Gov. Tim Pawlenty reached around the standard judicial selection process Tuesday for one of his last appointees to Hennepin County District Court, naming Jamie L. Anderson, the 35-year-old wife of his deputy chief of staff, to the state's busiest bench.

Pawlenty also gave appointments to his staff counsel, Patrick Robben, and to a nurse-turned-lawyer, Mary Vasaly, who works for a respected downtown Minneapolis firm. The governor followed the standard selection process to make those two appointments.

The three appointees succeed Judges Tanja Manrique, Warren Sagstuen and Stephen Aldrich, respectively.

Anderson was a surprise choice because she works for a small firm, has not been a prominent lawyer and was not screened through the Commission on Judicial Selection. The nonpartisan commission sorts through applicants and provides the names of finalists to the governor.

Bypassing the selection process is legal, and other governors have done it. Under state law, the governor can skip the process if he is leaving office and has fewer than 60 days left in his term.

Gov. Arne Carlson went outside the process to appoint Manrique, his general counsel, to the bench in 1998 in his final days in office.

In 1990, Gov. Rudy Perpich, near the very end of his term, named seven judges, including his former campaign manager.

Anderson has been at the four-lawyer Howse and Thompson law firm in Plymouth since 2005. The firm's website said she practices estate planning and real estate law.

Anderson previously worked as the legislative affairs director for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and as a committee administrator with the Minnesota House of Representatives. She earned her law degree in 2000 from California Western School of Law in San Diego. She lives in Plymouth with her husband, longtime Pawlenty aide and now Deputy Chief of Staff Paul Anderson.

Gubernatorial spokesman Bruce Gordon said Pawlenty has known Jamie Anderson for a decade and "respects her legal ability and integrity."

Robben, 37, went through the screening process and was a recommended finalist. "Observing his work on a daily basis provides a significant opportunity to evaluate him as person and an attorney," Gordon said. "He also has the background and experience deserving of the appointment."

Pawlenty previously appointed Hennepin County District Judge Karen Janisch to the bench. She was his staff counsel when the commission chose her as a finalist.

Robben worked as a partner at the Rider Bennett law firm, where Pawlenty also worked. Robben is chairman of the Minnetonka Park Board and lives in Minnetonka with his wife and two children.

Vasaly, 58, is a partner at Maslon, Edelman, Borman and Brand, where she has worked since 1984. Before practicing law, Vasaly was a nurse at Hennepin County Medical Center from 1977 to 1982. She lives in Edina with her husband, Michael Wisneski. They have three grown children.

The judges will earn $128,000 a year. If they want to keep their seats, they will be required to stand for election.

Pawlenty announced the selections late in the day by written news release, which did not mention the name of Jamie Anderson's spouse, nor his position in the Pawlenty administration. Anderson didn't return calls to her office and home.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747