Judge Michelle A. Larkin

Minnesota Judicial Center
Court of Appeals
(651) 297-7650

Chambers Phone: (651) 297-1004

Judge Michelle A. Larkin

Appointed/Elected

Appointed to the District Court Bench, Tenth Judicial District, Wright County, by Governor Tim Pawlenty, in 2005.

Appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, St. Paul, Minn., by Governor Tim Pawlenty, in 2008.

Elected in 2010.  Reelected in 2016 and 2022. Current term expires in 2029.
 

Education

J.D., magna cum laude, William Mitchell College of Law, 1992.
B.A., Journalism, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Campus, 1988.
 

Experience

Appellate Judge, Minnesota Court of Appeals, St. Paul, 2008-present.

District Court Judge, Tenth Judicial District, Wright County, 2005-2008.

Senior Attorney and Trial Team Supervisor, Office of the Public Defender, Hennepin County, 2001-2005.

Attorney, Office of the Public Defender, Hennepin County, 1992-2001.
 

Professional Memberships

Minnesota State Bar Association

Minnesota District Judges Association
 

Current Judicial Appointments

Commissioner, Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission
 

Prior Committee Service and Professional and Community Activities

Chair, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Criminal Procedure
 
Chair, Minnesota Supreme Court Juvenile Delinquency Rules Committee
 
Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Designee, Advisory Council on Interstate Adult Offender Supervision

Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Criminal Procedure

Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Juvenile Delinquency Rules Committee

Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Task Force on Court Appointed Civil Counsel

Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Services Task Force

Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Amendment of the Juvenile Protection Rules
 
Minnesota Court of Appeals Representative, Minnesota State Bar Association Assembly

Wright County Lead Judge, Children’s Justice Initiative

Wright County Sober School Advisory Board

Wright County Truancy Diversion Program Work Group

Minnesota State Bar Association Mock Trial Program

University of St. Thomas Law Mentor Externship Program
 

Legal Presentations

Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Precedent, Power, and the Minnesota Appellate Courts, The 2022 Appellate Practice Institute, sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association (Online Presentation, Feb. 2022).

Training Video Participant, 2018 Children’s Justice Initiative Regional Team Meeting, co-sponsored by the Minnesota Judicial Branch and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (Minneapolis, Minn., Nov. 2018).

Instructor, Continuing Judicial Education Seminar, Zombie Jurisprudence—Postconviction Relief, MDJF Fall Educational Conference (Brainerd, Minn., Sept. 2018).

Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, The Process of Appellate Decision Making, The 12th Annual Appellate Practice Institute, co-sponsored by Minnesota Continuing Legal Education and the Minnesota State Bar Association Appellate Practice Section (Minneapolis, Minn., March 2018).

Panelist, Continuing Judicial Education Seminar, Getting it “Write”:  Drafting Orders That Do the Job and Survive Appeal,  MDJA-MDJF Annual Meeting and Fall Education Conference (Brainerd, Minn., Sept. 2015).

Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, A Week in the Life of the Court, sponsored by the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society (St. Paul, Minn., June 2015).

Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Peeves, Preferences, and Punctuation:  Moderated Panel Discussion of Contrasting Styles in the Writing of Our Court’s Opinions, sponsored by the Quill and Bagel Society (St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 2014).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Common Errors in Criminal Proceedings, Tenth Judicial District Law Clerk C.L.E. (Buffalo, Minn., April 2014).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Motions to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim, Motions for Judgment on the Pleadings, and Summary Judgment Motions, Tenth Judicial District Winter C.L.E. (Anoka, Minn., Jan. 2014).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Recent Appellate Cases, Nine Days in June, Tenth Judicial District, sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association (Blaine, Minn., June 2013).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Insights into the Appellate Court Process, sponsored by the Ramsey County Bar Association Diversity Committee (St. Paul, Minn., Feb. 2013).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Hot Topics in Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Appeals, sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association Appellate Practice Section (St. Paul, Minn., Feb.  2013).

Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Appellate Decision-Making: You Can’t Always Get What You Want, But You Can Get What You Need, the 4th Annual Appellate Practice Institute, sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association Appellate Practice Section (Minneapolis, Minn., March 2010).

Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, First Impressions from the Appellate Bench, The 3rd Annual Appellate Practice Institute, sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association Appellate Practice Section (Minneapolis, Minn., March 2009).

Panelist, Continuing Judicial Education Seminar, “Order in the Court!” Maintaining Professionalism in the Courtroom, Bridging the Gap – Annual Conference of Judges (Bloomington, Minn., Dec. 2007).

Instructor, Continuing Judicial Education Seminar, The New Judge Experience, Minnesota District Judges Association Fall Conference (Brainerd, Minn., Sept. 2007).

Panelist, Continuing Judicial Education Seminar, “Order in the Court!” Maintaining Professionalism in the Courtroom, Annual Conference of Judges (Bloomington, Minn., Dec. 2005).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Trials and Tribulations, Juvenile Delinquency Representation, Jail Credit for E. J. J. Offenders, sponsored by the State of Minnesota, Board of Public Defense (Brainerd, Minn., Nov. 2003).

Group Leader, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Trials and Tribulations, Cross Examination, sponsored by the State of Minnesota, Board of Public Defense (Brainerd, Minn., Nov.  2003).

Group Leader, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Thinking Inside the Box: Minnesota Public Defender Leadership Conference, sponsored by the Minnesota State Public Defender (Red Wing, Minn., April 2002).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Juvenile Sex Offender Registration, sponsored by the Hennepin County Office of the Public Defender (Minneapolis, Minn., April 2002).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Advocacy Strategies for the New CHIPS Rules, sponsored by the State of Minnesota, Board of Public Defense (Brainerd, Minn., Sept. 2000).

Panelist, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Permanency in Minnesota: Redefining and Strengthening Families, sponsored by the Minnesota Supreme Court and Minnesota Department of Human Services (Brooklyn Center, Minn., June 2000).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, What’s New? The Rules of Juvenile Protection, sponsored by the Hennepin County Bar Association (Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 2000).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Juvenile Court: Between the Rainbow and the River Styx, sponsored by the Hennepin County Office of the Public Defender (Minneapolis, Minn., July 1998).

Instructor, Continuing Legal Education Seminar, An Overview of E.J.J. Law with Attention to Sentencing Implications in Adult Court, sponsored by the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Minneapolis, Minn., March  1998).

Personal

Judge Larkin resides in the Brainerd Lakes area with her husband, Joel Larkin.