Retention election · Nov 3, 2026
Jill M. Pohlman
Utah Supreme Court
JPECMeets or exceeds standardsWhat this court does
Utah's highest court. Seven justices hear final appeals, including constitutional questions, and oversee the courts and the practice of law.
On every Salt Lake County ballot, including Taylorsville. Vote Yes to keep this judge for 10 more years, or No to remove. More Yes than No votes retains the judge.
The evaluation below is JPEC's official evaluation, quoted and summarized from its report. This guide does not rate judges.
Details: scores, feedback, standards, sources
Ballot question: “Shall JILL M. POHLMAN be retained in the office of Justice of the Supreme Court of Utah?” · On every Salt Lake County ballot, including Taylorsville.
96% of survey respondents recommend Justice Pohlman for retention.
JPEC survey scores (1–5 scale; JPEC reports list 3.6 as the minimum standard)
| Legal ability | 4.8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Integrity & temperament | 4.8 | |
| Administrative skills | 4.9 | |
| Procedural fairness | 4.9 |
Compared with peers (JPEC)
- Consistent with peers: Legal Ability, Integrity & Judicial Temperament, Administrative Skills, and Procedural Fairness
What survey respondents and observers said (JPEC summary)
- Respondents find Justice Pohlman to be kind, polite, and approachable, and they praise her diligent work habits, attentiveness, and her thoughtful and intellectually curious manner.
- One respondent said that the judge “thinks about issues deeply and puts 100% into everything.”
- Another added that she “exemplifies the mission of the judiciary.”
Other standards (certified by the courts / Judicial Conduct Commission)
- Judicial Education: Pass
- Judicial Time Standard: Pass
- Judicial Discipline: Pass
- Fitness for Office: Pass
Biography (from JPEC)
Associate Chief Justice Jill M. Pohlman was appointed to the Utah Supreme Court in June 2022 by Governor Spencer J. Cox. At the time, she was serving as Associate Presiding Judge on the Utah Court of Appeals. Judge Pohlman graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah in 1993 and received her Juris Doctorate from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in 1996, where she served on the Utah Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. After law school, she clerked for the Honorable David K. Winder of the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Justice Pohlman was a partner at the law firm of Stoel Rives LLP in Salt Lake City. She practiced there for 19 years during which she maintained a complex civil litigation practice, including administrative, trial, and appellate work. Justice Pohlman currently chairs the Judicial Council's Office of Fairness and Accountability Committee and has previously served on several committees; including the Judicial Council's Committee on Judicial Outreach, the Utah Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on the Rules of Appellate Procedure, and the Utah Supreme Court's Ethics and Discipline Committee.
Sources
About this office: Utah Supreme Court justice
One of seven justices on Utah's highest court, which has the final word on Utah law: it hears the most serious appeals, election and redistricting cases, and lawyer discipline, and it writes the rules for Utah courts.
- Role
- Appellate judge on the state's court of last resort (7 justices)
- Hours
- Full-time
- Pay
- about $247,250 (110% of the District Court salary) [COMPUTED]
- Typical week
- Reading briefs and records, oral arguments on scheduled court days, conferences with the other justices, drafting and editing opinions; rulemaking and court governance
Responsibilities and powers
- The Supreme Court has seven justices (Utah Code 78A-3-101, effective Jan 31, 2026).
- Exclusive appellate jurisdiction over Court of Appeals judgments, capital felony appeals, lawyer discipline, Judicial Conduct Commission orders, election and voting contests, cases on political district boundaries, and questions of state law certified by federal courts (78A-3-102).
- First term runs until the first general election more than three years after appointment; then a 10-year retention term (78A-3-101; 20A-12-201).
A typical week [INFERRED from the court's jurisdiction and appellate practice]
- Most of the week goes to reading briefs and records, working with law clerks on research, and drafting opinions. Oral arguments are held on scheduled court days, followed by a conference where the justices discuss and vote. The justices also handle court rulemaking and serve on the Judicial Council.
Time commitment
- Full-time.
Staff and budget
- Funded through the Judicial Council/State Court Administrator line items in the state budget (S.B. 8, 2026, item 175). Each justice works with law clerks and judicial assistants [INFERRED].
Pay
- About $247,250 for FY2027: 110% of $224,750 is $247,225, rounded to the nearest $50 under the S.B. 8 intent language [COMPUTED; confirm with the courts' published salary].