CORRECTION: An earlier version of the eBulletin contained outdated information regarding judicial openings and the Young Lawyers Division Winter Gala. Please refer to this updated edition for the correct information.

Great Attorneys Never Stop Learning

Are You Seeking A Career Change?

Utah's courts depend on lawyers who are willing to step forward and serve. Right now, several openings across the judiciary give Utah attorneys a chance to put their experience to work for the public.

They include two judgeships and clerkships for Hon. Robert J. Shelby.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this information.

New Appointments to Court of Appeals

Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Alexandra Mareschal and Daniel O’Bannon to the Utah Court of Appeals, pending confirmation by the Utah Senate. Both appointees bring extensive legal experience and a strong commitment to public service. Gov. Cox praised their legal expertise, sound judgment, and dedication to faithfully applying the law.

Alexandra Mareschal currently leads the Family Defense Appeals Section of the Utah Indigent Appellate Defense Division, bringing significant appellate experience in juvenile and family law. She previously practiced at Zimmerman Booher and clerked for Utah Supreme Court Justice Paige Petersen. 


Daniel O’Bannon has served as general counsel to Gov. Cox since August 2022. Previously, he led the Utah Division of Consumer Protection for nearly a decade, overseeing enforcement, litigation and administrative proceedings. He also held legal positions in former Gov. Gary Herbert’s office and at the University of Utah. 

The Utah Senate must confirm the appointments. READ MORE.

Comment on Reappointment by Nov. 6

The current term of United States Magistrate Judge Cecilia M. Romero, who serves in the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in Salt Lake City, will expire on June 6, 2027. As required, the Court has appointed a Merit Selection Panel to consider whether to reappoint Magistrate Judge Romero to an additional 8-year term.

The duties of a full-time magistrate judge in the District of Utah include conducting

preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; handling the trial and disposition of most misdemeanor cases; conducting pretrial and evidentiary proceedings referred by district judges; conducting settlement conferences; and conducting the trial and disposition of

civil cases upon consent of the litigants. 

Licensees of the Bar and the public are invited to submit comments for the panel’s consideration as to whether the panel should recommend to the Court that Judge Romero be reappointed for another term. All 

comments will be treated as confidential and will be viewed by only the panel and the district judges.


Comments should be emailed to: UTD_Merit_Panel@utd.uscourts.gov


Or mailed to:

Gary P. Serdar, Clerk of Court

Attn: Merit Selection Panel

Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse

351 South West Temple

Salt Lake City, UT 84101 


Comments must be received by November 6, 2026.

Nominees Announced for Fourth District

The Fourth District Judicial Nominating Commission has selected six nominees to fill two upcoming vacancies on Utah’s Fourth District Court. The vacancies result from the retirements of Judge Derek Pullan and Judge Kasey Wright on Dec. 31, 2026.

The nominees are:

• Rebecca Buchert, career law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah;
• Patrick Finlinson and Michael Hinckley, assistant attorneys general with the Utah Attorney General’s Office;
• Samuel Pead, assistant U.S. attorney;
• Richard Roberts, senior assistant city attorney for Provo City; and
• Meagan Rudd, partner and attorney at The Rudd Firm, P.C.

Members of the public are invited to submit written comments on the nominees by noon on Oct. 25, 2026. Comments may be emailed to judicialvacancies@utah.gov or mailed to the Department of Criminal Justice, P.O. Box 142330, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2330.

Following the public comment period, the nominees’ names will be certified and forwarded to Gov. Spencer J. Cox, who will have 30 days to make the appointments. All appointments are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

Utah State Bar Happenings

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Make a meaningful difference by serving on the Fund for Client Protection Committee. The Committee reviews claims from individuals who have suffered financial losses due to the dishonest conduct of lawyers or LPPs and determines eligibility for reimbursement.

Answer the call to serve by emailing your interest to Christine Critchley.

Volunteer today!

Friday, November 13, 2026, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Utah Museum of Fine Arts - 410 Campus Center Dr., Salt Lake City

Connect with fellow young lawyers and legal community members for an evening of networking and art at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.

Enjoy two special exhibitions:

• Stone on Boundary — An installation by Japanese artist Onishi Yasuaki inspired by Utah's landscapes.
• For the Future: Collecting at the UMFA 2001–2026 — Celebrating 25 years of the museum's collection.

Guests: Each lawyer may bring one adult guest. Adults only.

The Utah State Bar Commission is seeking applicants to serve a two-year term as one of the Bar’s two representatives in the American Bar Association’s (ABA) House of Delegates, with a term running through the August 2028 ABA Annual Meeting. The Bar has one other representative in the House of Delegates, as well as a representative from the Young Lawyers Division. The ABA Members in Utah also have an elected delegate. 

The delegate is expected to attend the ABA’s Midyear and Annual meetings and to participate in appropriate interim meetings and in conference calls as needed. There will also be some preparation work to review issues and communicate with and report to the Bar Commission on a regular basis. The delegate also serves as an ex officio member of the Bar Commission and would be expected to attend regular Commission Meetings. 

The delegate must be an active licensee in good standing of the Utah State Bar and a member in good standing of the ABA and meet all eligibility requirements set forth by the ABA.

Please send your letter of interest and resume no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9, 2026, to Christy Abad, Bar Executive Assistant, christy.abad@utahbar.org.

Second Division, Third Division & Fifth through Eighth Divisions

Nominations to the office of Utah State Bar Commissioner are hereby solicited for:


• One representative from the Second Division (Davis, Morgan and Weber Counties); and
• Three representatives from the Third Division (Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele Counties);
• One representative from the Fifth through Eighth Divisions (Beaver, Iron, Washington, Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield, Kane, Carbon, Emery, Grand, San Juan, Duchesne, Daggett, and Uintah Counties).

Bar Commissioners serve a three-year term. Terms will begin in July 2027.

To be eligible for the office of Commissioner, the nominee must be a licensee of the Utah State Bar (“Bar”) in good standing with a business mailing address within the requisite division, as shown by the records of the Bar. Applicants must be nominated by a written petition of ten or more members of the Bar in good standing whose business mailing addresses are in the division from which the election is to be held. 

Nominating petitions are available at https://www.utahbar.org/bar-operations/election-information/. Completed petitions must be submitted to Christy Abad (cabad@utahbar.org) no later than Feb. 1, 2027, by 5 p.m.