Susan Segal was appointed chief judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals on April 13. Segal will serve the remainder of Edward J. Cleary’s term as chief of the court, which ends on October 31, 2022. Cleary announced his retirement effective April 30 in the fall of 2019.

A graduate of University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan Law School, Segal becomes the second woman to serve as chief judge in the court’s 36 year history.  She was  appointed  to the appellate court in November 2019 following the retirement of Jill Flaskamp Hallbrooks after working at  several firms and serving as the Minneapolis City Attorney for twelve years.  According to Minneapolis Mayor  Jacob Frey,  “She’s a small Jewish woman with a mountainous personality.   She’ll drum you into the ground if you’re not falling on the side of justice. She handles herself with grace, poise, and an occasional flourish of profanity, and I love her.”The Court of Appeals’ decisions are the final ruling in about 95 percent of the 2,000 to 2,400 appeals filed every year. Typically, approximately 5 percent of the court’s decisions are accepted by the Minnesota Supreme Court for further review.

Addendum- June 12, 2020

In  an interview in the Minnesota Lawyer, Judge Segal reflected on her new role, having been elevated to Chief judge only months after first donning a robe  for the first time in her life at age 64.    https://minnlawyer.com/2020/06/11/qa-appellate-chief-judge-susan-segal-reflects-on-new-role/

Read more:

http://www.mncourts.gov/About-The-Courts/Overview/JudicialDirectory/Bio.aspx?jid=1769

https://minnlawyer.com/2020/04/17/segal-named-minnesota-court-of-appeals-chief-judge/

https://www.startribune.com/susan-segal-named-chief-judge-of-state-court-of-appeals/569613512/