188:(CCJ) created the Civil Justice Improvements Committee (CJI), as part of its civil justice initiative. The CCJ is a national organization whose members include the highest judicial officer of each state. This initiative aimed to develop innovations and best practices in civil courts to reduce costs and delays in rendering justice, while still preserving fairness, access to courts, and due process. The CCJ worked with the
192:(NCSC) and the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) in putting together a widely experienced 23-member committee to carry out research and make recommendations. Abrams was selected as a member of the committee, and chaired its Rules and Litigation Subcommittee, one of the two subcommittees that carried out the bulk of the CJI's work (the other subcommittee being chaired by Judge
138:
Counties, among other
Minnesota counties. In 2010, Abrams was elected to the First Judicial District and was reelected in 2016. He retired on February 2, 2022, and was succeeded by Stacey Sorenson. Abrams was appointed a senior judge statewide, for a term running from March 7, 2022, to June 30, 2025.
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wrote to the
Supreme Court suggesting that a single standardized form would be inappropriate in complex cases, and the text of case management orders should be entrusted to the trained specialist complex litigation judges who would be overseeing a given case. The final rules follow Abrams' advice.
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The task force recommendations also led to a statewide set of rules creating
Minnesota's Complex Case Program. Abrams was likewise involved in shaping this specialized docket. Among other things, the Supreme Court proposed a model case management order for mandatory use in the new program. Abrams
151:
Civil
Justice Reform Task Force, created in late 2010. The task force reviewed earlier Minnesota studies, and civil justice reforms in courts outside of Minnesota, to develop recommendations for improving Minnesota's court practices and procedures to "facilitate more effective and efficient case
164:
and Dakota
Counties. Abrams was judicial manager of the original rocket docket in Dakota County. Those two expedited dockets still exist (2024), and the rocket docket has been expanded into other Minnesota county courts, with an opt-in potential for all other judicial districts.
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dedicated to helping courts anticipate and prepare for future challenges and opportunities affecting the delivery of high-quality justice to all who use our courts." Abrams serves as a liaison between the NCSC and the
American College of Business Court Judges.
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issues. In 2019, Abrams' criminal sentence of a defendant, who had driven through a stop sign and killed a pedestrian while looking at a cell phone instead of the road, included a requirement that the driver visit the grave of the person killed.
155:
Among its recommendations were creating a pilot program to expedite civil cases, and a specialized statewide complex case program. The pilot program recommendation became the
Expedited Civil Litigation Track Pilot Project, commonly called the
219:, which were also a subject of the Minnesota task force's study on court practices and efficiency. He is vice-president of the American College of Business Court Judges (2024). He was a Business Court Representative to the
678:
601:"ORDER EXTENDING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE AND GENERAL RULES OF PRACTICE RELATING TO THE CIVIL JUSTICE REFORM TASK FORCE, State of Minnesota Supreme Court"
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test used by
Minnesota police to measure intoxication. Abrams decided the case in 2011, allowing the test, and the Supreme Court upheld that decision. In 2014, Abrams dismissed a case against
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652:
668:
Letter from Judge Jerome B. Abrams to Clerk of
Appellate Courts, Minnesota Supreme Court, Re: Comments on the Minnesota Supreme Court Civil Justice Task Force Report, October 22, 2012
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Senior judges are "retired judges subject to recall" who can serve as judges, or as mediators or arbitrators when they are not actually serving as judges in a particular case.
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Among a few of Abrams notable cases, in 2010, Minnesota's
Supreme Court assigned thousands of cases to Abrams involving potential challenges to the computer source code for a
422:
770:
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130:, effective January 11, 2008. This is a trial level court with jurisdiction over civil, criminal, family, juvenile, probate, and traffic cases. It encompasses
579:"In Re: Minnesota Supreme Court Civil Justice Reform Task Force, Recommendations of the Minnesota Supreme Court Civil Justice Reform Task Force, Final Report"
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under varying rabbinical standards. Abrams found it was beyond the court's power to determine this religious question, which was subject to the
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999:"American Board of Trial Advocates to Honors Two First Judicial District Judges As Trial Judges of the Year, Minnesota Judicial Branch"
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for 14 years. He has been involved with studying and implementing changes to the civil litigation process in Minnesota and nationally.
