--- title: "Rachel Hughey | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rachel-hughey-judge-fourth-judicial-district-mn" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-03" --- # Rachel Hughey Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court · Judge ## Profile - Court: Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court - State: Minnesota - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge Rachel Hughey is a nonpartisan judge of Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District, appointed in 2021 and re‐elected in 2022, serving until the end of 2028 - Employment: Merchant & Gould, P.C., Partner and Shareholder, 2003 to 2005, 2008 to 2021 - Employment: Carlson Caspers Vandenburgh & Lindquist, PA, Associate, 2006 to 2008 - Employment: United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Law clerk for the Honorable Alvin A. Schall, 2005 to 2006 ### Education - J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she was on the Law Review and the Order of the Coif. ### Additional information - Current term expires December 31, 2028. - Elected November 8, 2022. - Appointed by Governor Tim Walz on September 13, 2021 to replace the Honorable Margaret A. Daly. - Appointed/Elected: Appointed on Sept. - She has been recognized as a Patent 1000 practitioner and named among Minnesota’s “Best Lawyers” - In an interview, Hughey expressed excitement about broadening her legal experience beyond complex commercial litigation, and she cites judges James Rosenbaum, Mary Vasaly, and Alvin Schall as role models for courtroom control, community service, and humility - Hughey has served on the boards of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, Federal Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, and American Civil Liberties Union–MN. - She is a co‐founder of the Intellectual Property American Inn of Court and has held leadership roles in multiple legal and community organizations ## 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 ### remote hearing recording Scope: statewide Minnesota Judicial Branch remote-hearing guidance says recording or broadcasting a remote proceeding is not authorized except as provided by court rules. Evidence excerpt: No recording or broadcasting of any remote proceeding is authorized other than as provided by court rules. [Remote Hearing Information](https://mncourts.gov/remote-hearings) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### camera audio recording devices Scope: statewide Minnesota court guidance cites Rule 4 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice and says pictures or voice recordings are not allowed except the official court record. Evidence excerpt: According to Rule 4 of the MN Rules of General Practice for the District Courts, no pictures or voice recordings [Security & Weapons Screening - Going to Court](https://mncourts.gov/find-courts/hennepin/going-to-court/security-weapons-screening) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://mncourts.gov/about-the-courts/judicialdirectory/active-judicial-officers/04-district/rachel-hughey) - [Official roster](https://mncourts.gov/about-the-courts/judicialdirectory/active-judicial-officers/04-district/rachel-hughey) - [Minnesota Judicial Branch official judicial roster](https://mncourts.gov/about-the-courts/judicialdirectory/active-judicial-officers/04-district/rachel-hughey) - [Remote Hearing Information](https://mncourts.gov/remote-hearings) - [Security & Weapons Screening - Going to Court](https://mncourts.gov/find-courts/hennepin/going-to-court/security-weapons-screening) - [Judge Rachel Hughey](https://mncourts.gov/about-the-courts/judicialdirectory/active-judicial-officers/04-district/rachel-hughey) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rachel-hughey-judge-fourth-judicial-district-mn", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rachel-hughey-judge-fourth-judicial-district-mn", "name": "Rachel Hughey | KnowJudges", "description": "Rachel Hughey, Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court. 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Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://mncourts.gov/remote-hearings). Collected 2026-07-26. - [Security & Weapons Screening - Going to Court](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-c45898f557aa190822c0bdd8) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://mncourts.gov/find-courts/hennepin/going-to-court/security-weapons-screening). Collected 2026-07-26.