Utah News Dispatch
7 names in the running to fill upcoming Utah Supreme Court vacancy
Attorney Taylor Meehan speaks to the court as Mormon Women for Ethical Government and The League of Women Voters oppose the Utah State Legislature during oral arguments at The Supreme Court of Utah in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (Pool photo by Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News)
Seven names are being considered to fill the open seat on the Utah Supreme Court’s bench when Justice John Pearce retires on Dec.1.
The Appellate Court Nominating Commission has selected the following nominees for Utah Gov. Cox to choose from, according to a news release issued by the governor’s office on Tuesday:
- Fifth District Court Judge Matthew Bell, who was appointed to his current post in 2017 by then-Gov. Gary Herbert. Previously, Bell worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Utah and as a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He graduated from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University in 2003. Before law school, Bell worked as a police officer in St. George, according to his bio on the Utah State Court’s website.
- Third District Court Judge James Gardner, who was appointed by Herbert in 2014. Previously, Gardner was a partner at Snell & Wilmer in Salt Lake City, where he maintained a civil litigation practice in state and federal courts. Gardner is also a member of the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct, the New Lawyer Training Program Committee, and the A. Sherman Christensen Inn of Court. He graduated from BYU in 1997, before obtaining his juris doctorate degree from Duke University School of Law in 2000, according to his bio.
- Utah Court of Appeals Judge Ryan Harris, who was appointed by Herbert in 2017. Previously, Harris worked as a trial judge in 3rd District Court for nearly six years. Twice, Harris has received the Judicial Excellence Award from the litigation section of the Utah State Bar. He also previously worked as a judicial clerk to Judge Stephen Anderson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. After his clerkship, Harris practiced law in Salt Lake City at the firm Jones, Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough. He graduated from BYU and Stanford Law School. Harris has also worked as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law, according to his bio.
- Third District Court Judge John Nielsen, who was appointed last year by Gov. Spencer Cox. He serves as chair of the Utah Supreme Court’s Appellate Representation Committee and previously on the Evidence Rules Committee. Before he was appointed, Nielsen was a partner at the law firm Schaerr | Jaffe. He was also previously a shareholder in the law firm Lee | Nielsen, an assistant solicitor general in the Utah Attorney General’s Office, and a deputy Utah County attorney. He graduated from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU in 2007, according to his bio.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
- Fourth District Court Judge Derek Pullan, who was appointed in 2003 by then-Gov. Mike Leavitt. Pullan is a member of the Utah Judicial Council and he chairs the Council’s Policy and Planning Committee. He has served on the Utah Supreme Court’s advisory committee on the civil rules of procedure and the advisory committee on indigent defense. He also serves as chair of the Board of District Court Judges and presiding judge of the 4th District Court. He also gives presentations on evidence law at judicial conferences and has taught at BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School, where he graduated in 1993, according to his bio.
- Stanford Purser, who is currently working as solicitor general in the Utah Attorney General’s Office, where he’s worked for more than 14 years in various roles, including as deputy solicitor general and civil appeals division director, and assistant attorney general. Previously, Purser worked as an attorney at the firm Hermes Sargent Bates in Dallas, Texas. Purser also worked as a judicial clerk for Judge Monroe McKay in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, as well as a judicial clerk for Utah Supreme Court Justice Matthew Durrant in 2000, according to his LinkedIn profile.
- Utah Court of Appeals Judge Ryan Tenney, who was appointed in 2021 by Gov. Spencer Cox. Previously, Tenney clerked for Judge Norman Jackson of the Utah Court of Appeals. He then spent several years practicing with a civil litigation firm in Provo, after which he spent almost 10 years as an attorney in the criminal appeals division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office. When he was appointed to the bench, Tenney was an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Utah, where he represented the U.S. in criminal appeals before the 10th Circuit. He also worked as an adjunct professor at BYU Law School from 2008 until 2021. He graduated from the University of Utah in 2000 and BYU Law School in 2003, according to his bio.
The Appellate Court Nominating Commission is accepting written comments for the nominees until noon on Sept. 13. Comments can be submitted by emailing the commission at judicialvacancies@utah.gov or mailed to P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, 84114-2330.
While considering the names, the nominating commission may request further information or conduct an investigation of the nominees after reviewing public comments.
After the public comment period ends Sept. 13, the commission will send the names to Cox to consider before he picks an appointee, for which he’ll have 30 days.
Whomever the governor picks will then be subject to confirmation by a vote of the Utah Senate.
