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Sophia Y. Vuelo

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Sophia Y. Vuelo
Judge for the Ramsey County District Court
Assumed office
January 4, 2018 (2018-01-04)
Preceded byMargaret M. Marrinan
Personal details
Born
Yeu Vue

1971 or 1972 (age 52–53)
Laos
Alma mater

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

Early life and education

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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 a 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

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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]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Sophia Vuelo". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Xiong, Chao (January 5, 2018). "Minnesota swears in first Hmong-American judge". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e Klein, Michael (March 6, 2002). "Working their way up". Leader-Telegram. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. pp. 1, 6. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Casler, Ember (January 2, 2018). "Eau Claire graduate becomes first Hmong American judge in Minnesota". WEAU. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  5. ^ "Accolades Fall 2017". University of Minnesota. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  6. ^ Mercer, Anastasia (December 6, 2004). "Are we failing women of color?". La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin. p. C1. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  7. ^ Hollnagel, Gayda (August 17, 2005). "Officials: Hmong resettlement going well". The La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin. pp. B1–B2. Retrieved November 16, 2019.