Donovan W. Frank

Donovan Wayne Frank (born June 24, 1951) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Background
Frank was born in Rochester, Minnesota. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in 1973 and his Juris Doctor from Hamline University School of Law in 1977.

Career
Frank began his legal career as an assistant county attorney in St. Louis County, Minnesota. In 1985, he was appointed a state district court judge in Minnesota's Sixth Judicial District. Frank served as an assistant chief judge of that court from 1988 to 1991. He was Chief Judge from 1991 to 1996.

Federal judicial service
On May 21, 1998, President Bill Clinton nominated Frank to the seat on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota vacated by David S. Doty. He was confirmed on October 21, 1998 and later received his commission on October 22, 1998. He assumed senior status on October 31, 2016.

Personal life
Frank credits Judge Mitchell A. Dubow for championing disability laws: As an assistant attorney for St. Louis County, Judge Frank tried a case before a jury that involved the first felony child sexual abuse case in the state of Minnesota in which expert testimony was allowed to explain why young children do not report sexual abuse and why mothers often support the father or the boyfriend who is accused of the abuse. The expert was allowed to testify that the child’s behavior was consistent with that of other child sexual abuse victims with whom the expert had worked. Judge Frank also handled the appeal of the case to the Minnesota Supreme Court. In State v. Myers, 359 N.W.2d 604 (Minn. 1984), the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the receipt of such testimony for the first time. The decision remains the law to this day. Judge Frank credits a courageous state trial judge, Mitchell A. Dubow, for the result.