Appointed by Rudy Perpich Role Lawyer Name Rosalie Wahl | Succeeded by Edward C. Stringer Preceded by Harry H. MacLaughlin | |
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Full Name Sara Rosalie Erwin Born August 27, 1924
Gordon, Kansas ( 1924-08-27 ) Spouse(s) Roswell Wahl (1946–1972; divorced) Died July 22, 2013, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States Education William Mitchell College of Law, University of Kansas | ||
Sara Rosalie Wahl (née Erwin; August 27, 1924 – July 22, 2013) was an American lawyer and judge from Minnesota. She was the first woman in state history named to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Born in Caney, Kansas, Wahl earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in 1946. She received her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law two decades later, in 1967. From 1967 to 1973, she worked as an Assistant State Public Defender. In 1977, she became the first woman to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court, having been appointed by Governor Rudy Perpich. She served on the court until her retirement in 1994. Wahl died on July 22, 2013 at the age of 88.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea issued a statement on the death of former Justice Wahl:
"Rosalie Wahl was a trailblazer for our state, both as a lawyer and as the first woman to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. While on the court she led efforts to address both gender fairness and racial bias in our state’s justice system. She will be remembered with fondness and respect for her unwavering commitment to the principle of equal justice for all." In an interview with Peter Shea done in 2003 she talks about her post-retirement role as a "public citizen," including her work as a peace activist.
Wahl also served as an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law and the University of Minnesota Law School.
There is a book about Wahl, titled Her Honor: Rosalie Wahl and the Minnesota Women's Movement, which was published in 2014.