The Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board

Judge Kappelhoff has served on the Hennepin County bench since 2016. He has spent the bulk of his extensive and diverse legal career in public service, including working as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice, public defender, and a law professor. Judge Kappelhoff is active in the community where he enjoys meeting and volunteering with community groups, and frequently participates in community-based events, conferences, and legal education programs.

Before his appointment to bench, Judge Kappelhoff served as an Associate Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School where he was the Director of the Criminal Justice Clinic and spearheaded the creation of the Minnesota Law Public Interest Residency Program, an innovate professional development program for law students. He also developed and taught the law school’s first-ever course on Human Trafficking.     

Judge Kappelhoff was born and raised in Minnesota, the middle son of five boys. He grew up in Anoka and is a graduate of Anoka Senior High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN, and graduated from American University, Washington College of Law. He and his wife, Cynthia, live in Minneapolis.