Nancy Rice
| Nancy Rice | |
 | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| Colorado Supreme Court | |
| Title: | Justice |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | Roy Romer |
| Active: | 1998-2021 |
| Past post: | Colorado Second District Court |
| Past term: | 1987-1998 |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | June 2, 1950 |
| Bachelors: | Tufts University, 1972 |
| Law School: | University of Utah College of Law, 1975 |
Contents |
Nancy E. Rice is an associate justice on the seven member Colorado Supreme Court. She was first appointed to the court in the state's Commission-selection, political appointment method of judicial selection in August of 1998 by Governor Roy Romer. Justice Rice was successfully retained in 2000 and 2010. Her current term expires in January of 2021.[1]
Education
Rice earned her undergraduate degree from Tufts University in 1972 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Utah College of Law in 1975.[1]
Professional career
After her admission to the bar in 1975 Rice served as a clerk for Justice Fred Winner of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Following her clerkship she worked as a Deputy State Public Defender for the Appellate Division until 1977. In in 1977 she became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado where she worked until 1987. In 1987 Rice accepted a position on the faculty of the Univeristy of Colorado School of Law where she still serves. In 1987 she was also appointed to the Colorado Second District Court where she served until 1998. In 1998 she was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court where she still serves.[1]
Awards and Associations
Awards
- Award for Judicial Merit, Phi Alpha Delta, 1998
- Best Litigation Article Award, Colorado Bar Association, 1996-1997
- Judicial Excellence Award, Denver Bar Association, 1993
Associations
- Member, Denver Bar Association
- Member, Colorado Bar Association
- Member, Women's Bar Association
- Member, Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee, 1998
- Master, Rhone-Brackett Inn of Court, 1993-1997
- Member, Supreme Court Ad Hoc Committee on the Revision of the Colorado Civil Rules, 1994
- Member, Colorado Bar Association, Executive Council 1991-1992
- Co-chair, Women Judges Association, National Conference in Denver, 1990
- Former Member, Colorado Bar Association, Board of Governors
- Editor-in Chief, University of Utah Journal of Contemporary Law[1]
Elections
2010
| Colorado Supreme Court, Associate Justice 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
Nancy Rice 
|
891,962 | 62% | ||
| Against retention | 548,633 | 38% | ||
- Click here for 2010 General Election Results from the Colorado Secretary of State.
- Main article: Colorado judicial elections, 2010
Opposition
There was a movement headed by judicial reform organization Clear the Bench Colorado not to retain Justice Bender, along with the other three justices up for a 2010 retention vote. [2] Critics of the court say "the majority of the justices' rulings on property taxes, eminent domain and congressional redistricting have violated the state's constitution or are clearly partisan". [3]
Performance Evaluations
The Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation voted unanimously to recommend Eid for retention. The COJPE reviews the answers of attorneys and District Judges and asked a variety of questions to determine the Judge's performance. The score is rated on a 4 point scale similar to school grades. Since 1990, which was the first election year after the statutory creation of judicial performance commissions and the use of performance evaluations, all Colorado Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges standing for retention have received do retain recommendations. [4] Until 2010 no additional information on judicial performance has been made available to the public.
| Question classification | Attorney score | District Judge score | Combined average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impartiality | 3.59 | 3.36 | 3.48 |
| Clear opinions | 3.49 | 3.30 | 3.4 |
| Adequate explanation of opinion | 3.54 | 3.39 | 3.47 |
| Timely response | 3.37 | 3.25 | 3.31 |
| Response without criticism | 3.59 | 3.58 | 3.59 |
| Response based on law | 3.57 | 3.26 | 3.42 |
| Not ruling on extra issues | 3.4 | 3.24 | 3.32 |
| Respect towards all parties | 3.81 | 3.71 | 3.76 |
| No ex parte communications | 3.81 | 3.78 | 3.8 |
| Overall | 3.3 | 3.57 | 3.44 |
- Read another Evaluation of Judicial Performance for Justice Rice here.
Political Affiliations
Judge Nancy Rice is currently listed as "nonpartisan." Because judges in Colorado are selected on merit by the governor, she has no campaign contributions.
See also
External links
- Colorado Supreme Court
- Rice bio from University of Colorado
- Colorado State Judicial Branch, Nancy E. Rice
- Law Week Colorado, "Colorado Supreme Court Tosses Amendment 54", February 22, 2010
- Denver Post, "Colorado Supreme Court gives go-ahead to school funding trial", October 20, 2009
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Colorado Supreme Court website, Justice Rice Bio
- ↑ Clear the Bench Colorado website
- ↑ Denver Post "Four Supreme Court justices face a tough vote in elections", February 15, 2010
- ↑ Email correspondence with Jane B. Howell, Executive Director of the CCJPE, Aug 27, 2010
- ↑ Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, Review of Justice Rice
