Biography

Joe Quinn's Professional career

• Grew up on a beef and corn farm in western Minnesota
• Attended a one room country school for eight years
• Married Carolie Theisen Quinn forty five years ago
• Graduated St. John's Preparatory School 1960
• Graduated St. John's University with a BA in English and Political Science in 1966
• Graduated from Hamline University School of Law J.D. Dec. 1977
• Worked as a farmer, insurance claims person, lawyer, legislator and judge.

Future Chief Judge Joe Quinn and future Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz
confer on the floor of the Minnesota House of Representatives 1983.

A distinguished career

• In 2004 Judge Quinn was chosen by Democrats and Republicans of the Minnesota Senate to resolve an election dispute.   The law allowed them to chose any of Minnesota's 270 judges. Both parties chose Judge Quinn. He heard the case, decided and was not appealed. 
• In sixteen years of cases decided from murders to family law, Judge Quinn was only rarely reversed (only four times).
• Joe Quinn received the honor of being named "Legislator of the Year" by Politics in Minnesota in 1989.  Read the article from Politics in Minnesota.
• Elected by the other judges of his 41 judge district as Assistant Chief and Chief Judge for eight of sixteen years on the bench.
• Resolved and mediated all but of six of the hundreds of dissolution cases assigned him, avoiding the pain parties suffer in a trial.
• Hamline University School of Law Alumni of the Year Award.
• Speaker Pro Tem of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
• Represented the State of Minnesota at the 125th anniversary/rededication of the Gettysburg Battlefield.