Experience

Judge Harris brings more than a decade of judicial experience and a lifelong commitment to public service, having presided over thousands of cases while working to ensure equal justice for all Minnesotans.

Integrity

Judge Harris brings more than a decade of judicial experience and a lifelong commitment to public service, having presided over thousands of cases while working to ensure fairness, dignity, and equal justice for all Minnesotans.

Fairness

Judge Harris is committed to fairness, ensuring that every person who comes before the court is heard, treated with respect, and judged impartially under the law.

Community Focus

“As a long-time Minnesotan, my primary focus has been serving the community so that we all can live, work, and raise our families to our highest potential. I bring this same philosophy of work, service, and life to the courthouse every day as a Judge.”

High school mock trial coach at Saint Paul Public Schools.

Junior Achievement North volunteer.

Uplift Legal Institute for Teens volunteer.

Mentor for both the University of St. Thomas School of Law and the Minnesota State Bar Association Appellate Law Section mentorship programs.

Volunteered with Jack and Jill of Minnesota, contributing to its mock trial program and broader mission to develop leadership, academic achievement, and civic engagement among youth.

Coached youth athletics through the City of Saint Paul’s Jimmy Lee Recreation Center from 2004 to 2023.

Served on the Saint Paul Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission from 2007 to 2017, serving as chair from 2010 to 2017.

Served as co-chair of the Saint Paul Earned Safe and Sick Leave Task Force (2015).

Served as a member of the Minnesota State Board on Aging (2012–2013).


Experience. Integrity. Fairness.

Meet Judge JaPaul Harris

My name is JaPaul Harris, and I live in Saint Paul with my wife and our two children. I grew up in upstate New York, where I developed a deep appreciation for close-knit communities, hard work, and looking out for your neighbors. While my roots will always be part of who I am, Minnesota is the place where my family and I chose to build our lives. Over the years, this state and its people have welcomed us, shaped us, and given us a true sense of belonging. From a young age, I learned the importance of community, fairness, and public service—values that continue to guide my life and career today. That foundation led me to attend Syracuse University before moving to Minnesota to earn my law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

After law school, I dedicated my career to serving others as a staff attorney with legal aid, where I represented low-income residents and fought to protect their right to safe, affordable housing free from discrimination. I later served as supervising attorney of the Senior Law Project at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, advocating for senior citizens across Minnesota. My years in legal aid strengthened my legal expertise while also sharpening the communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills necessary to serve people facing some of life’s greatest challenges. Most importantly, that work reinforced my commitment to ensuring every person is treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.

In 2012, I was appointed District Court Judicial Referee in Hennepin County. In that role, I presided over more than 15,000 cases involving juvenile court, housing court , mental health civil commitments, criminal matters, and harassment cases. In May 2018, I was honored to be appointed as a district court judge in Ramsey County Minnesota. This trial court experience gave me a grounded understanding of how legal rules affect real people and how critical it is that those rules are applied fairly and consistently. As a judge, I have worked to provide leadership both inside and outside the courtroom.

In 2024, I had the great honor of being appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. As a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, I have developed a judicial writing style that emphasizes clarity and accessibility, ensuring that court decisions can be understood by litigants, attorneys, and the public alike. More importantly, they have reinforced the critical need for justices who are conscious of the needs of those who are seeking legal relief from the courts.

After years of serving this community professionally and as a volunteer, Minnesota is truly home. Our children attend Saint Paul Public Schools, and our family is grateful for everything this community has given us. I care deeply about Minnesota and the people who call it home. I love being part of this community, and that is why I am running to continue serving the people of Minnesota as a Judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. I am committed to equal justice under law and to strengthening public trust in the judiciary. I bring to the Court a combination of lived experience, professional depth across all levels of the justice system, and a steady commitment to fairness, independence, and clear legal reasoning in service to the people of Minnesota.

Experience Matters

Judge Harris brings 15 years of judicial experience, a record of fair, thoughtful decisions, and a lifelong

commitment to equal justice under law, earning the trust of families, neighborhoods, and colleagues across our community.

Appellate Judge, Minnesota Court of Appeals (April 2024–Present).

Serve as an appellate judge on Minnesota’s intermediate appellate court, which reviews decisions from district courts and administrative agencies. I hear oral arguments and review extensive written records in civil, criminal, juvenile,

family, and administrative matters. In 2024, I heard 74 cases and authored 38 decisions (28 non-precedential and 10 precedential). In 2025, I heard 129 cases and authored 59 opinions (5 precedential), including 1 dissent and 1 concurrence. In 2026 (year-to-date), I heard 62 cases and authored 24 opinions (5 precedential and 19 non-precedential).

