Ann Marie McIff Allen (born 1972)[1] is an American lawyer who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah since 2024. She previously served as a judge of Utah's Fifth District Court from 2020 to 2024.

Ann Marie McIff Allen
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah
Assumed office
April 12, 2024
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byDavid Nuffer
Judge of the Fifth District Court of Utah
In office
September 2020 – April 12, 2024
Appointed byGary Herbert
Personal details
Born
Ann Marie McIff

1972 (age 51–52)
Richfield, Utah, U.S.
EducationBrigham Young University (BA, JD)

Education

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Allen received a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University in 1994 and a Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1997.[2]

Career

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From 2001 to 2004, she worked in private practice at Jensen, Graff and Barnes, LLP and from 2004 to 2007 at Allen Law, PC. From 2007 to 2013, she served as a deputy county attorney for the Iron County Attorney's Office in Cedar City. From 2013 to 2020, she was a solo practitioner, simultaneously from 2016 to 2017, she was special counsel and director of ethics and compliance and from 2018 to 2020, she served as General Counsel, both at Southern Utah University.[2] In July 2020, she was appointed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert to serve as a judge of Utah's Fifth District Court in Cedar City.[3] She was confirmed by the Utah Senate in September 2020.

Federal judicial service

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On December 19, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Allen to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah.[2] Her nomination received support from Senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney.[4] Senator Romney recommended her to the federal bench.[5] On January 10, 2024, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Allen to the seat vacated by Judge David Nuffer, who assumed senior status on April 2, 2022.[6] On January 24, 2024, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[7] On February 29, 2024, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 21–0 vote.[8] On April 9, 2024, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 97–2 vote.[9] On April 10, 2024, her nomination was confirmed by a 100–0 vote, thereby making her the first federal judge appointed by Biden to be voted unanimously on record by the full Senate.[10] She received her judicial commission on April 12, 2024.[11]

Personal life

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Allen's father, Kay McIff, was a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "President Biden Names Forty-Third Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "Governor appoints new judge to the Fifth District Court in Southern Utah". July 27, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Tomco, Brigham (December 19, 2023). "Lee, Romney react to Utah federal judge nomination". desert.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "Romney Commends Nomination of District Court Judge for Utah". romney.senate.gov (Press release). December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "Nominations Press Release Attached" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. January 10, 2024.
  7. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. January 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 29, 2024" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  9. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Ann Marie McIff Allen to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah)". United States Senate. April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  10. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Ann Marie McIff Allen, of Utah, to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah)". United States Senate. April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Ann Marie McIff Allen at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  12. ^ "Kay L. McIff Obituary 2020". Magleby Mortuary. Archived from the original on Mar 31, 2023.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah
2024–present
Incumbent