Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Elizabeth Bentley Appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals

Governor Tim Walz announced the appointment of Elizabeth Bentley, visiting assistant professor of law, to the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday, April 30. She will depart the Law School in August to begin her service on the bench. 

In announcing her appointment, Gov. Walz said, “It is my honor to appoint Elizabeth Bentley to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Her appellate experience at all levels of our state and federal courts will make her a valuable asset to the judiciary. Her work in advancing and promoting Minnesotans’ civil rights through appellate advocacy demonstrates her deep understanding of the law and commitment to improving the common good.”

Professor Bentley joined the Law School full time in 2022 as a visiting assistant professor of law, having previously served as an adjunct in the clinics. She has taught 1L constitutional law and she founded the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic, which has already filed briefs in courts around the nation, including the U.S. Supreme Court. She recently placed an article about state constitutional law in the Iowa Law Review. 

Before joining the faculty, she was an appellate attorney at Jones Day and Special Counsel to Senator Amy Klobuchar and the Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. She previously served as a law clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the Supreme Court of the United States, Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Judge Jed S. Rakoff on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Her extensive involvement in the legal profession includes service on the executive committee of the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, on the Appellate Practice Section Council of the Minnesota State Bar Association, and on the Federal Practice Committee of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

In a written statement, Justice Sotomayor said of Bentley’s appointment, “I am thrilled for the people of Minnesota to gain a judge whose quiet brilliance is matched with a boundless energy to get things done,” adding that her former clerk has “an unflinching commitment to service and is extraordinarily well rounded in her exposure to civil, criminal, public, and private trial and appellate work. Best of all, she is an amazing person.” Senator Klobuchar also said Bentley will serve Minnesota well, “When she served on my staff, I witnessed firsthand her considerable knowledge, deep understanding of the law, and passion for justice.”

Professor Bentley is a graduate of Northwestern University and Harvard Law School. She will take the seat vacated by the elevation of Minnesota Law alum Court of Appeals Judge Theodora Gaïtas ’94 to the Minnesota Supreme Court.