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 Seventh Judicial District. The vacancies are due to the retirement of Judge Thomas Godzala on August 31, 2006, and the upcoming retirement of Judges Bernard E. Boland on October 16, 2006, Richard T. Jessen on March 7, 2007. The Minnesota Supreme Court continued the chambers of Judge Godzala’s position for the city of Little Falls in Morrison County, and the chambers of Judges Boland and Jessen’s positions for the city of St. Cloud in Stearns County. The finalists are Douglas P. Anderson, Kevin S. Carpenter, Conrad I. Freeberg, Frederick L. Grunke, Thomas A. Janson, Frank J. Kundrat, and Virginia A. Marso.

Anderson, of Little Falls, is an attorney and partner with the Little Falls law firm of Rosenmeier, Anderson and Vogel. He has been an attorney with the firm and its predecessors, Rosenmeier and Simonett, and Rosenmeier and Anderson, since 1975. Anderson earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1975 and his bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota – Duluth, in 1972.

Carpenter, of St. Cloud, has been a solo practitioner in St. Cloud since 1999. He was a partner with the St. Cloud law firm of Holmen and Carpenter from 1997 to 1999, and an attorney with the St. Cloud law firm of Quinlivan, Sherwood, Spellacy and Tarvestad from 1980 to 1997, where he became a shareholder in 1987. He was also a Seventh Judicial District law clerk in St. Cloud from 1979 to 1980, and a law clerk for the Duncan, Jones, Riley and Finley law firm in Des Moines, Iowa in 1979. Carpenter earned his juris doctor degree from St. Louis University Law School in St. Louis, Missouri in 1979, and his bachelor of arts degree cum laude from St. John’s University in Collegeville in 1976.

Freeberg, of Little Falls, is the Morrison County Attorney, a position he has held since 1987. He was an assistant Morrison County Attorney from 1984 to 1987, an associate attorney with the Little Falls law firm of Rosenmeier and Anderson from 1981 to 1984, an assistant St. Paul City Attorney in 1982, and a Ramsey County Court law clerk from 1977 to 1981.

Freeberg earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul in 1980, his master of arts (1970) and bachelor of arts (1968) from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Grunke, of St. Cloud, is a shareholder with the law firm Rajkowski Hansmeier Ltd. in St. Cloud. He has been an attorney with the firm since 1984. He was also an associate attorney with the law firm Donohue Rajkowski in St. Cloud from 1979 through 1983, and a Seventh Judicial District law clerk in St. Cloud from 1978 to 1979. Grunke earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978 and his bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa in 1975.

Janson, of St. Cloud, is an attorney, partner and owner of the Schmitt and Janson Law Office in St. Cloud, a position he has held since 1986. He was an associate attorney with the firm from 1983 to 1986. Janson earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul in 1983 and his bachelor of arts degree from St. John’s University in Collegeville in 1974.

Kundrat, of St. Cloud, owns Kundrat Law Office in St. Cloud. He has practiced law in that office since 1999. He was an attorney with the St. Cloud law firm of Hall and Byers from 1983 to 1999, chief, counsel (1981 to 1983), assistant director of law (1978 to 1981), and an assistant prosecutor (1976 to 1978) with the city of Shaker Heights, Ohio. Kundrat earned his juris doctor degree from Cleveland-Marshall Law College in Cleveland, Ohio in 1976, and his bachelor of arts degree cum laude from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in 1973.

Marso, of St. Cloud, is an attorney with Mid Minnesota Legal Services in St. Cloud, a position she has held since 2006. In 1978, she started as an attorney with the Scmitt and Johnson law firm and continued with the firm until 1992. Marso earned her juris doctorate degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul in 1978, and her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1972.

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 27 applications for these judicial vacancies.