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Abrams and Smith. Similarly, Abrams worked at private law firms between 1982 and 1997. He worked at the Schoenberger Legal Clinic in
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Member, Conference of Chief Justices Civil Justice Improvements Committee, and chair of its Rules and Litigation Subcommittee
347:
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Abrams has been an NCSC board member. He is also a council member of the NCSC's Just Horizons Initiative. This initiative is
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Lore, Michelle (March 11, 2011). "Source code challenge in Minnesota fails; thousands of cases head back to trial courts".
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1042:"Jerome B. Abrams Receives Minnesota American Board of Trial Advocates Award for Civility, Professionalism and Excellence"
537:
185:
127:
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851:
1068:"ABOTA Continues longstanding efforts to preserve, protect Judicial independence from internal and external threats"
740:"Conference of Chief Justices Civil Justice Improvements Committee, Call to Action: Achieving Civil Justice for All"
1016:
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Staff (January 18, 2010). "1st Judicial District Judge Jerome Abrams to hear implied consent source code cases".
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447:"Notice of Appointment Jerome B. Abrams, State of Minnesota, Executive Department, Tim Pawlenty Governor"
653:"IN RE EXPEDITED CIVIL LITIGATION TRACK PILOT PROJECT, State of Minnesota, In Supreme Court, ADM10-8051"
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Jones, Barbara L. (June 29, 2012). "Minnesota Supreme Court ruling doesn't end source code debate".
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processing." The task force issued its reports and recommendations in December 2011 and May 2012.
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in 1981. After retirement, Abrams joined the private alternative dispute resolution organization
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From 1997 until beginning his judicial service, Abrams was president of the private Minneapolis
202:
Recommendations to the Conference of Chief Justices by the Civil Justice Improvements Committee
830:
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216:
618:
Thornton, Patrick (July 15, 2013). "'Rocket docket' launches in Duluth, Dakota courts".
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Original judge, Expedited Civil Litigation Track Pilot Project (First Judicial District)
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Abrams has held the following positions or received the following honors, among others;
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123:
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Abrams has been involved nationally with the study and development of specialized
812:"Business Court Representatives, American Bar Association, Business Law Section"
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Internationally, Abrams contributes to the Judicial Integrity Initiative of the
54:
Governor Tim Pawlenty (2007), then elected in 2010 and 2016, and retired in 2022
883:"Sr. Judge Jerome B. Abrams, The Sedona Conference, Technology Resource Panel"
304:
757:"Council Members, Just Horizons Initiative, National Center for State Courts"
882:
371:
Award for Civility, Professionalism and Excellence, ABOTA (Minnesota) (2023)
308:
111:
502:
850:
Burke, Susan; Degnan, John M.; Abrams, Jerome A.; Atmore, Thomas (2014).
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788:"American College of Business Court Judges – Law & Economics Center"
263:
634:"Expedited Civil Litigation Pilot Projects, Minnesota Judicial Branch"
380:
Member, Minnesota Supreme Court Civil Justice Reform Task Force
971:"Distracted driver ordered to visit grave of woman she killed"
110:
is an American judge who served as a district court judge in
679:"Minnesota Court Rules, General Rules of Practice, Rule 146"
295:, Minnesota from 1981 to 1982, and was a law clerk with the
538:"Senior Judge Jerome B. Abrams, Minnesota Judicial Branch"
461:"Dakota County District Court, Minnesota Judicial Branch"
160:". In 2013, the first rocket dockets were established in
711:
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Co-chair, Judicial Independence Committee, ABOTA (2023)
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Business Law Section (2014–2016). He is a co-author of
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Abrams has served as an adjunct faculty member at the
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Honorary Fellow, American College of Coverage Counsel
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Abrams is a co-author of the Minnesota publication,
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68:
58:
48:
32:
21:
476:"New district court judge named for 1st District"
368:Trial Judge of the Year, ABOTA (Minnesota) (2019)
651:Hudson, Chief Justice Natalie E. (May 1, 2024).
