Eric C. Tostrud

Eric Christian Tostrud (born 1965) is an American jurist serving as the chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Early life and education Tostrud was born 1965 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and a Juris Doctor degree in 1990 from the William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul.

Career Clerkship After graduating from law school, Tostrud served as a law clerk to Judge Edward Devitt of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota and to Judge George MacKinnon of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. During his 26 years at the firm, he maintained a complex commercial litigation practice almost exclusively in federal court, with emphasis in complex insurance law, health care law, and ERISA. Tostrud serves on the full-time faculty at Mitchell Hamline School of Law as the Distinguished Practitioner in Residence. He teaches federal jurisdiction and federal court procedural law. On February 15, his nomination was sent to the United States Senate. Tostrud was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Donovan W. Frank, who assumed senior status on October 31, 2016. On April 11, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. On May 10, his nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote. On September 6, his nomination was confirmed by voice vote. Tostrud became chief judge of the court in 2026.