Tracy M. Smith (’88) Named to Minnesota Court of Appeals

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has appointed Tracy M. Smith (’88) to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, effective Feb. 2, 2016. She will replace Judge John P. Smith (no relation), who is retiring. Tracy Smith has been the University of Minnesota’s deputy general counsel since 2013, after serving as an associate in the general counsel’s office since 1994. She previously clerked for Judge Max Rosenn of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit and was a prosecutor in the Minnesota attorney general’s office, representing the state in consumer fraud investigations and lawsuits, working on civil antitrust investigations, and handling a number of criminal appeals. As a student at the Law School, she was articles editor of the Minnesota Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif.

In announcing the appointment, Gov. Dayton said, “Throughout her career, Tracy Smith has managed an impressive variety of complex legal issues. From representing Minnesota’s largest university to representing the state and its agencies in the office of the attorney general, Ms. Smith’s professional legal experiences have prepared her for success on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. I am confident she will be an exceptional judge.”

Smith is actively involved with the Minneapolis Public Schools, volunteering at Southwest High School and having served on the Minneapolis Public Schools Advisory Committee on Global Languages and the Minneapolis Kids Advisory Board. She has also volunteered as a teacher for English language learners at Neighborhood House in St. Paul. “Service on the court of appeals is a great privilege,” she said. “I am honored to have the opportunity and mindful of the solemn obligation all judges have to the people they serve.”