Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Merlyn L. Meinerts to the Commission on Judicial Selection.

Meinerts, of Lakeville, is a solo practice attorney in Burnsville. His practice is primarily in the area of family law, including divorce, child support, child custody, and visitation. He also works in the area of alternative dispute resolution, including family mediation, family arbitration, and early neutral evaluation. Previously, he was an attorney and partner in the Nord, Macklin and Meinerts law firm in Lakeville, and a staff attorney with the Ceridian Corporation in Bloomington. Prior to earning his law degree, Meinerts worked in communications in the United States Senate and was also a radio and television broadcaster. Meiners earned his juris doctorate degree from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, and his bachelor of science degree in journalism from South Dakota State University in Brookings. He chairs the First Judicial District Fee Arbitration Committee and the Dakota County Early Neutral Evaluation Committee, is a member of the Scott and Carver County Early Neutral Evaluation Committee, Legal Assistance of Dakota County Board of Directors, and the First Judicial District Panel of Parenting Time Expeditors. Meinerts replaces Michael Dougherty as a First Judicial District attorney member of the Commission on Judicial Selection, and is appointed to complete a four-year term that expires on January 3, 2011.

The Commission on Judicial Selection solicits judicial candidates, evaluates applicants and recommends three to five finalists to the governor for district court and Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals vacancies that occur during the term of a judge. The commission consists of 49 members; 27 appointed by the Governor, and 22 by the Supreme Court.