Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker has appointed Margaret Plane to the post of city attorney. She will succeed Ed Rutan, who will retire in June.
Plane has served as senior city attorney for civil litigation since 2007. Her accomplishments include successful defense of appeals in land use and successful defense of administrative employee appeal. She is also a co-author of nondiscrimination ordinances adopted by the City Council in 2009.
In addition, she is the Utah State Bar's representative to the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates.
Prior to joining the Salt Lake City Attorney's Office, Plane served as legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. She also has clerked for the Utah Court of Appeals.
Plane also was appointed by the Utah Supreme Court as chairman of the Utah State Court Ethics and Disciplinary Screening Panel, the frontline for dealing with allegations of lawyer misconduct.
"Margaret's keen legal sense, her service to the legal profession and her commitment to high ethical standards qualify her to serve as our next city attorney," Becker said. "Margaret is held in high regard by the legal community and will continue the excellence and professionalism practiced by Ed Rutan and his staff."
Plane received her J.D. from the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law, as well as a master's degree in philosophy from the U. of U. She also completed a post-graduate fellowship in German language studies at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster, Germany.
Christopher Smart