Judge J. Clifford Wallace of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will be the 2010 University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law commencement speaker. Wallace, who was appointed to the 9th Circuit by President Nixon in 1972, is a graduate of San Diego State (B.A.) and the UC Berkeley (L.L.B.). Prior to his appointment to the 9th Circuit, he practiced law at the firm Gray Cary Ames & Frye (1955-70) and served as a federal district court judge for the Southern District of California (1970-72).
Throughout his judicial career, Judge Wallace has been interested in developing robust judicial systems around the world. He traces his support for the “rule of law” movement, which seeks to impart the concepts and ideals of an independent judiciary and impartial judicial system, to 1972, when he began devoting personal vacation time to visiting judiciaries overseas. To date, he has worked directly with judiciaries in more than 50 countries and on every continent.
Commencement will be held Friday, May 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall.