Hon. Christine A. Long is a judge for the 3rd Judicial District Court of Minnesota in Rice County. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Tim Pawlenty in 2010.
The 3rd Judicial District includes Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, and Winona Counties.
During her judicial tenure, Long has served as the Assistant Chief Judge of the 3rd Judicial District.
Prior to her appointment, she worked for nineteen years as an assistant county attorney in Steele County (1991 to 2010). In addition to her position there, she was an associate (1991 to 1994) and a partner (1994 to 1999) at Ruth, Schreiner & Long.
Long received a B.A. at Luther College. She went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Minnesota Law School in 1991. While a law student, Long interned for the Professional Education Group (1989 to 1990) and was a law clerk in the Juvenile Protection Division at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (1990 to 1991).
Her memberships have included the Rice County Bar Association, the Steele County Bar Association (past president), the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Minnesota Family Support and Recovery Association, the Minnesota Women Lawyers, and the American Bar Association.
Long served as lead judge of the Rice County Children’s Justice Initiative and was a member of the Minnesota District Judges Association Board of Directors, the 3rd Judicial District Resources Workgroup, the eCourts Minnesota Judge Team, the Judicial Officers Technology Advisory Team, the Annual Conference of Judges planning group, and the Child Abuse Neglect Institute’s National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
She also received a gubernatorial appointment to serve on the Minnesota Gambling Control Board in 2008 and has served as an instructor and lecturer at various conferences and seminars.
From a civic standpoint, Long has been involved with Young Life Owatonna, Trinity Lutheran Church, Little Theater of Owatonna, Leadership Owatonna, the Steele County Food Shelf Board of Directors, the Wee Pals Childcare Center Board of Directors, and the Crossroads of Owatonna Youth Shelter Board of Directors.