Sam Hanson

{{Short description|American judge}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Sam Hanson | image = | office1 = Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court | appointer1 = Jesse Ventura | term_start1 = September 3, 2002 | term_end1 = January 1, 2008 | predecessor1 = Joan N. Ericksen | successor1 = Christopher Dietzen | office2 = Judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals | appointer2 = Jesse Ventura | term_start2 = November 2000 | term_end2 = September 3, 2002 | predecessor2 = | successor2 = Wilhelmina Wright | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|8|26}} | birth_place = Mankato, Minnesota, U.S. | dead = | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Mirja | children = 6 }} '''Samuel Lee Hanson'''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinamerica0000unse_i4q1/page/442/mode/2up|title=Who's Who in American Law, 2005-2006|year=2005|publisher=Marquis Who's Who|page=443|isbn=978-0-8379-3522-5 }}</ref> (born August 26, 1939) is an American lawyer and judge from the state of Minnesota. He served on the Minnesota Court of Appeals from 2000 to 2002 and as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 2002 to 2008. When not serving on the bench, he has practiced with the Minneapolis law firm of Briggs & Morgan.

==Biography== Hanson earned an undergraduate degree in economics and istory from St. Olaf College in 1961. He received a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in 1965.

After law school, Hanson clerked for future Chief Justice Douglas Amdahl and Justice Robert Sheran before joining Briggs & Morgan, where he specialized in civil litigation and utility regulation. In 2000, he was appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals by Governor Jesse Ventura,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2002-08-30|title=Minnesota Supreme Court, Court of Appeals to Swear in Newest Members September 3|url= https://www.mncourts.gov/About-The-Courts/NewsAndAnnouncements/ItemDetail.aspx?id=138|access-date=2024-05-18|website=mncourts.gov|language=en}}</ref> where he served until his appointment to the Supreme Court. In 2007, he announced that he would step down from the Court, effective at the beginning of 2008.<ref>{{cite web| last =Stawicki| first =Elizabeth| title =Hanson steps down from state Supreme Court| publisher =Minnesota Public Radio| date =2007-11-11| url =http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/10/11/hansonretires/| accessdate =2007-11-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-10-11|title=Justice Hanson Announces Retirement from Minnesota Supreme Court|url= https://www.mncourts.gov/About-The-Courts/NewsAndAnnouncements/ItemDetail.aspx?id=54|access-date=2024-05-18|website=mncourts.gov|language=en}}</ref> Governor Tim Pawlenty named Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Christopher Dietzen to succeed Justice Hanson.<ref>{{cite web| title= Pawlenty Taps Dietzen for Minnesota Supreme Court| url =http://wcco.com/local/minnesota.supreme.court.2.596588.html| accessdate =2007-12-04}}</ref>

Hanson and his wife, Mirja, have six children: Greta, Chrystina, Benjamin, Leif, Luke, and Jai.

==References== {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-legal}} {{succession box | title=Associate Justice<br>Minnesota Supreme Court | before=Joan N. Ericksen | years='''2002-2008''' | after=Christopher Dietzen}} {{s-end}} {{MNJustices}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanson, Sam}} Category:1939 births Category:Living people Category:Minnesota Court of Appeals judges Category:Minnesota lawyers Category:Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court Category:St. Olaf College alumni Category:William Mitchell College of Law alumni