Joan N. Ericksen

Joan Nancy Ericksen (born in 1954), formerly known as Joan Ericksen Lancaster,^[1][2] is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Joan N. Ericksen
Chief Judge of the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2025
Preceded by	James Boasberg
Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Incumbent
Assumed office April 3, 2023
Appointed by	John Roberts
Preceded by	Thomas B. Russell
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
Incumbent
Assumed office October 15, 2019
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
In office May 1, 2002 – October 15, 2019
Appointed by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Paul A. Magnuson
Succeeded by	Katherine M. Menendez
Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
In office 1998–2002
Personal details
Born	St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Spouse	Peter Lancaster ​ (divorced)​
Children	2
Education	St. Olaf College (BA) University of Oxford (MA) University of Minnesota (JD)

Early life and education

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ericksen graduated from St. Olaf College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977 and later from University of Minnesota Law School with a Juris Doctor in 1981.^[3] She earned a Master of Arts degree in political theory from the University of Oxford.^[4]

Career

Ericksen began her legal career working in private practice from 1981 to 1983. She was an assistant United States attorney for the District of Minnesota from 1983 to 1993. She was in private practice in Minnesota from 1993 to 1995. She was a judge on the 4th Judicial District Court for Hennepin County, Minnesota, from 1995 to 1998. She was an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1998 to 2002.^[5]

Federal judicial service

Ericksen was nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2002, to the seat vacated by Judge Paul A. Magnuson. Ericksen was confirmed by the Senate by a 99–0 vote on April 25, 2002, and received her commission on May 1, 2002. She assumed senior status on October 15, 2019.^[6]

She was appointed as a judge to the United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court in 2023 and designated as chief judge in 2025.^[7]