Utah Bar

The proposed bill would make it free and easy for the public to access more court documents and stream most hearings. Some lawyers worry about what this means for the people going before the courts.

“The merit-based process of judicial selection, of wanting the very best and the most competent judges on the bench, is something that needs to be fought for, and it needs to be protected,” said Bar President Kim Cordova.

In addition to adding two justices to the state’s highest court, the law also adds judges to the Utah Court of Appeals and three of the state’s eight district courts.

A future constitutional court would be where cases challenging the constitutionality of state laws go first, instead of a district court as they do now.

Republican Sen. Brady Brammer said Utah has a problem with its supply of attorneys. To fix it, he’s proposing a feasibility study for Utah Valley University to have a law school.

Republican leaders say expanding the state’s highest court from five to seven justices makes practical sense for a growing state, but others see it as flirting dangerously with court packing.

Starting July 2028, would-be Utah lawyers will take the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination to start their career. Law professors say it’s more representative of modern practice and will produce more competent attorneys.

More than 900 lawyers from across Utah signed a letter of opposition to nine bills aimed at reforming key elements of the state’s judicial branch — everything from judicial retention to who gets to choose the Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court.

The Utah Bar Association says the state has some of the “least-renter friendly” eviction policies in the country. So what can lawmakers do to help?

HJR2 would change the rules that govern how Utah judges issue injunctions and could impact some high-profile cases.

The latest Utah news from Monday evening, August 2, 2021.

In 2020, Utah became one of five states to let law school students skip the bar exam and still practice as lawyers. Now legal experts are looking at ways to perhaps change the exam permanently.