Karl Procaccini

Karl Procaccini (born February 1, 1983) is an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. After a legal career that included private practice, public service, and teaching law, he was appointed to the Court by Governor Tim Walz in 2023 and elected to a full six-year term in 2024.

Education

Procaccini grew up in Mystic, Connecticut, where he attended public schools and graduated from Robert E. Fitch Senior High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Harvard College, a Master of Laws in international and comparative law from The American University in Cairo, and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2010, where he was an editor of the Harvard Human Rights Journal.

Career

Procaccini began his legal career as a clerk for Judge Diana E. Murphy of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and Chief Judge Michael J. Davis of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. He was later a partner at Greene Espel PLLP, where he represented clients in complex business and commercial disputes, in both litigation and arbitration. He also advised clients on sensitive internal investigations and global compliance matters. While in private practice, Procaccini devoted significant time to pro bono representation, providing free legal services, and was repeatedly recognized by the Minnesota State Bar Association for his pro bono work. He also received the 2021 Public Attorney Award of Excellence from the Public Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Professional and community involvement Procaccini has led the International Business Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Procaccini said he would recuse himself from cases in which he had acted as a lawyer for one of his former clients. The first Muslim on the court,

2024 election In 2024, Procaccini faced a contested statewide election to retain his seat. being selected as a John Kenneth Galbraith Scholar, and receiving the John Petersen Elder, James Gordon Bennett, and Thomas T. Hoopes prizes. He served as a Writing Center Fellow while attending the American University in Cairo. an article in the University of St. Thomas Law Journal about Minnesota's pardons process, and book chapters about attorney-client privilege. He has also presented at numerous continuing education conferences.

Personal life

Procaccini is married to Nayla Hamdi, a psychologist in the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. He converted to Islam when he married.