The Hon. Jay D. Carlson (Ret.) served as a judge for the 7th Judicial District Court of Minnesota. Carlson was appointed to the bench by former Governor Tim Pawlenty on August 17, 2006, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Timothy J. Baland. He retired on April 4, 2022, and became a senior judge for the State of Minnesota.
The 7th Judicial District includes Becker County, Benton County, Clay County, Douglas County, Mille Lacs County, Morrison County, Otter Tail County, Stearns County, Todd County, and Wadena County.
Carlson earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in 1976. He then completed a J.D. at Hamline University School of Law in 1979. He is admitted to practice in North Dakota (1979) and Minnesota (1979).
After graduating from law school, Carlson entered into private practice in Detroit Lakes and Fargo (North Dakota). He worked in this capacity until his appointment to the bench, representing the townships of Lake Eunice, Audubon, and Burlington as well as the Cormorant Lakes Watershed District.
His memberships have included the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Becker County Bar Association, the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, the Big Cormorant Lake Association, and the Cormorant Lions Club.
Born in Topeka, Kansas, Carlson was raised in Duluth and Moorhead. He currently resides in Big Cormorant Lake, where he attends St. Mary’s of the Lake Church.