Minnesota Supreme Court gets its 1st Asian American justice

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appointed Judge Reynaldo “Reggie” Aligada Jr. to the Minnesota Supreme Court last month, making him the first Asian Pacific American justice in the court’s history.

Aligada’s appointment is part of a broader transition at the state’s highest court. Walz also named Justice Theodora Gaïtas as the next chief justice, to take over upon Chief Justice Natalie Hudson’s September retirement. Aligada will step into the associate justice seat Gaïtas leaves behind, assuming the role on Oct. 1.

In a statement, Walz highlighted Aligada’s unique perspective. “He will be a justice who truly sees and listens to the people who come before him, ensuring every voice is heard and respected,” the governor said. “In addition to his outstanding judicial background, he will bring a perspective not yet represented on this court, the voice of Minnesota’s Asian Pacific Islander community.”

Aligada, who is Filipino American, joined the Ramsey County bench in 2019 when Walz first appointed him and won election to the seat in 2020. Before that, he was first assistant federal defender at the Minneapolis federal defender’s office and a civil litigator at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi.

His early legal career included clerkships under Judge Michael J. Davis at the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. A William Mitchell College of Law graduate, he serves on the Mitchell Hamline School of Law Board of Trustees and with the Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA).

Aligada’s appointment marks a significant milestone for the AANHPI community. National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) President Joseph Yao pointed to the association’s Portrait Project 2.0, which documented the persistent underrepresentation of Asian American jurists on state high courts. “Judge Aligada has broken barriers, and his appointment marks an incredible achievement for our legal community and beyond,” Yao said.

Meanwhile, MNAPABA President Valerie Narcy placed the milestone in a longer arc of AANHPI history, pointing to exclusionary immigration laws, the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, xenophobic responses after 9/11 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent challenges to birthright citizenship. “Judge Aligada’s appointment is a reminder that our place is here and that our community is well-woven into the historic tapestry of Minnesota and this country,” Narcy said.