Author: Utah Courts

Salt Lake City, Utah— In what is being called one of the most significant moves to narrow the access-to-justice gap ordinary people confront when faced with legal issues, the Utah Supreme Court on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve pursuing changes to the regulatory structure for legal services.
The changes, recommended by a joint Supreme Court/Utah Bar work group, focus on updating rules governing lawyers and allowing non-traditional legal services to be tested and approved in a, “regulatory sandbox.”
The result could mean expanding legal services that will meet the unmet legal needs of a large swath of society.
This is, “[m]aybe the most significant action for the access gap in years,” said Dr. Tom Clark, a leading figure in the access-to-justice arena, and a member of the work group. Chief Justice Matthew Durrant echoed Dr. Clark’s assessment, and reaffirmed the Utah Supreme Court’s, “dedication to tackling the access-to-justice gap,” and thanked the work group for its, “groundbreaking report.”
The work group, chaired by Utah Supreme Court Justice Deno Himonas and former Utah Bar president John Lund, spent the last year working on how best to optimize regulation in a manner that fosters innovation and promotes other market forces so as to increase access to and affordability of legal services. The result was a 71-page study: (https://www.utahbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/FINAL-Task-Force-Report.pdf).
The next step will be for the Supreme Court to create an implementation task force, which will begin work on putting the recommended changes in place.
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Salina, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a Justice Court Judge position in the City of Salina. The position will replace Judge Cordell Pearson who will leave the position in December 2019.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Sevier County, candidates must be at least 25 years of age, a citizen of the United States, a Utah resident for at least three years, and have earned a high school diploma or GED. In addition, candidates must be a resident of Sevier County or an adjacent county for at least six months immediately preceding appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The salary for the position is approximately $10,500 per year and does not include benefits. For additional information, contact Jennifer Vought at (435) 529-7304.

The deadline for applications is Friday, Sep. 13, 2019 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Amy Hernandez, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or information, email amymh@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to Jed Maxwell, mayor of Salina City, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Maxwell then has 30 days in which to make a selection. The selection must then be certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Aurora, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a Justice Court Judge position in the City of Aurora. The position will replace Judge Cordell Pearson who will leave the position in December 2019.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Sevier County, candidates must be at least 25 years of age, a citizen of the United States, a Utah resident for at least three years, and have earned a high school diploma or GED. In addition, candidates must be a resident of Sevier County or an adjacent county for at least six months immediately preceding appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The salary for the position is $4,800 per year and does not include benefits. For additional information, contact Clint Johnson at (435) 529-7643.

The deadline for applications is Monday, Sep. 9, 2019 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Amy Hernandez, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or information, email amymh@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to Daven Quarnberg, mayor of Aurora City, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Quarnberg then has 30 days in which to make a selection. The selection must then be certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Salt Lake City, UT – Utah CASA has been awarded a $38,000 Branding Campaign grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (CASA/GAL) Association for Children. Funds will be used to tailor a national public awareness campaign about child abuse and neglect for local markets, and to distribute the campaign.

There are nearly 950 CASA/GAL programs nationwide, including 48 state offices that recruit, train, and support volunteers. These volunteers advocate in court for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Their advocacy assists judges in making the most well-informed decisions for each child.

National CASA/GAL has developed a broad-based national campaign, “Change a Child’s Story,”™ The campaign is told from the point of view of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. The campaign shows the importance to these children of having a volunteer by their side to advocate for their best interests.

In Salt Lake County, the campaign will run on billboards, local radio stations, and on social media platforms beginning mid-August and will run through late fall.

“The CASA program allows community members a unique opportunity to interact in these children’s lives and to be a part of the solution. Consistent adult support can help to counteract the abuse and neglect the children have endured. For Utahans who are wondering what they can do to support children involved in the child welfare system, becoming a CASA volunteer and speaking up for their best interests will provide these vulnerable children with much-needed support. We are grateful for this funding opportunity which will increase awareness and recruitment of CASA volunteers in our most populous and diverse county,” said Melanie Speechly, Utah’s statewide CASA Program Administrator.

The “Change a Child’s Story”™ campaign was developed with R&R Partners, a cause-driven marketing and advocacy agency that has worked on prominent social issues campaigns. R&R Partners conducted focus groups across the country to ensure the campaign would resonate with target audiences while being sensitive to the perceptions of those with experience growing up in foster care.

The federal grant funds distributed through National CASA/GAL are provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, US Department of Justice, as authorized under the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990. In 2018, National CASA was awarded nearly $10 million in federal grants. For more information, contact Heather Allen, Third District CASA Program Coordinator (801) 578-3962, heatheraa@utcourts.gov.

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About Utah CASA
The Utah Office of Guardian ad Litem and CASA are a member of the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association and a part of the Utah Courts. We train and support community volunteers who are appointed to work on cases with Guardian ad Litem attorneys to represent the best interests of dependent, abused and neglected children in Utah.

Our Vision is to be leaders in child advocacy and to provide the highest level of representation to children and their best interests. Our advocates ensure that our most vulnerable children are not overlooked when involved in an overburdened system. Last year in Utah, 791 volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates served 1,616 children. These advocates donated 35,745 hours on behalf of the children they served.

For more information or to submit a volunteer application, please visit www.UtahCASA.org.

