Participants: Judge Christian Sande (he/him), Judge David Piper (he/him), Judge Melissa Houghtaling (she/her), Associate Justice Margaret H. Chutich (she/her)
Judge Sande, Judge Piper, Judge Houghtaling, and Justice Chutich will share their stories as LGBTQ+ judicial officers in Minnesota. The roundtable will include information about the process of becoming a judge for “out” attorneys, as well as successes and/or challenges they have experienced in their current roles based on their diverse identities. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the benefits of having LGBTQ+ representation on the Bench. Attendees will also learn more about an important career path for queer lawyers, directly from trailblazers in the profession.
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Judge Christian Sande (he/him)
The Honorable Christian Sande (he/him) is a District Court Judge in the Fourth Judicial District (Hennepin County). He was appointed to the bench in 2016 and elected in 2018. He is currently assigned to the Civil Division, and previously served in Family Court and Criminal Court. Prior to joining the bench, he was in private practice in Minneapolis and Seattle. He is a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law and has a Bachelor of Arts from Hamline University.
Judge David Piper (he/him)
The Honorable David Piper (he/him) is a Senior Judge in the Fourth Judicial District (Hennepin County), having recently retired as a District Court Judge. He was appointed to the bench in 2011 and was elected in 2012 and 2018. He served as the Presiding Judge in Hennepin County Juvenile Court, and was assigned to the Civil Division prior to his retirement. He was a Referee in Hennepin County Family Court and was in private practice before his appointment to the bench. He is a graduate of Hamline Law School and has a Bachelor of Arts from Whittier College.
Judge Melissa Houghtaling (she/her)
The Honorable Melissa Houghtaling (she/her) is a District Court Judge in the Fourth Judicial District (Hennepin County). She was appointed to the bench in 2022 and is currently assigned to the Criminal Division. Prior to her appointment, she was a Referee in Hennepin County Housing Court and worked as a Human Services Judge in the Minnesota Department of Human Services, an Appeals Attorney in Minnesota Tax Court, a St. Paul Public Housing Hearing Officer, and a Conciliation Court Referee, as well as being in private practice. She is a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law and has a Bachelor of Arts from Hamline University.
Associate Justice Margaret H. Chutich (she/her)
The Honorable Margaret Chutich (she/her) is an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2016 and elected in 2018. She served on the Minnesota Court of Appeals from 2012 to 2016. Prior to joining the bench, she was Assistant Dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and worked in the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, and was in private practice. She clerked for The Honorable Diana Murphy in the Minnesota federal court, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota.