[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced that Jenny Starr has been appointed as the next Chief Administrative Law Judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings. Ms. Starr will begin serving as Chief Judge on September 3, 2019, for a term expiring on June 30, 2025. She will be replacing the Honorable William Marshall, who has been serving as the Acting Chief Judge since July 1, 2019.

“It’s an honor to appoint Jenny Star to Chief Administrative Law Judge,” said Governor Walz. “Her ability to make fair and impartial decisions will serve the Office of Administrative Hearings well. She is well-versed in the law and her record demonstrates a strong dedication to public service. I have no doubt Jenny will lead in this position and office far beyond our expectations.”

The Governor and Lieutenant Governor asked a panel made up of leadership in the Administration and legal community to solicit applications, review candidates, and recommend finalists for appointment. The panel included Karl Procaccini, the Governor’s General Counsel, Commissioner Alice Roberts Davis, Commissioner Nancy Leppink, Beverly Heydinger, former Public Utilities Commission Chair, Kathy Bray, SFM Mutual Insurance Vice President, and Eric Beyer, an attorney with SiebenCarey. The Governor also interviewed the Honorable Kirsten Tate.

About Jenny Starr

Ms. Starr currently serves as Assistant Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Revenue. She is responsible for the department’s Corporate Franchise Tax Division, Sales and Use Tax Division, Special Taxes Division, Criminal Investigations Division, and Collection Division. Starr has been with the department since 2007, serving as an attorney in the department’s legal services division prior to her appointment as Assistant Commissioner.

Prior to joining the department, Starr provided free legal services to low-income families at Legal Assistance of Dakota County and clerked at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, clerked at Bet Tzedek Legal Services and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, and served as a volunteer advocate for the Chrysalis Center for Women.

Starr graduated Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, and Summa Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts. 

The Office of Administrative Hearings is an administrative court that holds fair and impartial hearings in contested cases involving challenges to government action or workers’ compensation disputes. The office also exercises general supervision over state agency rulemaking. The Chief Administrative Law Judge must be learned in the law and is appointed by the Governor for a term of six years, with advice and consent of the Senate. The Chief Judge is responsible for appointing other administrative law judges and compensation judges as necessary to fulfill the duties of the office.