Saint Paul - Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced that he has accepted the recommendations of the ad hoc screening committee that reviewed resumes and conducted interviews for the current judicial vacancy on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.  The opening occurred as a result of the retirement of the Honorable Robert H. Schumacher on September 9, 2005.  This position is for a resident of the Third Congressional District.  The finalists are Kevin G. Ross, Judge Kathleen Hvass Sanberg, and Judge James T. Swenson.

Ross, of Minnetonka, is an attorney and partner with the Minneapolis law firm of Greene Espel, practicing in the areas of government and constitutional litigation, employment litigation counseling, and investigations.  He has been a partner since 2001 and an attorney with the firm since 1997.  Ross was a law clerk for Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Donald P. Lay from 1996 to 1997 and for U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson from 1994 to 1996.  He was also a police officer in Iowa City from 1987 to 1992.  Ross earned his juris doctorate degree with high distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1994, and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts in 1991.

Sanberg, of Edina, is a judge on the Minnesota Tax Court, a position she has held since 2001.  Prior to that, she was an attorney with the Minneapolis law firm of Faegre and Benson from 1990 to 2001, becoming partner in 1995.  Her practice was in the areas of banking, bankruptcy, insurance, loan workouts, and complex commercial litigation.  Sanberg was also an attorney practicing in insurance defense and insurance coverage in Santa Ana, California from 1986 to 1989, and an attorney with the law firm of Oppenheimer, Wolff, Foster, Shepard and Donnelly in Minneapolis from 1982 to 1985.  Sanberg earned her juris doctorate degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1982, and her bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota in 1979.

Swenson, of Edina, is a trial court judge in the Fourth Judicial District in Hennepin County.  He has been a district court judge since 1995 and has been assigned to the Family Court Division since 1997, where he is currently the presiding judge.  Prior to his appointment to the bench, Swenson was an attorney, partner and chair of the Commercial Litigation Department at the Minneapolis law firm of Mackall, Crounse and Moore.  He was with the firm from 1976 to 1995.  In addition to being a frequent continuing legal education lecturer, Swenson has also been a legal writing instructor at the University of Minnesota Law School, where he earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude in 1976.  Swenson earned his bachelor of arts degree Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Minnesota in 1972.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has jurisdiction of appeals from all final decisions of trial courts other than conciliation courts except for appeals in election contests, convictions of murder in the first degree and appeals from the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals and the Tax Court, which are appealed directly to the Supreme Court.  The Court of Appeals consists of 16 judges; eight judges who serve at-large, and eight judges who are initially appointed - one each - from the state's eight congressional districts.  Eight people submitted their resumes for consideration for this position.