Governor Dayton Appoints First Hmong-American Judge in Minnesota—MNAPABA Member Sophia Vuelo 

ST. PAUL, MN – Yesterday, Governor Mark Dayton announced the appointment of Sophia Vuelo as a District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Second Judicial District. Ms. Vuelo will replace the Honorable Margaret M. Marrinan, and will be chambered at St. Paul in Ramsey County.

“Ms. Sophia Vuelo has dedicated her career to pursuing justice for all Minnesotans, through her work with Minnesota courts, charities, and in her own private practice,” said Governor Dayton. “Ms. Vuelo’s commitment to public service has prepared her well for this important new role, as District Court Judge for Minnesota’s Second Judicial District.”

Minnesota’s Second Judicial District consists of Ramsey County.

More information on the Commission on Judicial Selection, as well as vacancies it is currently considering, can be found at http://mn.gov/governor/appointments/judicial-appointments/.

About Sophia Y. Vuelo:

Ms. Vuelo is a solo practitioner at Vuelo Law, where she manages a high volume caseload in juvenile protection, family, and criminal matters. Previously, she was a Special Assistant Ramsey County Attorney, Assistant Public Defender in the Second Judicial District, Assistant Rochester City Attorney, and Managing Attorney at Catholic Charities. Ms. Vuelo received her BA from the University of Minnesota and her JD from Hamline University School of Law.

She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Collaborative Community Law Initiative, an active volunteer at Weaver Elementary School in Maplewood, and the former Vice-President of the Hmong American Bar Association.

Ms. Vuelo will be the first judge of Hmong descent to serve in Minnesota, and the second to be appointed in the nation.

About MNAPABA's Efforts to Increase Diversity on the Bench

MNAPABA's Judicial Selection Committee works all year long to promote diversity and inclusion on the state and federal bench in Minnesota. 

Since its inception less than five years ago, the MNAPABA Judicial Selection Committee has helped dozens of MNAPABA members and allies through both the state and federal judicial application processes and seen four appointed to the bench. 

With Mr. Vuelo's appointment by Governor Dayton this week, MNAPABA counts eleven state or federal APA judges active with MNAPABA within the state of Minnesota currently on active or senior status. This number has more than doubled in the past three years. 

MNAPABA's Judicial Selection Committee is led by Irene Kao and the Honorable Nicole J. Starr.

Volunteer to attend monthly meetings in St. Paul, mostly in the mornings, and report back to the President-Elect/Board with updates and relevant information once a month. We will recognize you on our website.

Only requirements:

• Member of MNAPABA
• Member of the RCBA
• Lawyer

Thank you all for attending our CLE on retaining diverse attorneys! It was a great opportunity to hear from past MNAPABA leadership on how legal employers in Minnesota can do a better job of fostering an environment that will retain their diverse attorneys. We really enjoyed having you all there to be a part of this important discussion. Let's continue to have these discussions into the future.

See you again soon!

Sukanya Momsen
Executive Board Member 2017-18, VP of Outreach

MNAPABA would like to assist interested members in the cost of attending NAPABA Lobby Day. 

The NAPABA Annual Lobby Day is an opportunity for NAPABA members from across the country to educate members of Congress and Congressional staffers on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American community. Lobby Day also gives members an active role in promoting NAPABA's mission of advocating for justice, equity, and opportunity for Asian Pacific Americans.

Please contact Sukanya Momsen at smomsen@nilanjohnson.com if interested in attending.

For more information and to register, go to the Minnesota Lawyer website here.

On September 30th, a small group of MNAPABA volunteers provided lunch to children at the Crisis Nursery in Minneapolis. On a relaxing Saturday afternoon, we got to meet new people, catch up with fellow members, and brush up on our cooking skills. Then, we served and (hopefully) entertained some great kids staying at the Nursery.

Special thanks to Victor Chan for organizing this great event!

MNAPABA will be getting together again in January 2018 at the Crisis Nursery, and we hope to continue serving on a regular basis.

Stay tuned to announcements on the MNAPABA newsletter and our event invites!

Governor Dayton Appoints MNAPABA Member Shan C. Wang to Fill Seventh Judicial District Vacancy in St. Cloud

ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Governor Mark Dayton announced the appointments of Matthew M. Quinn and Shan C. Wang as District Court Judges in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District. Mr. Quinn will be replacing the Honorable Vicki E. Landwehr, and will be chambered at Milaca in Mille Lacs County. Mr. Wang is filling a new district court judgeship created in the Seventh Judicial District by the Minnesota Supreme Court, and will be chambered at St. Cloud in Stearns County.

 “Mr. Matthew Quinn and Mr. Shan Wang bring diverse professional and volunteer experience to this important role,” said Governor Dayton. “I thank Mr. Quinn and Mr. Wang for agreeing to serve the people of our state as District Court Judges for Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District.” 

About Shan C. Wang

Mr. Wang is the Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division in the Stearns County Attorney’s Office, where he supervises the adult criminal division. Previously, he was an Assistant Stearns County Attorney and a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Regina M. Chu. He earned his B.A. from Chicago State University and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Mr. Wang is the President of the St. Cloud Public Library Board of Trustees, serves on the Board of Directors of the Stearns-Benton Bar Association, is a member of the Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and is the past president of the John E. Simonett American Inn of Court.

Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District consists of Becker, Benton, Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, and Wadena Counties.

About MNAPABA's Efforts to Increase Diversity on the Bench

MNAPABA's Judicial Selection Committee works all year long to promote diversity and inclusion on the state and federal bench in Minnesota. 

Since its inception less than five years ago, the MNAPABA Judicial Selection Committee has helped dozens of MNAPABA members and allies through both the state and federal judicial application processes and seen four appointed to the bench. 

With Mr. Wang's appointment by Governor Dayton today, MNAPABA counts ten state or federal APA judges active with MNAPABA within the state of Minnesota currently on active or senior status. This number has more than doubled in the past three years. 

MNAPABA's Judicial Selection Committee is led by Irene Kao and the Honorable Nicole J. Starr.

The annual summer party saw 40+ MNAPABA members come together to eat delicious food around a backyard pool. This was the 18th year that the party was graciously hosted by Mike and Amy. The festive mood was highlighted by a demonstration of Amy's new flying drone and Cynthia Lee's beautifully decorated cake (below). Thanks for celebrating with us!