[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced the appointment of Max Schafer-LaCoursiere and Symon Schindler-Syme as District Court Judges in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District. The seats will be chambered in Warren in Marshall County and Crookston in Polk County.

Max Schafer-LaCoursiere will replace the Honorable Anne M. Rasmusson for a seat chambered in Marshall County. 

“The people of Marshall County will be well served by Max Schafer-LaCoursiere,” said Governor Walz. “He has a wealth of legal experience that will make him a great judge, but more importantly, he possesses the character and compassion to truly see the people who appear before him. Those qualities will make him an exceptional judge.” 

Symon Schindler-Syme will replace the Honorable Jeffrey S. Remick for a seat chambered in Polk County. 

“Symon Schindler-Syme is a talented litigator who will bring a thoughtful and balanced perspective to this role,” said Governor Walz. “Each day, he will take the bench prepared, focused, and committed to administering justice fairly to all. His dedication to the rule of law and public service makes him exceptionally well suited for this position.” 

Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District encompasses Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau Counties. 

About Max Schafer-LaCoursiere 
Max Schafer-LaCoursiere is an assistant public defender in the Ninth District Public Defender’s Office in Thief River Falls, where he represents clients throughout Northwestern Minnesota. He previously served as an assistant county attorney in the Pennington County Attorney’s Office and as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Tamara L. Yon in the Ninth Judicial District. Schafer-LaCoursiere is president of the Oxbow Foundation. He also volunteers with the Association of the French of the North and serves on the University of Minnesota Extension Committee for Red Lake County. He earned his B.A. from the University of North Dakota and his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law. 

About Symon Schindler-Syme 
Symon Schindler-Syme is an assistant county attorney in the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office, where he handles criminal and appellate cases. He was previously an assistant public defender in the Ninth Judicial District. Schindler-Syme’s community involvement includes volunteering with the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch, the Minnesota County Attorney’s Association Criminal Law Committee, the Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society, and Bemidji Great River Rescue. He earned his B.A. from St. Cloud State University and his J.D. from Seattle University School of Law. 

For more information about the judicial selection process, please visit the Governor’s Judicial Appointments webpage.