U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken announced on December 29, 2014, the formation of a judicial selection committee to assist them in making a recommendation to the President to fill a vacancy on Minnesota’s federal district court that was created by Chief Judge Michael J. Davis’s decision to assume senior status. Judge Davis sent a letter to President Obama announcing he would retire from regular active service as a United States District Court Judge in August of 2015 and continue to serve as a senior judge.

The Committee is co-chaired by NAFUSA member Thomas Heffelfinger, shown above, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota under Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and current partner at Best & Flanagan, and R. Ann Huntrods, a partner at Briggs and Morgan and former head of that firm’s employment law practice group