599:Gildea, Chief Justice Lorie S. (July 17, 2012).
365:Board, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
698:Business Disputes: Claims and Remedies Deskbook
198:Call to Action: Achieving Civil Justice for All
174:Business Disputes: Claims and Remedies Deskbook
1017:"Bar Buzz: ABOTA lauds two trial court judges"
771:"Just Horizons: Building Future-Ready Courts"
396:President, Jewish Family Services of St. Paul
176:, writing the chapter on insurance coverage.
8:
44:January 11, 2008 – February 2, 2022
126:appointed Abrams as a judge to Minnesota's
33:Judge, First Judicial District of Minnesota
557:"Minnesota Judicial Ethics Outline, § 8.4"
18:
947:"Court dismisses Hebrew National lawsuit"
696:Krauss, Michael M., ed. (July 5, 2021).
244:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
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362:Board, National Center for State Courts
196:). In 2016, the CJI issued its report,
69:Senior Judge, Minnesota District Courts
1118:William Mitchell College of Law alumni
262:challenging whether its hot dogs were
80:March 7, 2022 – June 30, 2025
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344:University of Minnesota Law School
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945:Specktor, Mordecai (2014-10-08).
825:Tiradentes, Vanessa, ed. (2019).
180:Civil justice activity nationally
852:"An Electronic Discovery Primer"
190:National Center for State Courts
337:William Mitchell College of Law
712:"Conference of Chief Justices"
700:(3rd ed.). Minnesota CLE.
474:Press, The Free (2022-02-17).
348:Mitchell Hamline School of Law
272:separation of church and state
237:An Electronic Discovery Primer
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827:The Business Courts Benchbook
225:The Business Courts Benchbook
128:First Judicial District court
1108:21st-century American judges
829:. American Bar Association.
186:Conference of Chief Justices
122:In 2007, Minnesota Governor
856:William Mitchell Law Review
421:Minelli, Pat (2007-11-27).
147:Abrams was a member of the
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235:. He also is co-author of
221:American Bar Association's
319:Education and as educator
149:Minnesota Supreme Court's
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388:University of St. Thomas
297:Minneapolis Star Tribune
887:thesedonaconference.org
620:Finance & Commerce
227:, writing chapters on
1113:Beloit College alumni
951:American Jewish World
1123:La Crosse, Wisconsin
588:. December 23, 2011.
354:Positions and honors
233:electronic discovery
97:La Crosse, Wisconsin
1072:www.prnewswire.com
555:Wernz, William J.
503:"Jerome B. Abrams"
480:Mankato Free Press
323:Abrams received a
194:Jennifer D. Bailey
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325:Bachelor of Arts
303:, serving as an
118:Judicial service
108:Jerome B. Abrams
89:Personal details
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333:Juris Doctor
327:degree from
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50:Appointed by
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507:Ballotpedia
1092:Categories
1077:2024-09-17
1052:2024-09-16
1027:2024-09-16
981:2024-09-16
956:2024-09-16
797:2024-09-16
722:2024-09-16
586:leg.mn.gov
512:2024-09-16
485:2024-09-20
432:2024-09-16
401:References
305:arbitrator
339:in 1981.
293:Rochester
289:Richfield
229:discovery
112:Minnesota
76:In office
40:In office
386:Mentor,
346:and the
309:mediator
285:law firm
975:AP News
745:. 2016.
390:(2010-)
833:
311:, and
264:kosher
162:Duluth
136:Dakota
743:(PDF)
656:(PDF)
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301:JAMS
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