Theodora Gaïtas
Education and employment
Education:
J.D., cum laude, University of Minnesota Law School, 1994
B.A., summa cum laude, University of Minnesota, 1991
American Community School of Athens, Greece, elementary, middle school, and high school, graduated 1987
Employment:
Attorney, Matonich Law, P.C., 2013-2018
Assistant Public Defender, Office of the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender, 1998-2013
Judicial Clerk, Honorable Robert H. Schumacher, Minnesota Court of Appeals, 1997
Assistant Public Defender, Bucks County Public Defender's Office, PA, 1994-1996
Law Clerk, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, 1993-1994
Professional Activities:
Minnesota Supreme Court:
Liaison, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Rules of Evidence
Liaison, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Rules of Juvenile Delinquency Procedure
Liaison, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Special Rules of Civil Commitment Procedure
Liaison, Minnesota Board of Continuing Legal Education
Liaison, Minnesota Board of Legal Certification
Liaison, Seventh Judicial District and Tenth Judicial District
Minnesota Court of Appeals:
Co-Chair, Equal Justice Committee
Co-Chair, Law Clerk Recruiting Committee
Co-Chair, Tribal Court/State Court Forum
District Court:
Co-Chair, Domestic Violence Steering Committee, Hennepin County District Court
Volunteer, Minnesota High School Mock Trial
Attorney:
Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Minnesota Rules of Evidence, 2015-2020
Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure, 2013-2016
Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure, 2001-2007
Adjunct Professor of Law, William Mitchell College of Law
Criminal Procedure: Minnesota Practice, 2007-2010
Appellate Advocacy, 2002-2003
Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Minnesota Law School
Criminal Appeals Clinic, 1998-1999
Community Activities:
Volunteer, Wilder Foundation, Meals on Wheels, 2023-present
Volunteer, Minneapolis Public Schools Reader/Writer Program, 2024-present
Mentor, MSBA Appellate Practice Section Mentorship Program, 2025-present
Board Member, Twin Cities Theater Camp, 2017-2020
Secretary, Children of Incarcerated Caregivers Board of Directors, 2015-2018
Chair and Board Member, Jungle Theater, 2013-2018
Memberships:
Minnesota State Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Minnesota District Court Judges Association
Minnesota Women Lawyers
Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society
Judicial record
55 opinions where Theodora Gaïtas sat on the panel, spanning 2021–2026.
By court
By disposition
Panel votes per year
How Theodora Gaïtas's panel-seat count has shifted year by year. Overlaid with Tracy M. Smith for comparison (drop the overlay).
- Theodora Gaïtas
- Tracy M. Smith
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).
- Elise L. Larson 8 shared 8 aligned compare
- Renee Worke 8 shared 7 aligned 1 partial compare
- Sarah I. Wheelock 8 shared 7 aligned 1 split compare
- Francis J. Connolly 7 shared 6 aligned 1 split compare
- Tracy M. Smith 7 shared 7 aligned compare
- Jennifer L. Frisch 5 shared 4 aligned 1 partial compare
- Gordon Moore, III 4 shared 1 aligned 1 partial 2 split compare
- Sarah E. Hennesy 4 shared 4 split compare
- Anne K. McKeig 3 shared 1 partial 2 split compare
- Kevin G. Ross 3 shared 2 aligned 1 split compare
Recent opinions
15 most recent opinions where Theodora Gaïtas sat on the panel.