What Has Been Accomplished This Last Year? 
President Kim Cordova gives you an overview in the video.

Mandatory CLE Requirements

New Utah Supreme Court Justices

On June 17, 2026, the Utah Senate voted to approve the appointments of Jay T. Jorgensen and Stephen P. Dent to the Utah Supreme Court, confirming them to fill two newly created seats on the expanded seven-member court.

Jorgensen serves as senior counsel in the Office of General Counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He previously served as general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary for Coupang, Inc., and as executive vice president and global chief ethics and compliance officer for Walmart. Earlier in his career, he was a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and clerked for Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist of the United States Supreme Court and Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.



Dent serves as deputy criminal chief and Southern Utah branch chief in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. He previously practiced at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and clerked for Judge Robert J. Shelby of the United States District Court for the District of Utah and Judge Scott M. Matheson Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Dent graduated first in his class from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Utah Law Review.

Appointments to District Courts

Ryan 
Stack

Jeffrey D. 
Mann

Leah Rachel Jensen Munoz

Gov. Spencer J. Cox announced the appointments of Jeffrey D. Mann to the Third District Court, Ryan Stack to the Fourth District Court, and Leah Rachel Jensen Munoz to the Fifth District Court. Each appointment fills a new district court judgeship created by the Utah Legislature during the 2026 Legislative Session.


Mann currently serves as assistant solicitor general and director of the search and seizure section in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office. He has extensive appellate experience, having authored more than 75 appellate briefs and petitions, and serves on the Standing Committee on Model Utah Criminal Jury Instructions.


Stack serves as a deputy county attorney for Summit County, where he represents the county in civil litigation and advises county departments and special districts on a variety of legal matters. His career also includes nearly a decade as a prosecuting attorney in Summit County and service on the Utah Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on the Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Heber City Council, and the Heber City Planning Commission.


Jensen Munoz is the section director and assistant attorney general for the Child & Family Support Southern Section at the Utah Attorney General’s Office. She has more than 15 years of experience in child and family support, family law, and public service, and previously worked in private practice and legal aid organizations representing families and vulnerable populations.


All three appointments are subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate.

Applications are now being accepted for a position on the 4th District Court. This position was created by the retirement of Judge Derek Pullan, December 16, 2026. The complete notice of vacancy and the online application can be accessed through the link below.

https://judicialvacancy.utah.gov/

All applications must be submitted through the online system. The application deadline is Monday, July 27, 2026.

Utah State Bar Happenings

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Join Us In Congratulating the 95th Anniversary Summer Convention Award Winners


Judge of the Year - James D. Gardner

Lawyer of the Year - R. John Moody

Section of the Year - Paralegal Division

Committee of the Year - Governmental Relations Committee

Lifetime Achievement Award - Justice Matthew B. Durrant

Special Service Award - Gil Alhay

Your presence matters. Register for Summer Convention and help us recognize the exceptional individuals whose dedication and leadership have made a lasting impact on Utah's legal community.

Prompt Engineering for Lawyers

Artificial intelligence is transforming the legal profession, but getting meaningful results starts with asking the right questions.


Innovation in Law Practice Co-Chair Victoria Carrington demonstrates how attorneys can maximize the power of today's leading generative AI platforms, including Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT. Through real-world legal examples, she explains how to structure effective prompts, refine AI-generated responses, and leverage each platform's unique strengths to improve legal research, drafting, analysis, and everyday workflow.

Whether you're new to generative AI or looking to sharpen your prompting skills, this presentation offers actionable techniques you can immediately apply to your practice using the R.U.L.E.S. 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH DEMO.