News Item
Denise D. Reilly and Peter M. Reyes Appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals

Posted: Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Today, Governor Mark Dayton announced the appointment of the Honorable Denise D. Reilly and Peter M. Reyes, Jr. as judges on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Judge Reilly and Mr. Reyes will be appointed to at-large seats, which will become vacant upon the retirements of the Honorable Thomas J. Kalitowski and the Honorable Terri J. Stoneburner on April 1, 2014.

“Judge Denise Reilly and Mr. Peter Reyes will be outstanding additions to the Minnesota Court of Appeals,” said Governor Dayton. “Judge Reilly has distinguished herself for 16 years, as a Hennepin County District Court Judge.  Mr. Reyes has had a very impressive legal career with Cargill; Robbins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi; and, now, Barnes & Thornburg.  I am confident that both Mr. Reyes and Judge Reilly will serve our state well.”

The Honorable Denise D. Reilly: Judge Reilly is a District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District, where she has presided since her appointment from Governor Carlson in 1997. Prior to her appointment, Judge Reilly was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, serving as chief of the Firearms and Narcotics Section. Judge Reilly earned her B.A. from the College of Wooster, in Wooster, OH, and her J.D. with honors from the William Mitchell College of Law.

Additionally, Judge Reilly teaches trial practice as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota School of Law and currently serves on the Minnesota Supreme Court Children’s Justice Initiative Advisory Committee.

Judge Reilly resides with her family in Long Lake, MN.

Peter M. Reyes, Jr.: Mr. Reyes is a partner at Barnes and Thornburg, L.L.P., where his practice focuses on all aspects of intellectual property and litigation in both state and federal court. Previously, Mr. Reyes was a senior intellectual property lawyer at Cargill, Inc., and, prior to that, was an associate at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi.  Mr. Reyes earned his B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and his J.D. with honors from the William Mitchell College of Law.

Additionally, Mr. Reyes is a former president of both the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association and the Hispanic National Bar Association, and is currently on the Board of Trustees for the William Mitchell College of Law.

Mr. Reyes resides with his family in Roseville, MN.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals handles most appeals from the final decision of the trial courts, state agencies, and local governments. It is composed of eight judges representing each of Minnesota’s eight congressional districts and eleven judges serving in an at-large capacity.