2023 marks the 40th Anniversary of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. A constitutional amendment was passed on November 3, 1982 by the citizens of Minnesota to overhaul the appeals process by creating an intermediate court of appeals. The first six judges were sworn in on November 2, 1983. This exhibit tells the story of the journey from the decision that a new court was needed to the current court.

Doing Minnesota Justice

In the 1960s and 1970s, the number of appeals in Minnesota soared, overburdening the Minnesota Supreme Court and threatening the right to a meaningful first appeal for all Minnesotans. The solution: the creation of an intermediate appellate court whose mission would be to provide the people of the State of Minnesota with impartial, clear, and timely appellate decisions. This video documents the 1982 campaign for the constitutional amendment to create the Minnesota Court of Appeals and describes the work and values of the court, from its earliest days to the present. Originally commissioned in celebration of the court’s 25th anniversary in 2008, this recently revised documentary may be of interest to any student of the history of Minnesota and its judiciary.