MARGARET CHUTICH Justice
By ANN HARRINGTON
LEADING with KINDNESS and GENEROSITY
Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Margaret Chutich has never shied away from competition. Growing up in Anoka, Minnesota, in the 1960s and ‘70s, she started playing tennis at the age of nine, and by age 11 was ranked first in her age group. By the time she got to ninth and tenth grades, few girls could play at her level, so she joined the boys’ teams, and compiled a winning record. With Title IX in 1972 came more opportunities for girls, including, in Chutich’s junior year, the first Minnesota State High School
League girls’ tennis tournament. The young star decided to switch to the girls’ team, for two reasons: She wanted to play in that first tournament, but also because she recognized, as she recalled recently, “if all the best girls’ players were playing on the boys’ teams, the girls’ teams wouldn’t improve that much.” The decision paid off: Chutich made it to the state tournament in singles that first year, losing only to the eventual state champion. She returned her senior year and won the singles championship. The
story illustrates not only Chutich’s drive and determination, but her generous spirit, foreshadowing the way she would use opportunities to lift others up throughout her life. At St. Thomas School of Law, Chutich has been a mentor for 14 years, and since 2018, a member of the Board of Governors. As the first openly gay justice on the state’s highest court, she has taken a special interest in making sure every person feels represented and respected, and is known for extending that care and sense
Page 14 St. Thomas Lawyer
Powered by FlippingBook