Veena Iyer appointed district judge in Minnesota

Veena Iyer, Indian American executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM), has been appointed as a district judge in the second judicial district, covering Ramsey County, in Minnesota by Gov. Tim Walz.

Iyer will be replacing JaPaul J. Harris and will be chambered in St. Paul in Ramsey County, according to an announcement from the governor’s office.

“I am honored to appoint Veena Iyer to the Ramsey County bench,” said Walz. “Her diverse practice background and understanding of the impact that our justice system has on the many communities it serves gives me the confidence that she will be a fair and balanced judge.”

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Iyer described her appointment as “truly bittersweet,” expressing her deep attachment to ILCM and its community spirit. “I will miss ILCM, a community like no other in its tenacity, resilience, creativity, empathy, and compassion. However, I am honored that Governor Walz has entrusted me to serve the residents of Ramsey County and to ensure justice for all.”

“As the child of immigrants, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as the executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and I am proud of all we have done together to support immigrant and refugee families across Minnesota and North Dakota,” she remarked.

The appointment marks a significant transition for Iyer, who will be departing from her role at ILCM after several weeks to assume her new responsibilities on the bench

Iyer was previously a shareholder at Nilan Johnson Lewis and an Equal Justice Works fellow at Legal Aid Chicago. Iyer was also a law clerk for Natalie Hudson on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Susan Burke on the Fourth Judicial District, and Matthew Kennelly on the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

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Her community involvement includes leadership roles with the Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association and Minnesota Women Lawyers.

Iyer also serves on the Board of Regents of Augsburg University and the Community Advisory Board of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. She received her BA from the University of Chicago and JD from Harvard Law School.