District Court Judge, Second Judicial District (July 2018–April 2024).  

My judicial workload included approximately 1,886 cases in 2018 (including 5 felony jury trials), approximately 3,700 hearings in 2019 (including 11 criminal jury trials), approximately 1,460 hearings in 2020, approximately 3,187 hearings in 2021

(including 8 criminal jury trials), approximately 2,778 hearings in 2022 (including 8 criminal jury trials), and nearly 900 hearings in 2023 (including 2 criminal jury trials).

Judicial Referee, Fourth Judicial District (August 2012–July 2018).

Juvenile Court (2015–2018)

Housing Court (2012– 2017)

Mental Health Court ( 2014–2017)

Handled thousands of cases annually, including 1,102 cases in 2012, 3,462 cases in 2013, 2,701 cases in 2014, 2,215 cases in 2015, and 1,224 cases through July 2016.

Mitchell Hamline College of Law Adjunct Professor, (August 2011 – August 2014 and August 2019 – Present).

University of St. Thomas School of Law, Adjunct Professor, (August 2022 – Present)

Mid Minnesota Legal Aid Senior Law Project, Supervising Attorney, (May 2011 – August 2012).

University of Minnesota, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Public Affairs Policy Fellowship, (2007 – 2008).

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services Inc., (November 2003 – November 2008).

Leadership

  • Minnesota Judicial Council, Council Member (2024- Present),
  • Minnesota Supreme Committee for Equality and Justice, Co-Chair (January 2024 – Present), Committee Member (January 2014 – 2023),
  • Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society, Board Member (January 2026 – Present).
  • National Consortium of Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts, Board Member (March 2019 – Present).
  • Minnesota Supreme Court Juvenile Delinquency Rules Committee.
  • Minnesota Supreme Court Strategic Planning Committee, Committee member (May 2022 – Present).
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Council Member (2020-2024), Assembly Member (General Policy Committee Chair) (2020 – 2024).
  • Minnesota Judicial Branch Trial Skills Program, Trial Skills Instructor (May 2018 – Present).

Awards

  • 2024 Minnesota District Judges Foundation Presidents Award.
  • 2023 National Bar Association Judicial Council Chairs Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service.
  • 2020 Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers Presidents Award.
  • 2019 Minnesota Lawyer Diversity and Inclusion Award.
  • 2018 City of Saint Paul Proclamation, Mayor Melvin Carter III.
  • 2018 Hennepin County Bar Association Excellence Award for Improving Access to Justice.

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Judge JaPaul J. Harris is a principled, experienced judge committed to fairness, transparency, and equal treatment in every courtroom decision.

A Message from Judge Harris

Dear Fellow Minnesotans,

I decided to become a judge because I believe our courts should be fair, respectful, and open to everyone. People come to court during some of the hardest moments of their lives. They deserve a judge who will listen carefully, treat them with dignity, and make decisions based on the law and the facts.

I once heard someone say that people go to church to find peace, to hospitals to heal, and to schools to learn — but they go to courts for justice. I believe that is true. Minnesota courts must be a welcoming place that provides unbiased, law-based decisions for people facing serious, life-changing challenges. At the core of what we do

are real people with real problems living real lives, looking for real solutions and real compromise. I seek your support for me to continue to serve on the Minnesota Court of Appeals because I am prepared to deliver real remedies to real people while engaging fully with the nuance and complexity of the law. This work demands clarity,

discipline, and judgment, and I bring all three, grounded in years of experience making consequential decisions that affect people’s lives. with dignity and respect.

To me, justice means searching for the truth and doing what is fair and reasonable. That takes independence. Judges have an important responsibility, and we must use that responsibility carefully and fairly for every person who comes before us. I value the responsibility of resolving challenging legal questions and issuing decisions that are principled, clear, and grounded in the law. That work is not abstract, it carries real consequences, and I approach it with the seriousness it deserves. 

I have the experience, judgment, and compassion to serve the people of Minnesota well. I seek to continue to serve on the Minnesota Court of Appeals because I have a clear commitment to equal justice under law and the experience to carry it out. I will bring focus, discipline, and a deep sense of responsibility to the job, with the goal of strengthening the Court and upholding the rights of all people in Minnesota. If I earn your vote, I will bring to the bench my lived experience, my years of work throughout the justice system, and my strong commitment to fairness, independence, and clear decision-making. I also will bring my ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and to write decisions that are accessible, transparent, and worthy of public trust.

I respectfully ask for your support.

Sincerely,

JaPaul J. Harris

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