---
title: "Elsa M Bullard | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/elsa-m-bullard-minnesota-us-magistrate"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-08"
---

# Elsa M Bullard

U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota · U.S. Magistrate Judge

## Profile

- Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- State: Minnesota
- Role: U.S. Magistrate Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-29

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### civil remote testimony

Scope: courtwide

In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards.

Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location.

[Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### criminal recording and broadcasting

Scope: courtwide

Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception.

Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.

[Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=78)
- [Official roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=78)
- [U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=78)
- [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure)
- [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts)

## JSON-LD

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/elsa-m-bullard-minnesota-us-magistrate",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/elsa-m-bullard-minnesota-us-magistrate",
      "name": "Elsa M Bullard | KnowJudges",
      "description": "Elsa M Bullard, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.",
      "dateModified": "2026-10-08",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website"
      },
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/elsa-m-bullard-minnesota-us-magistrate#judge"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/elsa-m-bullard-minnesota-us-magistrate#judge",
      "name": "Elsa M Bullard",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/elsa-m-bullard-minnesota-us-magistrate",
      "jobTitle": "U.S. Magistrate Judge",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
        "name": "U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=78"
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "KnowJudges",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "Minnesota",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/minnesota"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "Elsa M Bullard",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/elsa-m-bullard-minnesota-us-magistrate"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

## Biography

### Professional career

- Elsa M. Bullard currently serves as a Federal Magistrate Judge in the District of Minnesota, filling the vacancy left by Judge Tony N. Leung’s retirement in May 2025
- She emphasizes public service and access to justice, noting the challenges faced by individuals without legal representation
- Her role requires balancing a large caseload while ensuring fair and efficient administration of justice
- Her transition from a predominantly civil law practice to the magistrate judge role involved learning criminal law and managing a fast-paced caseload, highlighting her adaptability and dedication to the judiciary

### Education


### Additional information

- She officially took her oath and was formally invested on September 25, 2025, at the Renaissance Depot Hotel in Minneapolis, in a ceremony presided over by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz
- Magistrate judges in Minnesota serve renewable eight-year terms, and Bullard is one of seven full-time magistrate judges in the district
- Before her judicial appointment, Bullard had a distinguished career in private practice
- Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, where she specialized in business litigation, including environmental law, consumer claims, and contract disputes
- Her investiture ceremony included personal touches, such as musical performances by family and remarks from former colleagues, reflecting her strong community and professional connections Elsa Bullard’s career demonstrates a blend of private legal expertise, military service, and public judicial service, making her a respected figure in Minnesota’s federal judiciary
- As a magistrate judge, Bullard handles a wide range of civil and criminal matters, including pretrial proceedings, case management, and issuing recommendations to district judges



## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
- [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.