Natalie Hudson will become the first African-American chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court in October. Hudson, who has been an associate justice since 2015, was promoted by Gov. Tim Walz to chief justice when current Chief Justice Lorie Gildea retires in October.
“Justice Hudson is one of our state’s most experienced jurists. She has a strong reputation as a leader and consensus builder,” Walz said in a statement. “I am confident that she will advance a vision that promotes fairness and upholds the dignity of all Minnesotans.”
Hudson also said in the statement, “This is a tremendous responsibility that I approach with humility and resolve, seeking to continue the work of my predecessors in administering one of the best state court systems in the nation, and always seeking to deliver the most accessible, highest-quality court services for the citizens of Minnesota.”
According to her website, Hudson began her legal career in 1982 as a staff attorney for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, where she represented destitute clients in housing disputes. She later worked as an associate attorney at Robins, Zelle, Larson & Kaplan, now Robins Kaplan, where she practiced employment law and general civil litigation.
Hudson was appointed St. Paul City Attorney in 1989 after serving as the assistant dean of student affairs at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul for ten years. She was appointed to the state Court of Appeals in 2002 and was re-elected twice before being named to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2015.
According to her website, Hudson has also been an active member of several professional associations and task forces, including the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Minnesota Women Lawyers Advisory Board, and the Minnesota Supreme Court Racial Bias Task Force and Implementation Committee on Multicultural Diversity and Fairness in the Courts.
As the wife of a former pastor, she has mentored many young people in youth ministry programs for over 30 years.