Minnesota Lawyer
Lennon elected to keep leading 1st Judicial District
Judge Caroline H. Lennon (left) and Judge Vicki Vial Taylor
Judge Caroline H. Lennon has been elected to continue serving as chief judge of Minnesota’s 1st Judicial District for a new two-year term. The position is filled by an election conducted by district judges who serve in the 1st Judicial District. She was elevated to chief judge from assistant chief judge upon the retirement of former Chief Judge Kevin Mark in January. Her first full term as chief judge will begin on July 1.
Lennon joined the bench in November 2008 and has been chambered in Scott County longer than any other judge currently on the bench. In 2010, Lennon established the Scott County Early Case Management program for Family cases. She has also served on the 1st District’s Executive Committee for 10 years, consulting on districtwide issues. Lennon served as a treatment court judge for three years and has chaired the Scott County Justice Steering Committee for 12 years. She served on the State Sentencing Guidelines Commission from 2012 to 2020.
“I’m happy to be able to serve the district as chief, and hope we can continue to improve the quality of service we provide to our citizens,” said Lennon.
Judge Vicki Vial Taylor has been reelected to serve a two-year term as assistant chief judge in the 1st Judicial District. Her term will also begin on July 1, 2023. She was appointed to the 1st District bench in November 2018. She is chambered in the Dakota County Courthouse in Hastings and is currently assigned to Juvenile Court, in addition to presiding over all other case types.
According to state statute, the chief judge of a judicial district exercises general administrative authority over the courts within the district, including assigning judges to serve in locations throughout the district. The chief judge of each judicial district also serves as a member of the administrative policy-making authority for the Minnesota Judicial Branch, the Minnesota Judicial Council. No judge may serve as chief judge or assistant chief judge for more than two consecutive two-year terms.
The 1st Judicial District has 36 judges and more than 250 staff with a district average of 95,000 case filings annually in Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott, and Sibley counties.
Fredrikson adds Manfredonia to Litigation Group
Victoria M. Manfredonia
Attorney Victoria M. Manfredonia has joined Fredrikson as an associate in its Litigation Group. Manfredonia is a litigator who focuses her practice on understanding the ins and outs of your business needs to achieve the most effective and efficient results.
Manfredonia is versed in the complexities of business litigation, including commercial and contract disputes, business torts and data-sharing issues.
Prior to joining Fredrikson, Manfredonia worked in corporate bankruptcy, representing trustees and debtors in possession in avoidance action litigation. Manfredonia additionally served as a legal intern at the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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