Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced that he has accepted the recommendations of the Commission on Judicial Selection for two new Seventh Judicial District trial court bench judgeships.  

These judgeships are new positions created by the 2005 Minnesota Legislature (2005 Minnesota Laws, Chapter 135, Article 14, Section 1), which took effect on July 1, 2005.  The Minnesota Supreme Court certified the chambers of one of the positions for the city of Moorhead in Clay County and the chambers of the other position for the city of Milaca in Mille Lacs County. 

The finalists for the Clay County position are Steven J. Cahill, Kenneth J. Kohler, and Timothy J. McLarnan.  The finalists for the Mille Lacs County position are Steven A. Anderson, Daniel A. Benson, and Frederick L. Grunke.

Anderson, of Princeton, is the managing partner in the Princeton branch office of the Minneapolis-based law firm Anderson, Dove, Fretland and Van Valkenburg.  He has been an attorney with the firm and its predecessors since 1979.  Anderson earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1979 and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1975.

Benson, of St. Cloud, is a managing attorney with the Seventh Judicial District public defender's office in St. Cloud.  He has been an assistant public defender since 2003.  He was an assistant Stearns County attorney from 1995 to 2003, an assistant St. Cloud city attorney from 1993 to 1995, an associate attorney with the Johnson Law Office in Center City as well as an assistant Tenth Judicial District public defender from 1991 to 1993, an assistant Pine County attorney from 1990 to 1991 and an associate attorney with the law firm of Foley and Lardner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1988 to 1990.  Benson earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1988 and his bachelor of science degree from the University of Minnesota in 1982.

Cahill, of Moorhead, is an attorney and partner with the law firm Pearson, Christensen, Cahill and Clapp in Moorhead, a position he has held since June 2005.  He was an attorney and president of Cahill Law Office in Moorhead from January through May 2005, an attorney and president (since 1994) of the law firm Cahill and Marquart in Moorhead from 1981 through 2004, and an attorney and partner (since 1979) with the Moorhead law firm Cahill, Gunhus, Streed, Grinnell, Jeffries and Klinger from 1975 to 1981.  Cahill earned his juris doctorate degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul in1976 and his bachelor of arts degree from Winona State College in 1972.

Grunke, of St. Cloud, is a shareholder with the law firm Rajkowski Hansmeier 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.

Kohler, of Moorhead, is the chief assistant Clay County attorney in Moorhead, a position he has held since 2002.  He was the Nobles County attorney as well as an attorney and partner with the law firm Mork, H. Darling, Hagemann and Kohler in Worthington from 1984 to 2002, and an assistant Redwood County attorney in Redwood Falls from 1982 to 1984.  Kohler also served as a judge advocate general with the Minnesota National Guard from 1984 to 1996.  Kohler earned his juris doctorate degree from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul in 1982 and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota - Morris in 1979.

McLarnan, of Moorhead, is a partner with the Moorhead law firm of McLarnan, Hannaher and Skatvold.  He has been an attorney with the firm since 1979.  McLarnan earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1979 and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1975.

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 a total of 16 applications for these two judicial positions.