Macalester presents honorary degree to The Honorable Andrew Gordon ’05

On September 5, 2024, Macalester College President Suzanne M. Rivera presented The Honorable Andrew Gordon ‘05 with the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. 

The judge from the Second Judicial District Court of Minnesota was on campus to receive the degree and deliver the keynote address at this year’s annual Opening Convocation.

President Rivera’s honorary degree citation for Judge Andrew Gordon 

Judge. Advocate. Mentor. Leader. Role Model.

Your dedication and service to others shines through your distinguished career and volunteerism. Your efforts inspire and empower others to advocate for themselves, others, and our communities. 

Today, you are a judge for the 2nd Judicial District Court of Minnesota, appointed by Governor Tim Walz in 2021. Your journey began in Jamaica, and you came to Minnesota to attend Macalester College, where you earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies. You next enrolled at the University of Minnesota Law School, where you earned a law degree. You then began your career in Massachusetts as a staff attorney with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, where your skills as a lawyer were highly praised, along with your ability to build relationships and trust. 

You returned to Minnesota to join the Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, where you served as the deputy director and lead attorney. For more than a decade, you helped promote and advocate for racial equity. Here, you built a reputation for your commitment to social justice, criminal defense, and restorative practices. In 2016, you were recognized by the National Lawyers Guild with a Social Justice Award for your team’s work in defense of organizers and protesters charged with crimes associated with political activities. In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, you led efforts to secure aid for protesters and their families.  

In a University of Minnesota Law School article during your time at the Legal Rights Center, you described the best part of your job as “the chance I have to work with criminal justice reform advocates on a variety of topics and issues. There are attorneys, non-attorneys, and students who are expending tremendous energy to make our legal system more equitable and just, and they energize me.”

Your appointment as a Ramsey County district judge is a result of your unwavering commitment to justice and dedication to the communities you serve. You are an exemplary public servant who continually strives to bring equity and compassion to your work.  

Your volunteerism led to the co-founding of JaMinn Link, a small non-profit organization that brings together members of the Twin Cities’ Jamaican community to mentor, educate, and entertain allies and friends with an emphasis on efforts that support youth. Additionally, you serve on the board of Green Card Voices, a non-profit organization dedicated to building inclusive and integrated communities including immigrants and their neighbors. 

Today, we recognize your many professional accomplishments, and your dedication to public service, advancing civil rights, and removing barriers to equity. We celebrate your commitment to fighting for those who historically have been oppressed and those who continue to be marginalized. We honor you for your leadership in helping to make our world more just. 

Judge Gordon, we hereby bestow upon you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.