THE REPORT, WHICH IS BASED ON A REVIEW OF MINNESOTA'S CONSTITUTION, LAWS, COURT RULES, ANNUAL COURT REPORTS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANUALS, OPENS WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURT SYSTEM. THE OVERVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION RELATING TO THE FOLLOWING: COURT STRUCTURE (APPELLATE AND TRIAL COURTS), JUDGES (QUALIFICATIONS, SELECTION, TERM, DISCIPLINE, REMOVAL, COMPENSATION, RETIREMENT AGE, CONTINUING EDUCATION, PARAJUDICIAL OFFICERS); ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURE (ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY, STATE AND COURT LEVEL ADMINISTRATION, POLICYMAKING AND RULEMAKING AUTHORITY, NON JUDICAL PERSONNEL); FINANCE AND BUDGET (FUNDING, FINES AND FEES, BUDGET PROCEDURES); AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (RECORDKEEPING, STATISTICS, DATA PROCESSING). THE EXTENT TO WHICH EACH ASPECT OF COURT OPERATIONS IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH ABA STANDARDS IS NOTED. CHARTS DEPICT ROUTES OF APPEAL, JURISDICTIONS, AND FUNDING SOURCES. DETAILED INFORMATION ON EACH ASPECT OF THE COURT SYSTEM COVERED IN THE OVERVIEW IS PRESENTED IN A SERIES OF 11 PROFILES. KEYED TO THE PROFILES IS A CHART INDICATING THE DEGREE OF COMPLIANCE BETWEEN MINNESOTA'S COURTS AND EACH ABA STANDARD. SOURCE DOCUMENTS ARE LISTED. (LKM)