Judith Billings

Judith M. Billings (born July 1943) served as a judge for the Utah Court of Appeals from 1987 to 2008 and is a current adjunct professor for the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. In addition, she still works as an active senior judge, mediator, arbitrator and a faculty member of the National Judicial College. Early life and education Born and raised in Utah, Billings earned a B.A. in English from The University of Utah in 1965. Billings graduated magna cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Following her undergraduate education at the University of Utah Billings obtained a J.D. from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in 1977. In law school she was an Associate Editor of Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. Billings earned her L.L.M. at University of Virginia Law School in 1990. Professional career After completion of law school, Billings was admitted to the Utah State Bar and Utah Federal Bar in 1977 and, eventually, the Supreme Court of the United States in 1989. Her first job as a lawyer was as a trial lawyer and partner with Ray, Quinney & Nebeker, where she worked from 1976 to 1982. She litigated commercial, banking, corporate, employment, construction, products liability, securities and insurance cases in state and federal courts. Cases for the Utah Court of Appeals varied from civil, criminal, administrative and domestic cases. Throughout her career, Billings has also served as a Chair of the Appellate Judges Conference of the American Bar Association and President of the National Association of Women Judges. Currently, Billings teaches about the Judicial Process (see: procedural law) at The University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law while serving as a current trustee of Westminster College, member of the Board of Directors of the Park City Historical Society and Museum, member of the National Judicial College, active senior judge, mediator, arbitrator. Judicial career From 1981 to 1986 she served as a District Court Judge in the Third Judicial District of Utah where she presided over complex civil, criminal bench and jury trials. When the Utah Court of Appeals was established on January 31, 1987, Billings was asked by Former Governor Bangerter to serve as one of the court's inaugural judges until she retired from the court on December 31, 2008.