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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This resolution honors the legacy and service of former Utah Supreme Court Chief
11 Justice Christine M. Durham.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ honors former Chief Justice Christine M. Durham for:
15 • her many accomplishments and awards that bring distinction to the state of
16 Utah; and
17 • her many years of dedicated service to the judiciary and the citizens of the state
18 of Utah.
19 Special Clauses:
20 None
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22 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
23 WHEREAS, former Justice Christine M. Durham was born in Los Angeles, spending
24 her formative years in Southern California, Washington D.C., and France;
25 WHEREAS, Justice Durham earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, from
26 prestigious Wellesley College in Massachusetts;
27 WHEREAS, Justice Durham earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Duke University,
28 where she is an emeritus member of the Board of Trustees;
29 WHEREAS, after graduation from law school, Justice Durham taught law, worked as a
30 research associate, drafted legislation, and opened her own office representing indigent
31 defendants, among other activities;
32 WHEREAS, after a number of years in private practice, Justice Durham was the first
33 woman appointed to a court of general jurisdiction in the state of Utah;
34 WHEREAS, Justice Durham was the first woman appointed to the Utah Supreme Court
35 and served with distinction for 36 years, from 1982 until 2017;
36 WHEREAS, Justice Durham was the first woman to serve as Chair of the Utah Judicial
37 Council and served for 10 years, from 2002 to 2012;
38 WHEREAS, Justice Durham was the first woman elected to serve as Chief Justice of
39 the Utah Supreme Court and was Chief Justice for 10 years, from 2002 to 2012;
40 WHEREAS, Justice Durham taught as an adjunct professor for many years at the
41 University of Utah's college of law, teaching state constitutional law;
42 WHEREAS, Justice Durham is a past Chair of the American Bar Association's Council
43 on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, the entity that accredits American law schools;
44 WHEREAS, Justice Durham helped create and lead the Utah Coalition for Civic
45 Character and Service Education and served on the Utah Commission on Civic Education;
46 WHEREAS, Justice Durham served on the American Bar Association's President's
47 Task Force on the Future of Legal Education;
48 WHEREAS, Justice Durham served on the Advisory Board for the Educating
49 Tomorrow's Lawyers Project of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal
50 System;
51 WHEREAS, Justice Durham currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the
52 University of the People, an accredited tuition-free online institution;
53 WHEREAS, Justice Durham has been active in judicial education, was a founder of the
54 Leadership Institute in Judicial Education, and has been recognized nationally for her work in
55 judicial education and efforts to improve the administration of justice;
56 WHEREAS, Justice Durham is a past President of the National Association of Women
57 Judges and received the association's 1997 Honoree of the Year award;
58 WHEREAS, Justice Durham served on the governing board of the American Bar
59 Association's Commission on Women in the Profession;
60 WHEREAS, Justice Durham is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation;
61 WHEREAS, Justice Durham is an emeritus member of the Board of Overseers for the
62 Rand Corporation's Institute for Civil Justice;
63 WHEREAS, Justice Durham received the Transparent Courthouse Award from the
64 Institute for the Advancement of the Legal System for contributions to judicial accountability
65 and administration;
66 WHEREAS, Justice Durham served on the governing board of the American Inns of
67 Court Foundation,
68 WHEREAS, Justice Durham served on the governing board of the Appellate Judges
69 Conference of the American Bar Association;
70 WHEREAS, Justice Durham served on the governing board of the Federal Judicial
71 Conference's Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure;
72 WHEREAS, Justice Durham is an emeritus member of the Council of the American
73 Law Institute;
74 WHEREAS, Justice Durham received the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial
75 Excellence, one of our nation's highest judicial honors;
76 WHEREAS, Justice Durham received the Eighth Annual Dwight D. Opperman Award
77 for Judicial Excellence from the American Judicature Society;
78 WHEREAS, Justice Durham served for 12 years on the Utah Constitutional Revision
79 Commission;
80 WHEREAS, Justice Durham is a past President of the Conference of Chief Justices of
81 the United States;
82 WHEREAS, Justice Durham received honors throughout her career, including honorary
83 degrees from five Utah universities;
84 WHEREAS, Justice Durham's many accomplishments, awards, and tireless dedication
85 to the judiciary has brought great distinction to the state of Utah; and
86 WHEREAS, Justice Durham has served with excellence and distinction the citizens of
87 Utah in the judiciary for 39 years:
88 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
89 Governor concurring therein, honors Justice Christine M. Durham for her many
90 accomplishments and awards that bring distinction to the state of Utah.
91 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor honor Justice
92 Christine M. Durham for her many years of dedicated service to the judiciary and the citizens
93 of Utah.
94 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to Justice
95 Christine M. Durham.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel