Former CCS board member takes the bench

Intermountain Catholic

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SALT LAKE CITY — Joel T. Marker, a Catholic who has served as a Chapter 7 trustee in Utah since 1997, has been named to the bankruptcy court bench by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which has the authority to select and appoint bankruptcy judges for six western states.

Marker, a previous board member of the catholic Community Services (CCS), has been a parishioner of St. Ambrose Catholic Church for the past 22 years. His wife, Mary Jo, was born and raised in Salt Lake City, and attended Judge High School The couple was married Feb. 6,1988 in the Cathedral of the Madeleine. "Shortly after we got married we moved and we have been members of St. Ambrose Parish since then,"

As a CCS board member, Marker served as a president of the board for two years. "I was asked to join the board, which I greatly enjoyed," he said. "The community services helps people to round off their lives so is not just the day-to-day work. The additional satisfaction of spending time helping others is very rewarding and I was very fortunate to serve."

Previously an attorney for McKay, Burton & Thurman, a law firm based in Salt Lake City, Marker now is filling the opening in the bankruptcy court created by the departure of Judge Judith Boulden, due to her retirement after 22 years of service.

"Having worked in the same firm as Judge Marker nearly my entire career, I found his mentoring and reasoning skills invaluable," said John Morris, a lawyer from McKay, Burton & Truman. "I think he has the perfect temperament and necessary capabilities required of a judge. He is intellectually capable of understanding and applying the complexities of the law while not losing sight of the practical and policy concerns that underlie it. Most importantly, he has seasoned sufficiently in his career to achieve that even temperament that is so necessary for a good judge. I think he will be an outstanding judge."

Likewise, David L. Bird, also of McKay, Burton & Thurman, said Marker is well-suited for his new position. "Joel Marker’s 26 years experience as a respected and well-liked attorney has uniquely qualified him for appointment as a bankruptcy judge," Bird said. "Joel is regarded as one of the preeminent bankruptcy attorneys in the state, but Joel has also been an excellent partner, law firm administrator and friend. He is a devoted husband and loving father. Joel has served in and presided over professional organizations, civic and humanitarian efforts. He will be a well-prepared, conscientious and fair judge."

Marker, 53, is a 1984 graduate of the University of Utah College of Law. A native of La Crosse, Wis., he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1979.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah is authorized to have three judges. In 2009, the court received 14,481 bankruptcy filings, a 56 percent increase from the previous year.

The Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals uses a merit-selection process for the appointment of bankruptcy judges, who serve 14-year renewable terms, to handle all bankruptcy-related matters under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.