David Lillehaug

David Lee Lillehaug (born May 22, 1954) is an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. He served as the United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota from 1994 to 1998.

Lillehaug was born in Waverly, Iowa and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where his father taught music. He attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls and graduated in 1976 with a B.A. summa cum laude. He later attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1979 with a J.D. cum laude.

Lillehaug was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota beginning in 1994. He stepped down on May 22, 1998 in order to run for Minnesota Attorney General.

Lillehaug announced on May 27, 1998 that he was entering the race for the Minnesota Attorney General Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) nomination, joining already announced DFL candidates Mike Hatch and Ember Reichgott Junge. He placed second in the DFL primary that took place on September 15, 1998, losing to Mike Hatch.

On March 16, 1999, Lillehaug announced that he was entering the 2000 race for the United States Senate DFL nomination in Minnesota. He dropped out on June 3, 2000 after failing to win the DFL endorsement at the party convention that day. After withdrawing, he urged his supporters to support Minnesota State Senator Jerry Janezich, who ultimately won the party endorsement.

Lillehaug was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton on March 26, 2013 to serve as an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, replacing retiring Justice Paul H. Anderson. He began his term on June 3, 2013 and was formally invested on June 28, 2013.

Lillehaug is married to Winifred Smith. They have one daughter and reside in Edina, Minnesota. Lillehaug announced on May 29, 2013 that he has "highly curable" throat cancer and will undergo seven weeks of nonsurgical treatment beginning in mid-June. He said that the treatment will not affect his duties on the Minnesota Supreme Court.