fairmont from 1973 to 1979. Wilhelm earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1973, his master of business administration degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul in 1990, and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1970.

The Commission on Judicial Selection screens judicial candidates and makes recommendations to the Governor for district court vacancies that occur during the term of a judge. The commission consists of 13 members: nine at-large members and four members from the judicial district. The commission members include attorneys and non-attorneys appointed by the Governor and the Minnesota Supreme Court. The commission received 60 applications for these three judicial vacancies.