Renee Worke Biography – Renee Worke Wiki

Renee L. Worke serves on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, having been appointed by former Governor Tim Pawlenty on June 9, 2005. Her judicial career has been marked by a successful election in 2006, followed by re-election in 2012, solidifying her position within the state’s appellate court system.

Prior to joining the Court of Appeals, Judge Worke’s judicial journey began on November 8, 1996, when she was appointed to the Third Judicial District Court in Waseca County. Her competence and dedication led to her election in 1998, with the public reaffirming their confidence in her abilities through re-election in 2004.

Before embarking on her judicial path, Judge Worke was a partner at the law firm Rietz, Rietz, Rietz & Worke in Owatonna, Minnesota. Her legal acumen was further honed during her tenure as an assistant public defender in the third judicial district. She also held roles as an administrative law judge for both the child support division and the office of administrative hearings. Her legal career commenced as a law clerk under District Court Judge Urban J. Steimann in Faribault, Minnesota.

Educationally, Judge Worke boasts impressive credentials. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Minnesota State University Mankato and went on to earn her law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law. Further enriching her expertise, she was a Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota and participated in the Institute for Faculty Excellence in Judicial Education at the University of Memphis.

Throughout her career, Judge Worke has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Minnesota State University and the Women Leader Award from the Ann Bancroft Foundation. She has also been honored as a Woman of Achievement by the Owatonna Business & Professional Women’s Organization and has received the Rosalie E. Wahl Judicial Award of Excellence from the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Renee Worke Age

Born in 1958, Judge Renee Lee Worke’s career reflects a steadfast commitment to justice and legal excellence.

Renee Worke Salary

Judge Renee Worke receives an annual salary of $202,528.

Arrest

In December 2025, Minnesota Court of Appeals judge Renee L. Worke was charged with drunken-driving after she crashed her vehicle into a snowbank. According to charges filed in Steele County, she struck a snowbank on eastbound Highway 14 at the I-35 overpass in Owatonna at around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29.

A deputy arriving at the scene found Worke had “glossy” eyes and was slurring her speech, the complaint states. She told police she was traveling back from visiting friends in Waseca, and allegedly said she had one glass of wine two hours earlier.

A deputy claims that Worke had “bloodshot” eyes and her breath had an odor of alcohol. When she exited the vehicle, deputies claim she had unsteady balance and “required assistance while walking back to the squad car.”

She was taken to the Steele County Detention Center to carry out sobriety testing and gave a breath sample, which showed an alcohol concentration of 0.16, twice Minnesota’s legal limit of 0.08. Worke is facing two DWI charges, Bring Me The News reported.

Renee Worke Political Party

She is nonpartisan.