Sophia Y. Vuelo

Sophia Y. Vuelo is a Hmong-American judge for the Second Judicial District in Ramsey County, Minnesota. She was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton (D) on November 30, 2017, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Margaret M. Marrinan.[1]

Early life and education

Vuelo was born in Laos.[2] Her father had been killed in combat prior to her birth.[2][3] With her mother and siblings, she immigrated to Eau Claire, Wisconsin where she attended Memorial High School, where she was senior class president in 1990.[2][3][4] Her name was formerly Yeu Vue;[3][4] she changed her first name to Sophia because her Hmong name was mispronounced, and when she married, joined her husband's last name, Lo, to hers to form Vuelo.[3] Vuelo earned an BA in history in 1995 from the University of Minnesota,[2][5] and a J.D. from the Hamline University School of Law.[2]

Career

Vuelo has worked as an assistant city attorney in Rochester, Minnesota,[2][3][6] managing attorney and case manager at Catholic Charities,[2][7] and assistant public defender and special assistant attorney in Ramsey County, Minnesota.[2] She then ran her own law firm, dealing with juvenile detention, family and criminal cases, before being appointed a judge on the Ramsey County District Court in November 2017.[2][4] She was sworn on January 4, 2018,[2] becoming the first Hmong-American judge in Minnesota, and reportedly the third in the U.S.[2]

References
  1. "Sophia Vuelo". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  2. Xiong, Chao (5 January 2018). "Minnesota swears in first Hmong-American judge". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  3. Klein, Michael (6 March 2002). "Working their way up". Leader-Telegram. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. pp. 1, 6. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  4. Casler, Ember (2 January 2018). "Eau Claire graduate becomes first Hmong American judge in Minnesota". www.weau.com. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  5. "Accolades Fall 2017". University of Minnesota. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  6. Mercer, Anastasia (6 December 2004). "Are we failing women of color?". La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin. p. C1. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  7. Hollnagel, Gayda (17 August 2005). "Officials: Hmong resettlement going well". The La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin. pp. B1-2. Retrieved 16 November 2019.


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