John H. Guthmann.

Hon. John Guthmann

Ramsey County District Court Judge, State of Minnesota

Degrees

  • Cornell University, B.A.
  • Mitchell Hamline School of Law, J.D.

Senior Judge John Guthmann served as a trial court judge in Minnesota’s Second Judicial District from 2008-2024. He graduated from Cornell College in 1976 with a double major in history and political science. He received his JD from Mitchell Hamline College of Law in 1980. During law school, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review and clerked for Hennepin County District Court Judge Harold Kalina. After clerking for Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Sheran, Judge Guthmann practiced for 27 years with the Hansen Dordell law firm. In 2003-04 he served as President of the Ramsey County Bar Association. Judge Guthmann has written and lectured frequently throughout his career. He has taught at Mitchell Hamline Law School and he currently co-teaches an ADR course at the University of Minnesota Law School. Among his assignments after being appointed to the bench in 2008, Judge Guthmann was co-presiding judge in Ramsey County Mental Health Court and, by Chief Justice appointment, served as Presiding Judge for Minnesota’s Asbestos Litigation from 2014-2020. Judge Guthmann was elected Chief Judge by his peers in 2016 and served until 2020. In 2024, he was appointed Acting Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court for the case of MacDonald v. Simon. Senior Judge Guthmann is presently a member of the Civil Jury Instruction Guide Committee, he is the chair of the Minnesota District Judges Foundation Finance Committee and co-chair of the Minnesota District Judges Association Safety Committee. In 2025, Judge Guthmann plans to work as a Senior Judge and as an ADR neutral at the Larson King, LLP law firm.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)