Walz appoints Supreme Court finalist to Court of Appeals

Elizabeth Bentley, a recent finalist for a spot on the state Supreme Court, will join the state Court of Appeals, Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday.

Bentley is a visiting assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and director of the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic there. She was among six finalists for two openings on the higher court that were filled a week ago by incoming Justices Theodora Gaïtas and Sarah Hennesy.

In choosing Bentley for the state’s intermediate appellate court, Walz cited her appellate experience in state and federal courts and her work advancing and promoting Minnesotans’ civil rights.

Before coming to Minnesota, Bentley was special counsel to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and the Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Bentley also worked as a law clerk for Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who endorsed her. “I am thrilled for the people of Minnesota to gain a judge whose quiet brilliance is matched with a boundless energy to get things done,” Sotomayor said in a written statement, adding that her former clerk has “an unflinching commitment to service and is extraordinarily well rounded in her exposure to civil, criminal, public, and private trial and appellate work. Best of all, she is an amazing person.”

Klobuchar also said Bentley will serve Minnesota well. “When she served on my staff, I witnessed firsthand her considerable knowledge, deep understanding of the law, and passion for justice,” the senator said.

Bentley, a graduate of Northwestern University and Harvard Law School, takes the seat vacated by the elevation of Gaïtas to the higher court. Gaïtas will join the high court Aug. 1.