Grant Barry Anderson (born October 24, 1954) is a former associate justice of the
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center.
History
The court was first assemb ...
. He previously served as a member of the
Minnesota Court of Appeals
The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It began operating on November 1, 1983.
Jurisdiction
The Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over most appeals from the State court (United State ...
.
Early life and education
Anderson was born on October 24, 1954, and grew up in
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, Blue Earth, Nicollet County, Minnesota, Nicollet, and Le Sueur County, Minnesota, Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The ...
. He is a 1976 graduate of
Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavu ...
, receiving a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
, ''
magna cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
'', and a 1979 graduate of the
University of Minnesota Law School
The University of Minnesota Law School is the law school of the University of Minnesota, a public university in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school confers four law degrees: a Juris Doctor (J.D.), a Master of Laws (LL.M.), a Master of Science in Pa ...
, receiving a
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
.
Anderson was a general-practice lawyer in
Fairmont and then in
Hutchinson, where he served as city attorney for over a decade. He is certified as a civil trial specialist by the
Minnesota State Bar Association and is an experienced trial lawyer, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases.
Career

Anderson’s background includes service as chairman of the Board of Directors of Hutchinson Community Video Network, a local public-access television effort, two terms as President of the Hutchinson Rotary Club, and other community activities. More recently he has served as a member of the Minnesota Valley YMCA Community Board of Directors, as a youth athletics coach, and as a national judge of the “We the People” high school civics competition. Anderson has also served as the moderator of Pioneer PBS's "Your Legislators" for over 20 years. Anderson is a frequent contributor to continuing legal education efforts and has lectured on the use of expert witnesses and similar topics. He also serves on the Judicial Council, the statewide governing board for the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
Anderson served on the
Minnesota Court of Appeals
The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It began operating on November 1, 1983.
Jurisdiction
The Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over most appeals from the State court (United State ...
from August 1998 until 2004. He was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court by Governor
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James Pawlenty ( ; born November 27, 1960) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served from 2003 to 2011 as the 39th governor of Minnesota. A member of the Republican Party, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House ...
in 2004, beginning October 13, 2004.
In 2006, he was elected to a six-year term.
Dean Barkley, who briefly served as a
U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
from Minnesota in 2002 after the death of
Paul Wellstone
Paul David Wellstone (July 21, 1944 – October 25, 2002) was an American academic, author, and politician who represented Minnesota in the United States Senate from 1991 until he was killed in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota, in 2002. A m ...
, ran against Anderson in the 2012 election. Anderson won reelection to another six-year term with 58.9% of the vote. He retired on May 10, 2024.
References
External links
*
Judge Profile: Associate Justice G. Barry Anderson Minnesota Judicial Branch.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Barry
1954 births
21st-century American judges
Gustavus Adolphus College alumni
Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Living people
Minnesota Court of Appeals judges
People from Fairmont, Minnesota
People from Hutchinson, Minnesota
Politicians from Mankato, Minnesota
University of Minnesota Law School alumni