After 35 years on the Utah Supreme Court, the state’s first woman to serve on the high court will retire this week.
A celebration was held in Justice Christine Durham’s honor on Monday at the Utah Supreme Court in Salt Lake City. Speakers included Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and federal Judge Jill Parrish, along with Durham’s husband, George Durham.
They reflected on Durham’s impressive career, a woman who led the way for other female lawyers and jurists. She has been an inspiration to many, Durrant said, including himself.
“Christine Durham is my role model and inspiration,” the chief justice said. “And she has been for every minute of the 17 years that I’ve served with her. She never wavers. And she never disappoints.”
Durham became the state’s first female judge on a court of general jurisdiction in 1978. She also was the first woman to serve on the Utah Supreme Court when she was appointed in 1982. In 2002, she became the first woman to head up the state’s judiciary as chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, a position she held for 10 years.