Utah Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Jill M. Pohlman will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot in a nonpartisan retention vote. Cottonwood Heights and Holladay voters will see the question on their ballots.

Pohlman, who attended Alta High School, has served on the state's highest court since 2022. She is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady. In a retention election, no challenger runs against the justice. Voters simply mark "yes" or "no."

Candidate information

  • Name: Jill M. Pohlman
  • Office: Utah Supreme Court justice (retention)
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Born: April 8, 1973, in Ogden, Utah
  • Education: Bachelor's degree from the University of Utah (1993); juris doctor from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law (1996), where she graduated Order of the Coif and served on the Utah Law Review

Experience and public service

Gov. Spencer Cox appointed Pohlman to the Utah Supreme Court on June 28, 2022, to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Thomas R. Lee, according to her Wikipedia biography. The Utah Senate unanimously confirmed her on Aug. 17, 2022. Her confirmation brought the court to a female majority.

The Utah Courts website lists her permanent title as associate chief justice. Pohlman became acting chief justice as of Aug. 31, 2026, according to her Wikipedia biography.

Before joining the Supreme Court, Gov. Gary Herbert appointed Pohlman to the Utah Court of Appeals in 2016. She filled the seat vacated by the retirement of Judge James Davis and served on that bench until 2022.

Earlier in her career, Pohlman clerked for Judge David K. Winder of the United States District Court and worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah. She also practiced as an attorney at Stoel Rives LLP, according to BallotReady.

Endorsements

The following organizations have endorsed Pohlman's retention, as claimed by the endorsers and reported by BallotReady:

  • Women's Democratic Club of Utah
  • Teamsters Local 222 (Salt Lake City)
  • Better Boundaries

Candidate profile information was drawn from BallotReady, the Utah Courts website and Wikipedia. No candidate questionnaire responses or issue positions were available at the time of publication.