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Judge Jessica J.W. Maher

Appointed/Elected:

Appointed Aug. 7, 2017, by Governor Mark Dayton. Elected in 2018 and 2024. Current term expires Jan. 2031.
 

Education:

J.D., University of Minnesota Law School
B.A., Minnesota State University Mankato


Past Employment:

  • Shareholder, Berg, Debele, DeSmidt & Rabuse, P.A.
  • Clinical instructor, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
  • Judicial law clerk, Honorable Gary Crippen, Minnesota Court of Appeals
  • Law clerk, Office of the General Counsel, University of Minnesota

Professional Memberships:

  • Chairperson, Minnesota Children’s Justice Initiative Lead Judges (statewide group)
  • Member, 1st Judicial District Governance committee
  • Member, Minnesota Bar Association
  • Member, McLeod County Bar Association
  • Judicial Fellow, Academy of Adoption And Assisted Reproduction Attorneys
  • ​Membership Committee, Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Technology Attorneys, 2018- present
  • Member, 2019 Family Law Institute Judicial Track Planning Committee
  • Former member, Minnesota Supreme Court Rules of Juvenile Protection Procedure Committee
  • Former Vice Chair, Hennepin County Bar Association Juvenile Section

Professional and Community Activities:

  • Presenter, September 2023, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) session, What Criminal Attorneys Need to Know About Family Law
  • Presenter, 2021 Family Law Institute, Ex Parte and Emergency Motions
  • Presenter, February 2021, CLE session, Managing High Conflict Family Law Cases
  • Presenter, Minnesota State Bar Association, First Judicial District, Judge’s Panel On Covid-19 Impact On Courts, October 29, 2021
  • Co-Chair, communications/social media committee, Chanhassen High School Senior Class Party, 2022-2023
  • Volunteer, Chanhassen High School Speech Tournaments, 2021-2023
  • Volunteer, 2023 National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (NIETOC- national-level competitive Speech tournament)
  • Presenter, Children’s Justice Initiative Regional Training Session, December 13, 2018
  • Presenter, Minnesota State Bar Association New Lawyers Section, January 2019
  • McLeod County Children’s Justice Initiative chair, 2017-present
  • First Judicial District Children’s Justice Initiative lead judge, 2018-present
  • Keynote speaker, Minnesota Paralegals Association convention, May 24, 2018
  • Team Manager, Arctic Blast Softball, 2015-2019
  • Co-Chair, Service Committee, Chanhassen High School Senior Class Party, 2019-2020
  • Founding member, local chapter of a charitable group