Nearly 21 years after he became the first and, to date, only black federal judge in Minnesota history, Michael Davis will step down as chief U.S. district judge next summer, he disclosed in a letter to President Obama this week. He will remain on the bench as a senior judge.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken announced Davis' decision in a news release in which they also said that they had formed a judicial selection committee to advise them on recommending a successor.
Davis underscored in a separate letter to the senators on Monday that he continues to be a strong advocate of a diverse bench, noting that the late Sen. Paul Wellstone "had the vision and understood the importance of a diverse judiciary." Wellstone had recommended that President Bill Clinton nominate Davis to the federal court.
"I hope," Davis wrote to Klobuchar and Franken, "that you and President Obama will continue the legacy of Senator Wellstone in diversifying the federal judiciary."
Expressing his gratitude to Wellstone and Wellstone's wife, Sheila, both of whom died in a 2002 airplane crash, Davis also cited the support of Ken Tilsen, the late St. Paul civil rights attorney and a close friend of Wellstone's. Tilsen recommended Davis to Wellstone.
Davis has served on the federal bench for nearly 21 years, the last seven as chief judge for the district of Minnesota. Before that, he was a state district judge for about 11 years, having been appointed by the late Gov. Rudy Perpich. He previously worked as a defense attorney — one year at the Neighborhood Justice Center in St. Paul and five years each at the Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis and the public defender's office in Hennepin County.
"It is my present intention to continue to render substantial judicial service to the court as a senior judge," Davis, 67, wrote in his letter to Obama.
In a brief interview Tuesday, Davis said, "I'm not going anywhere. I am not leaving the bench. I will still be a judge, but I am giving someone else an opportunity to be appointed." He will step down as chief judge July 1 and move to senior judge status in August.