Leah duCharme ’07 appointed District Court Judge
Gov. Tim Walz fills 2 judicial vacancies in Minnesota’s 7th Judicial District
Leah duCharme and Heidi Schultz will serve as District Court judges in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District.
ST. PAUL — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan have announced the appointments of Leah duCharme and Heidi Schultz as District Court judges in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District.
The seats will be chambered in Moorhead in Clay County and in St. Cloud in Stearns County.
duCharme will be replacing Judge Amber B. Gustafson in Clay County, while Schultz will replace Judge Kris H. Davick-Halfen in Stearns County.
duCharme is a senior shareholder at Gjesdahl Law, where she practices primarily family law, including marriage dissolutions, child custody, paternity, child and spousal support, domestic violence, protective orders, adoption and guardianships.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Moorhead State University (now Minnesota State University Moorhead), and her J.D. degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law.
Schultz is an assistant Todd County attorney, where she prosecutes adult criminal cases of all levels. She was previously a partner at Swenson Lervick Syverson Trosvig Jacobson Schultz Cass, and she has also served as an assistant county attorney in Douglas, Olmsted and St. Louis Counties.
Schultz earned her bachelor’s degree and her J.D. degree from Valparaiso University.
Walz said duCharme will be an excellent addition to the Seventh Judicial District, adding, “Her unique background and perspective, as well as her experience in family law, will be a tremendous asset to Clay County.”
He described Schultz as an experienced litigator and a devoted public servant who has “a deep commitment to ensuring that our justice system is responsive to everyone who comes before it.”
Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District encompasses the counties of Becker, Benton, Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, and Wadena.
