FYI

To: Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee

I am writing in support of the judicial appointment of Margaret Plane to the Utah Court of Appeals. Since 1993, I have been a member in good standing of the Utah Bar and worked in both private practice and in government. Presently, I am a Senior City Attorney for Salt Lake City Corporation assigned to represent the City in litigation and also primary counsel to the Salt Lake City Airport.

I first met Margaret when we served together on the board of Women Lawyers of Utah (WLU) in approximately 2002-03. She later assumed the role of President of WLU and did an outstanding job in expanding its membership and breadth of influence. She made an indelible impression on me at that time as I observed a comparatively young attorney assume the mantle of leadership of a prominent organization with no hesitation. She has continued to be a role model as well and Margaret was just recently named WLU’s outstanding woman lawyer of the year for 2020.

In 2013, just after Margaret’s appointment as the Salt Lake City Attorney, I left private practice as a shareholder at Parsons Kinghorn Harris to join the Salt Lake City Attorneys’ Office as a litigator. From 2013-19, I worked with Margaret in depth on a near daily basis on a diversity of matters including high profile civil rights cases, disputes arising from public records requests, and advising the Salt Lake City Airport in regulatory, contract, property and litigation matters.  From 2012 – 2019, I served in the role of Vice-Chair of the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee of the Utah State Bar after serving on a screening panel and as panel chair for 6 years. Margaret served as a panel chair during my time as Vice-Chair and served as special counsel to the Ethics Committee on request – a difficult and time-consuming volunteer job as you may be aware. In my experience, Margaret always gave a thorough and considered review of the ethics matters before her.

While many things stand out about Margaret, first and foremost she is that rare attorney who truly loves and enjoys the practice of law. She is extremely knowledgeable about the multitude of issues regularly faced by municipalities, yet she is constantly seeking to expand that knowledge and understanding. I have found her to be an exceptionally clear and thoughtful writer and speaker. Of course, she maintains the utmost professionalism at all times, even under circumstances which are trying and difficult. In that regard, she has the ideal temperament to serve on the bench. In my estimation, she has the patience, integrity and fair-mindedness that are critical to the judiciary. Tellingly, Margaret had and still maintains the greatest respect of all of her subordinates at the City, not to mention the admiration of her peers in the legal community.

I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend that Margaret Plane be confirmed to the Utah Court of Appeals.

Sincerely,

Catherine L. Brabson

Catherine L. Brabson

Senior City Attorney

SALT LAKE CITY DEPARTMENT OF AIRPORTS

P.O. Box 145550

Salt Lake City, UT 84114-5550

(801) 575-2928   direct line

(801) 535-7788   office

(435) 901-8277   cell

Catherine.Brabson@slcgov.com