This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Utah. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are men who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
Christine Meaders Durham is an American lawyer who served as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court from 1982 to 2017, including service as chief justice from 2002 to 2012.
Scott Milne Matheson Jr. is an American lawyer and jurist serving since 2010 as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
The S.J. Quinney College of Law is a professional graduate law school under the University of Utah. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, the school was established in 1913. It is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and is accredited by the American Bar Association.
Robert K. Hilder was a Third Judicial District Court Judge in Utah. The Third District consists of Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties. He was elected Summit County attorney and was sworn in on January 5, 2015. Prior to that he did extensive mediation and arbitration work.
Andrew A. Valdez is a Utah Third District Juvenile Court judge for Salt Lake County, Utah.
Glenn K. Iwasaki is a Utah attorney. He served as State Court Judge for the Third Judicial District Court, which serves Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties of Utah. He was appointed to the bench in July 1992 by Governor Norman H. Bangerter, and has served there since. He retired on September 30, 2011.
Samuel Alba is a former United States magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of Utah.
William A. Thorne Jr. is a judge on the Utah Court of Appeals.
Sean David Reyes is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the Attorney General of Utah from 2013 to 2025. Appointed to the office by Governor Gary Herbert following the resignation of John Swallow, Reyes was reelected. Reyes is a member of the Republican Party and is a vocal and longtime supporter of Donald Trump. He has served as a county, state, and national delegate for the Republican Party and a member of the Utah Republican Party's State Central Committee.
Brian Smith King is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 23rd district. Before redistricting following the 2020 census, he represented the 28th district since January 1, 2009. In April 2024, he became the Democratic nominee for the gubernatorial election against Republican incumbent Spencer Cox.
Paige Petersen is an American lawyer and judge, who is a justice of the Utah Supreme Court. She previously served as a Utah District Court judge from 2015 to 2017.
Stephanie Pitcher is an American politician and attorney, and Senator in the Utah State Senate. She served two terms as a member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 40th district, from 2019 through 2022.
Frances M. Palacios is Utah’s first Hispanic American female judge.
Frank R. Pignanelli is an American politician who served in the Utah House of Representatives from 1987 through 1997, serving as minority leader and minority whip for parts of that tenure. In 2003, he, unsuccessfully, ran for mayor of Salt Lake City.
Michael N Martinez was the first Hispanic American lawyer in Utah. He went on to a long career in the law working in both government and private practice. He was a "vocal minority rights advocate" during his career, serving on many boards and commissions dedicated to furthering the rights of Hispanics and other people of color.
Raymond Sonji Uno was Utah's Third District Court Judge and a civil rights activist. He was the first minority judge in Utah, serving in various judicial capacities, including as a Senior Judge of the Third District Court. Uno was a leader in the Japanese American community, having served as the president for Japanese American Citizens League and leading several other civil rights organizations.