Judge Currently Seated

Elizabeth G. Bentley

Minnesota Court of Appeals · Appointed August 1, 2024

Portrait of Elizabeth G. Bentley
Education and employment

Appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals on August 1, 2024, by Governor Tim Walz. Current term expires Jan. 2027.

Education:
B.A., Northwestern University, 2007, with honors
J.D., Harvard Law School, 2013, magna cum laude

Employment:
Visiting Assistant Professor and Director of the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic, University of Minnesota Law School

Special Counsel, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee (Senator Amy Klobuchar)

Associate, Jones Day

Law Clerk to the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Supreme Court

Managing Associate, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Law Clerk to the Honorable Robert A. Katzmann, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Law Clerk to the Honorable Jed S. Rakoff, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Legal Fellow, Vera Institute of Justice

Professional Memberships:
Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA)
Minnesota Women Lawyers
Federal Bar Association

Professional and Community Activities:
Governing Council, MSBA Appellate Practice Section

Executive Committee, Federal Bar Association-Minnesota Chapter

Board Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society

Committee Member, Federal Practice Committee of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota

Judicial record

278 opinions where Elizabeth G. Bentley sat on the panel, spanning 2024–2026.

99 Majority authored
178 Joined majority
1 Dissents

By court

  • Minn. Ct. App. 278

By disposition

  • Affirmed 197
  • Reversed 42
  • Mixed 31
  • Dismissed 4
  • Remanded 2
  • Other 2

Panel votes per year

How Elizabeth G. Bentley's panel-seat count has shifted year by year. Add ?vs=<another-judge-slug> to the URL to overlay a second judge, or click compare next to any co-panelist below.

0 30 60 90 120 150 2024 2025 2026 2024: 25 votes — Elizabeth G. Bentley 2025: 138 votes — Elizabeth G. Bentley 2026: 115 votes — Elizabeth G. Bentley
  • Elizabeth G. Bentley

Most-frequent co-panelists

Judges who appeared on the same opinions. aligned = same bucket (both majority, both dissent); partial = concurred in result but wrote separately; split = the meaningful disagreement (majority vs dissent).

Recent opinions

15 most recent opinions where Elizabeth G. Bentley sat on the panel.

Docket Court Filed Disposition Case
A25-1579 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-27 Affirmed State of Minnesota, Respondent,
A25-2048 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-27 Affirmed Maureen A. Wobig, Relator,
A25-2020 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-20 Affirmed State of Minnesota, Respondent,
A25-2169 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-20 Affirmed Sibley Plaza Limited Partners, LP, et al., Respondents,
A25-1657 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-20 Affirmed John Kevin Melina, petitioner, Appellant,
A25-1898 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-20 Affirmed A Resolution Reaffirming the Issuance of a Cannabis Retail Registration to Jiga…
A25-2210 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-20 Affirmed State of Minnesota, Appellant,
A25-1294 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-20 Reversed and remanded State of Minnesota, Respondent,
A25-1568 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-13 Affirmed Joe Schafer, et al., as Parents and Natural Guardians of Minor W.S., Appellants,
A25-1427 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-06 Affirmed State of Minnesota, Respondent,
A25-1684 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-06 Affirmed Jay D. Demars, Relator,
A25-1822 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-06 Affirmed Alpha News, Appellant,
A25-1855 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-06 Affirmed State of Minnesota, Respondent,
A25-2040 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-06 Reversed and remanded Dakota James Housman, Relator,
A25-2180 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-07-06 Affirmed Antonio F. Bragg, Relator,