ABOUT THEODORA
Theodora—or “Teddie,” as she is known to most—is an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court appointed by Governor Tim Walz in 2024. She is running to retain her seat, which is required under Minnesota law. Before Teddie was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court, she served as a district court (trial) judge and as a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Teddie was appointed to the bench after decades of legal practice.
Teddie was born in Minnesota but grew up in Athens, Greece, living with her parents, sister, little brother, and sometimes her extended family, including her Greek yiayia and papou. Her mother, who is American, was an art teacher and stay-at-home mom, and her father, who is Greek, still practices as a maritime lawyer. Teddie attended the American Community School of Athens for elementary, middle school, and high school.
Teddie returned to Minnesota for college, graduating from the University of Minnesota summa cum laude in 1991. She stuck around for law school, attending the University of Minnesota Law School and graduating cum laude in 1994. While in law school, Teddie was a member of the Minnesota Law Review and worked as a law clerk in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Following two years as a public defender in the Philadelphia area, Teddie spent her career as a lawyer in Minnesota. She clerked for the Honorable Robert Schumacher of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She served as an appellate public defender, representing indigent clients in their criminal cases before the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court. And, as an attorney at Matonich Law, she represented plaintiffs throughout Minnesota in medical malpractice cases.
In addition to practicing law, Teddie taught law students appellate practice and criminal procedure at the University of Minnesota Law School and William Mitchell College of Law. She also served as a member of the Minnesota Supreme Court’s Advisory Committees for the Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure, and Rules of Evidence.
In 2018, Governor Mark Dayton appointed Teddie as a district court judge in Hennepin County District Court. Two years later, in 2020, Governor Tim Walz appointed her to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She was elected in 2022. Then, in 2024, Governor Walz appointed Teddie to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Teddie was married to attorney Chris Sur for 20 years. Chris passed away unexpectedly in 2023. Their daughter Clea is a junior in college.
Teddie loves running and walking outside year-round, going to concerts, and listening to audiobooks. She volunteers as a writing coach for Minneapolis Public School students and for Meals on Wheels.
Teddie’s 2024 swearing-in ceremony at the Minnesota History Center
Teddie and the 2024-2025 class of Minnesota Supreme Court law clerks.