Michael R. Menssen

Professional career

• Appointed to the Utah Supreme Court on August 28, 2026 by Governor Spencer J. Cox to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Justice Diana Hagen
• Partner at Mayer Brown LLP before appointment; practice included litigation and employment/commercial matters.
• Before appointment he was a partner at Mayer Brown LLP and practiced litigation, including employment and commercial matters.
• Before joining the court, Menssen was a partner at Mayer Brown LLP in Salt Lake City, where he practiced litigation, employment/commercial law, and appeals in both federal and state courts.

Education

Additional information

• His appointment was later confirmed by the Utah Senate on September 16, 2026.
• Recognized by Utah Business Magazine as a 2025 “Legal Elite” in Utah.
• This marks the first time the court has seven justices, following a legislative expansion earlier in the year.
• Governor Cox described Menssen as bringing “an exceptional legal mind, top-quality experience, and a career-long dedication to textualism and originalism” to the bench.
• His appointment was part of a broader reshaping of the Utah Supreme Court after the retirement of Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and the resignation of Justice Hagen.
• The court’s expansion and new composition have come amid high-profile rulings on abortion and redistricting, which have heightened tensions between the judiciary and the legislature.
• Menssen earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was awarded the Order of the Coif and served on the Managing Board of the Virginia Law Review.
• Menssen himself called the appointment “the honor of a lifetime” and pledged to uphold the Constitution and Utah laws with integrity.