Gov. Cox nominates S.J. Quinney grad Judge Diana Hagen to Utah Supreme Court

Judge Hagen has served as president of Women Lawyers of Utah, the Salt Lake County Bar Association, and the Utah Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She also spent many years as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where she taught appellate practice and coached intercollegiate moot court teams. Photo: Gov. Spencer Cox

SALT LAKE CITY — On Tuesday Gov. Spencer Cox picked Utah Court of Appeals Judge Diana Hagen to serve on the state supreme court. She will now be subject to Senate confirmation.

Judge Hagen was appointed to the Utah Court of Appeals in June 2017 by former Gov. Gary Herbert. Currently, she also serves as chair of the Supreme Court OPC Oversight Committee, chair of the Judicial Education Committee, and appellate court representative on the Utah Sentencing Commission.

“I am grateful to Gov. Cox for the confidence he has placed in me and especially honored to have been selected from an outstanding group of nominees,” Hagen said. “I am mindful of the great responsibility and public trust that comes with this appointment. If confirmed by the Utah Senate, I will work hard to be deserving of that trust.”

Prior to her Court of Appeals appointment, Judge Hagen was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah. She served as the chief of the appellate section for nearly a decade before her promotion to First Assistant.

During her 17 years as a federal prosecutor, high-profile trials have included the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case and the murder of Millard County Sheriff’s Deputy Josie Greathouse Fox.

“Judge Hagen’s distinguished career as an appellate court judge and federal prosecutor as well as her leadership and service in numerous professional and community groups have well prepared her for this moment,” Gov. Cox said. “We are delighted she is willing to take on a new challenge and know she will serve the people of Utah with integrity.”

Judge Hagen grew up in Ogden and attended Ben Lomond High School. She still lives in the area with her husband, Tobin, and their two children.

In 1998, she received her law degree Order of the Coif from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where she was a member of the National Moot Court Team and the Utah Law Review editorial board. After law school, she served as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell.

Judge Hagen has served as president of Women Lawyers of Utah, the Salt Lake County Bar Association, and the Utah Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She also spent many years as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where she taught appellate practice and coached intercollegiate moot court teams.

Judge Hagen has received the Federal Bar Association Distinguished Service Award, four United States Attorney’s Awards, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Award and many other honors. She was also a member of the Utah Dating Violence Task Force, a Girl Scout troop leader for six years, and vice chair of the Mountain View Elementary Community Council.