Associate Justice Karl Procaccini made history becoming the first Muslim to sit on the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The Minnesota Supreme Court marked a historic first as Associate Justice Karl Procaccini was formally installed to his post during a ceremony fittingly held at the History Center. Procaccini is the first person of Muslim faith — he converted to Islam before marriage — to sit on the court.

Hundreds of current and former elected officials, justices, judges, attorneys and others filled the auditorium for the traditional investiture ceremony in which Chief Justice Natalie Hudson also made history as the first person of color to lead the court. Both were appointed to their roles by Gov. Tim Walz in August and took their initial oaths via signature in early October.

In his remarks, Procaccini said he would use his role to protect the rule of law.

Procaccini, 40, comes from a University of St. Thomas School of Law teaching position. He also spent time as general counsel to Gov. Tim Walz in his first term.

Procaccini helped orchestrate the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a large part of why Walz chose to appoint him.

“At the heart of those decisions, at a time when lives were in the balance. It was Justice Karl Procaccini who was there to make sure that we were doing things the right way,” Walz said. “Decision after decision after decision, what I saw was always in the best interest of Minnesotans with the highest ethics.”

On November 15, 2023, US President Joe Biden nominated Adeel A. Mangi, a Harvard- and Oxford-trained lawyer, to the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, based in Philadelphia.

It comes two years after Biden nominated the first Muslim to a federal district court, Zahid N. Quraishi, who was confirmed by the Senate for a judgeship in New Jersey.

Source: MPR News