WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama nominated Judge Carolyn B. McHugh to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

“Judge Carolyn B. McHugh has displayed exceptional dedication to the legal profession through her work and I am honored to nominate her to serve the American people as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals,” President Obama said. She will be a diligent, judicious and esteemed addition to the Tenth Circuit bench.

Judge Carolyn B. McHugh: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Judge Carolyn B. McHugh is the Presiding Judge of the Utah Court of Appeals, a bench on which she has served since her appointment in 2005.  Judge McHugh previously worked at the Salt Lake City law firm of Parr Brown Gee Loveless for 22 years, joining the firm as an associate in 1983 and becoming a partner in 1987.  Her practice primarily focused on complex civil litigation with an emphasis on environmental matters.  Prior to joining the firm, Judge McHugh served as a law clerk to the Honorable Bruce S. Jenkins of the United States District Court for the District of Utah from 1982 to 1983.  She has also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of Law and the University of Utah College of Social and Behavioral Science. Judge McHugh received her B.A. magna cum laude in 1978 from the University of Utah and her J.D. in 1982 from the University of Utah College of Law, where she graduated Order of the Coif and served on the editorial board of the Utah Law Review. 

Since becoming a judge on the Utah Court of Appeals, Judge McHugh has handled more than 1,100 criminal and civil cases and issued 285 opinions.  Throughout her career, Judge McHugh has been actively involved in community service organizations, and participated in local and national bar activities.  For her work, Judge McHugh has received awards including the Christine M. Durham Woman Lawyer of the Year Award from Women Lawyers of Utah, and the Utah State Bar’s Dorathy Merrill Brothers Award for the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession.