MN's newest Supreme Court justice looking forward to challenges, rewards of the job

Former Minnesota House Speaker and former candidate for governor Paul Thissen was sworn in as Minnesota's newest state Supreme Court justice during a ceremony at Landmark Center in St. Paul on Tuesday.

Thissen said he is looking forward to the challenges and rewards of his new job.

Thissen was named to the court after dropping out of a crowded field for the DFL nomination for governor after a poor caucus showing in February.

Thissen has been an attorney with some of the area's top law firms and represented Minneapolis in the legislature until this past spring. Gov. Mark Dayton chose Thissen to fill an open seat on the court, after former Justice David Stras was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Thissen said Tuesday he's eager to get to work.

"I think I'm going like the time to think," he said, "the chance to really understand people's stories and to try to do justice by them. I think those are the things that are going to matter most to me."

At 51 years old, Thissen could potentially serve for almost two decades before hitting the mandatory retirement age.