Judge Pamela Alexander grew up in South Minneapolis and graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School.  She began her legal career as a criminal defense attorney with the Legal Rights Center and then moved to the Hennepin County Attorney's office as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division.  Since 1983 she has been a Hennepin County District Court Judge where she presided over the Juvenile Division and served as Assistant Chief Judge for the Court as a whole.  She sits on many community boards and committees including The Minneapolis Foundation Board of Trustees, the Children's Defense Fund, and the Juvenile Judges Leadership Council, and has been awarded numerous community service awards ranging from the University of St. Thomas School of Law Dean's Award for Outstanding Teaching to the NAACP Profiles in Courage Award.