Salt Lake City Corp. attorney selected to be new U.S. Magistrate

Salt Lake City attorney Evelyn J. Furse has been selected for one of two open magistrate positions on Utah's federal bench, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned.

Furse, 39, will become the next magistrate once a federal background check is completed, multiple sources confirmed.

Furse, an attorney for Salt Lake City Corp. who handles civil litigation, was recently selected for the position vacated by David Nuffer, who was commissioned as Utah's new federal judge last month.

According to a biography posted on the Utah State Bar website, Furse has chaired the Initiative on Advancement and Retention of Women Attorneys and served as president of Women Lawyers of Utah for 2007 and 2008.

Prior to joining the city attorney's office in 2006, Furse was a partner with Howrey LLP, where she focused on complex corporate litigation.

Furse graduated with a bachelor's degree in public policy analysis from the University of North Carolina in 1993. She attended law school at New York University School of Law in 1996. She clerked for Justice Christine Durham of the Utah Supreme Court in 1997 following her graduation from law school, according to the State Bar website.

Furse was selected among other nominees that included Carlos A. Esqueda, Anthony B. Quinn, Robert L. Steele and Billy L. Walker.

Esqueda is an assistant U.S. attorney; Quinn is a 3rd District judge; Steele is a federal public defender; and Walker is senior counsel for the Utah State Bar's Office of Professional Conduct.

Magistrates are appointed to eight-year terms by a majority vote of district judges. Magistrates conduct preliminary issues in criminal cases and also handle other criminal and civil matters assigned by district judges.

D. Mark Jones, clerk of Court for Utah's federal court, said Tuesday that five candidates for a second magistrate opening will likely be made public by the end of this week or next week.

That vacancy is a result of the pending June retirement of Judge Samuel Alba.

mrogers@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mrogers_trib