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Riverdale, UT—The Weber County Judicial Nominating Commission has scheduled a meeting on Aug. 29, 2019 to review applications for the vacancy in the Riverdale Justice Court. The successful candidate will replace Judge Reuben Renstrom who retired effective May 31, 2019. The Commission will begin the meeting at 12 p.m. at the Riverdale City Hall located on 4700 South Weber River Drive, Riverdale, UT 84405.
The early portion of the meeting is scheduled for public comment about issues facing the Utah judiciary and improvements to the system. Public comments will be accepted from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Following the public comment period, the meeting will be closed to allow commission members to review applications for the vacancy.

Individuals interested in appearing before the commission during the public comment portion of the meeting should contact Amy Hernandez at (801) 578-3809 or amymh@utcourts.gov to request an appointment.

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South Ogden, UT—The Weber County Judicial Nominating Commission has scheduled a meeting on Aug. 20, 2019 to review applications for the vacancy in the South Ogden Justice Court. The successful candidate will replace Judge Reuben Renstrom who retired effective May 31, 2019. The Commission will begin the meeting at 12 p.m. at the South Ogden City Hall located on 3950 South Adams Ave South Ogden, UT 84403.

The early portion of the meeting is scheduled for public comment about issues facing the Utah judiciary and improvements to the system. Public comments will be accepted from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Following the public comment period, the meeting will be closed to allow commission members to review applications for the vacancy.

Individuals interested in appearing before the commission during the public comment portion of the meeting should contact Amy Hernandez at (801) 578-3809 or amymh@utcourts.gov to request an appointment.

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South Weber, UT—The Davis County Nominating Commission has selected three nominees for a judicial vacancy in the South Weber Justice Court. The position will replace Judge Reuben Renstrom who retired effective May 31, 2019.
Following are the nominees followed by place of employment and residence:

• Darrin Johns, J.D., Attorney at Law, resident of North Ogden
• Judge Bryan Memmott, J.D., Judge of Plain City, resident of Kaysville
• Judge Trent Nelson, J.D., Judge of Roy/ Weber Justice Court, resident of Kaysville

A comment period will be held through August 24, 2019. A final candidate will then be selected by South Weber Mayor Jo Sjoblom who has 30 days to make an appointment. The appointment is subject to ratification by the South Weber City Council. The Utah Judicial Council must then certify the appointment. To submit written comments about the candidates, please contact Amy Hernandez at amymh@utcourts.gov.

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Grand County, UT—The deadline for applications for a Justice Court Judge position in Grand County has been extended. The position will replace Judge David Tubbs who will be leaving the position effective Nov. 3, 2019.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Grand County, candidates must be at least 25 years of age, a citizen of the United States, a Utah resident for at least three years, and have earned a high school diploma or GED. In addition, candidates must be a resident of Grand County or an adjacent county for at least six months immediately preceding appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The annual salary range for the position is $29,829 to $53,691 and may include benefits. For additional information, contact Renee Baker at (435) 259-1323 or by email at rbaker@grandcountyutah.net

The deadline for applications is Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Amy Hernandez, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or information, email amymh@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to the Grand County Council within 45 days of its first meeting. The Grand County Council then has 30 days in which to make a selection. The selection must then be certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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Saratoga Springs, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a Justice Court Judge position in the City of Saratoga Springs. The position will replace Judge Carolyn Howard who resigned as of Aug. 9, 2019.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Utah County, candidates must be at least 25 years of age, a citizen of the United States, a Utah resident for at least three years, and have a degree from a law school that would make one eligible to apply for admission to a bar in any state in the United States. In addition, candidates must be a resident of Utah County or an adjacent county for at least six months immediately preceding appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The annual salary range for the position is $35,795 to $64,430 and does not include benefits. For additional information, contact Owen Jackson by email at OJackson@saratogaspringscity.com.

The deadline for applications is Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Amy Hernandez, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or information, email amymh@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to Jim Miller, mayor of Saratoga Springs, within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Miller then has 30 days in which to make a selection. The selection must then be certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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South Salt Lake, Utah—Applications are being accepted for a Justice Court Judge position in the City of South Salt Lake. The position will replace Judge Anna Anderson who will be leaving the position effective Sept. 30, 2019.

To be considered for a Justice Court judgeship in Salt Lake County, candidates must be at least 25 years of age, a citizen of the United States, a Utah resident for at least three years, and have a degree from a law school that would make one eligible to apply for admission to a bar in any state in the United States. In addition, candidates must be a resident of Salt Lake County or an adjacent county for at least six months immediately preceding appointment.

Information on judicial retention and performance evaluation is posted on the Utah State Court’s website at legacy.utcourts.gov under employment opportunities. An application for judicial office form must be completed and is available on the court’s website (legacy.utcourts.gov/admin/jobs). The annual salary range for the position is $85,225 to $149,670 and includes benefits. For additional information, contact Josh Collins by email at jcollins@sslc.com.

The deadline for applications is Monday, Aug. 26, 2019 at 5 p.m. and should be sent to the attention of Amy Hernandez, Administrative Office of the Courts, P.O. Box 140241, Salt Lake City, UT, 84114-0241. For an application or information, email amymh@utcourts.gov.

Utah law requires the Judicial Nominating Commission to submit three to five nominees to South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood within 45 days of its first meeting. Mayor Wood then has 30 days in which to make a selection. The selection must then be certified by the Utah Judicial Council.

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