Laura Provinzino

District of Minnesota
	Eighth Circuit
Judgeships
	Posts: 7
	Judges: 7
	Vacancies: 0
Judges
	Chief: Patrick Schiltz
	Active judges: ; Jerry Blackwell, Nancy E. Brasel, Jeffrey M. Bryan, Katherine M. Menendez, Laura Provinzino, Patrick Schiltz, Eric Tostrud; Senior judges:; Donald Alsop, Michael James Davis, David Doty, Joan Ericksen, Donovan Frank, Paul Magnuson, Ann Montgomery, Susan Richard Nelson, John Tunheim, Wilhelmina M. Wright

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
	Name: Laura Margarete Provinzino
	Court: United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
Progress
	Confirmed 91 days after nomination.
	Nominated: June 13, 2024
	ABA Rating: Well qualified
	Questionnaire: Questionnaire
	Hearing: July 10, 2024
	Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript
	QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
	Reported: August 1, 2024
	Confirmed: September 12, 2024
	Vote: 54-41

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Laura Margarete Provinzino is a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. She was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden (D) on June 13, 2024, and confirmed by the United States Senate on September 12, 2024, by a vote of 54-41.^[1]^[2]^[3] To see a full list of judges appointed by Joe Biden, click here.

The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Prior to joining the court, Provinzino was an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.^[4]^[1]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (2024-present)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden

On June 13, 2024, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Provinzino to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. ^[1] She was confirmed by a 54-41 vote of the U.S. Senate on September 12, 2024.^[2] Provinzino received commission on September 16, 2024.^[3] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Provinzino by a vote of 54-41 on September 12, 2024.^[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Provinzino confirmation vote (September 12, 2024)
Party	Yea	Nay	No vote
Democratic	46	0	1
Republican	4	41	4
Independent	4	0	0
Total	54^[5]	41	5

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Provinzino's nomination on July 10, 2024. Provinzino was reported to the full Senate on August 1, 2024, after a 12-8 committee vote.^[6] Click here for a list of other nominees awaiting a committee vote.

Nomination

On June 13, 2024, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Laura Margarete Provinzino to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

The American Bar Association (ABA) rated Provinzino well qualified.^[7] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Provinzino was nominated to replace Judge Wilhelmina Wright, who assumed senior status on February 15, 2023.^[8]

Biography

Early life and education

Provinzino was born in 1975 in St. Cloud, Minnesota. She earned a bachelor's degree from Lewis & Clark College in 1998, an additional bachelor's degree from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar in 2000, and a law degree from Yale Law School in 2003.^[4]^[3]

Professional career

2024-present: Judge, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
2010-2024: Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota
- 2023-2024: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons AUSA
- 2022-2023: Deputy chief, Violent and Major Crimes
- 2018-2022: Deputy chief, Major Crimes
- 2014-2018: Human Trafficking Coordinator
- 2012-2014: Project Safe Childhood Coordinator
2006-2010: Litigation associate
2004-2006: Wellstone Legal Fellow, The Advocates for Human Rights
2004-2003: Law clerk for Judge Diana E. Murphy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit^[4]^[3]

About the court

The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota is one of 94 United States district courts. It was established by an act of Congress on March 17, 1849. The main headquarters of the court is based in Minneapolis at the Warren E. Berger Federal Building and Courthouse along with other locations in Saint Paul, Duluth, and Fergus Falls. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, based in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, at the Thomas F. Eagleton Federal Courthouse and Building.

Minnesota counties (click for larger map)

The District of Minnesota has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The jurisdiction of the District of Minnesota consists of all the counties in the state of Minnesota.

To read opinions published by this court, click here.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.

As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.

After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.

If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.

The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.

If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.