Observers of the federal court in Duluth should have noticed by now: There's a new judge in town.

Leo I. Brisbois has been appointed U.S. magistrate judge for the District of Minnesota. Brisbois has been hearing cases in Duluth for about a month now.

"The U.S. magistrate judge in Duluth serves a large area across northern Minnesota. Leo Brisbois was raised in Hibbing, and his family are also members of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indians," U.S. Chief Judge Michael J. Davis said. "He is an experienced litigator and enjoys an outstanding reputation for maintaining the highest ethical standards and a commitment to public service, including his recent leadership as president of the Minnesota State Bar Association. The bench is confident that Brisbois will bring to the courtroom the same leadership, respect for others and commitment to service which he has demonstrated throughout his career."

Brisbois took the oath of office in Minneapolis Aug. 30. A formal ceremony will be held later this fall in the Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse and Customhouse in Duluth.

Davis and his colleagues appointed an 11-member panel of attorneys and business professionals to advise the court on magistrate candidates. It picked Brisbois.

Brisbois, 48, graduated from Hibbing High School and received undergraduate and law degrees from Hamline University. He was a partner with the Minneapolis law firm of Stich, Angell, Kreidler, Dodge & Unke, PA. Prior to that, he served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army.

U.S. magistrate judges are appointed for a term of eight years and can be reappointed to successive terms.

In other local federal judge news, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz has moved from the federal courthouse in St. Paul to the federal courthouse in downtown Minneapolis. His chambers and courtroom will be on the 14th floor in James Rosenbaum's former space.

James Walsh • 612-673-7428