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- Associate Chief Justice John Pearce will leave the Utah Supreme Court on Dec. 1.
- Pearce will return to private practice and continue teaching after a decade on Utah's high court, and 16 years of public service.
SALT LAKE CITY — The second-highest judge in Utah is leaving his position as associate chief justice on the Utah Supreme Court and returning to private legal practice.
In a letter to Gov. Spencer Cox dated May 30, John Pearce announced his last day will be Dec. 1. At that point, he will have served on the high court for a decade, and as associate chief justice for three and a half years. Pearce said he will have reached 16 consecutive years of public service at that point.
"The time has come for me to turn the page, start a new chapter of my career, and find new ways to serve the people of Utah," he said.
The Utah judiciary announced Pearce's retirement in a statement on Tuesday. It said after his retirement, Pearce plans to return to practicing law privately and continue teaching at the University of Utah's S. J. Quinney College of Law.
Before his position on the high court, Pearce served on the Utah Court of Appeals. He also worked as general counsel for Gov. Gary Herbert from 2009 to 2013. Herbert later appointed him to both the Utah Court of Appeals and the Utah Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Matthew Durrant said Pearce's contributions to Utah and its judiciary "have been truly extraordinary," specifically saying he made progress helping parties obtain a lawyer who could not afford one and improved how the Supreme Court measures lawyer competency.
"He is not only a brilliant jurist, but also a wonderful colleague. The legacy he has built will long be a force for good in our state," he said.
Pearce said he considers himself "deeply fortunate" to have been able to serve on the Utah Supreme Court, and said there are more qualified attorneys in Utah than seats on the bench. He said he is proud of the court and the work it has accomplished.
"My colleagues, past and present, are brilliant, courageous, and dedicated to the rule of law. I am a better attorney and person because of them," he said in his letter.
Pearce noted in his letter to Cox that it is tradition to not leave the court before giving an opportunity for a successor to be nominated and confirmed. The Appellate Nominating Commission will now compile a list of seven candidates to provide to Cox. Cox will then appoint a successor for Pearce and ask the Utah Senate to confirm his appointment.
