Reynaldo Aligada
Reynaldo Aligada | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court | |
Designate | |
| Assuming office October 1, 2026 | |
| Appointed by | Tim Walz |
| Succeeding | Theodora Gaïtas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 8, 1976 Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Education | Saint John's University (BA) William Mitchell College of Law (JD) |
Reynaldo Aligada (born July 8, 1976)[1] is an American lawyer who has served as a district court judge in the Second Judicial District of Minnesota (Ramsey County District Court) since 2019.[2] In 2026, Governor Tim Walz selected Aligada to become an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.[3]
Education and Career
[edit]Aligada graduated from Saint John's University in 1998 with a B.A.[4][5] He received his J.D. in 2002 from William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law).[5] After law school Aligada clerked for Judge Michael J. Davis of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota and Judge Wilhelmina Wright of the Minnesota Court of Appeals.[5][6] He worked in private practice as an associate for Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, and was a First Assistant Federal Defender in the Office of the Federal Defender.[3][7] While with the Office of the Federal Defender, Aligada worked on the high-profile Danny Heinrich case, brokering a plea deal that led to the recovery of the victim's remains.[7]
In 2019, Governor Tim Walz appointed Aligada as a district court judge in the Second Judicial District (Ramsey County District Court).[7][8] In May 2026, Walz selected Aligada as the next new associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court, succeeding Theodora Gaïtas. He will take office in October 2026 and be the first Asian justice to serve on the court.[4]
Personal Life
[edit]Aligada was born in Bismarck and grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota.[9][5]
References
[edit]- ^ Jones, Barbara. "Reynaldo A. Aligada, Jr.: Active in the bar, committed to pro bono". Minnesota Lawyer.
- ^ "Judge Reynaldo A. Aligada, Jr". Minnesota Judicial Branch. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ a b "Theodora Gaïtas named next Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice". Minnesota Judicial Branch. May 19, 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ a b Rajkowski, Frank. (2026), "SJU graduate appointed to seat on Minnesota Supreme Court", CSB+SJU, retrieved 20 May 2026
- ^ a b c d Jones, B. L. (2005), Reynaldo A. Aligada, Jr.: Active in the bar, committed to pro bono, retrieved 20 May 2026
- ^ Erickson, A. (2026), Gov. Walz announces MN Supreme Court appointments for chief justice & justice, retrieved 20 May 2026
- ^ a b c Featherly, K. (2019), Bar Buzz: Aligada is new Ramsey County judge, retrieved 20 May 2026
- ^ Montemayor, Stephen (Nov 17, 2019). "Governor builds on diversity of Minnesota's courts: More than a third of his judicial picks have been people of color, mor than half women". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minn. p. B.1. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- ^ "Official Obituary of Constance "Connie" Aligada". Retrieved 21 May 2026.