In a formal ceremony at the Landmark Center in St. Paul, Judge Rachel Bond was sworn into the Minnesota Court of Appeals on March 10. The event featured an introduction by Anne Mahle, Vice President of Teach For America, and the oath was administered by Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Theodora Gaïtas.
Following the oath, Anna and Alex Manson assisted Judge Bond with her judicial robe, marking a traditional aspect of investiture ceremonies.
“We are proud to welcome Judge Bond to the Court of Appeals,” stated Chief Judge Jennifer Frisch of the Court of Appeals. “Her experience as a civil litigator and appellate experience with the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender will be particularly valuable in helping the Court meet its commitments to ensure access to justice and the effective administration of justice.”
Before her appointment by Governor Tim Walz, Judge Bond served as a managing attorney at the Office of the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender. In this role, she supervised attorneys and represented criminal defendants in appeals before both the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court. Her previous positions include roles at Faegre & Benson LLP and Shearman & Sterling LLP, as well as serving as a law clerk for Honorable Boyce F. Martin Jr. on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Judge Bond is actively involved in her community through her service on the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure and as an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law.