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Leigh Ingalls Saufley
Leigh Ingalls Saufley is a former chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. She first became a member of the state's highest court on October 20, 1997, when she was appointed by then-governor Angus King, a political independent.[1][2]
In 2001, Saufley became the first woman and the youngest member of the court to be appointed chief justice. She was re-appointed chief justice in 2009 and in 2016.[3] She was the 26th chief justice and one of over 20 female chief justices of state supreme courts when she served on the court.
Saufley retired from the court on April 14, 2020. She left the position to become the dean of the University of Maine School of Law.[4] Click here for more information about the vacancy and the replacement process.
Education
Saufley graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1976. In 1980, she received her J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law.[1]
Career
- 2020–Present: Dean, University of Maine School of Law
- 2001-2020: Chief justice, Supreme Judicial Court
- 1997-2001: Associate justice, Maine Supreme Judicial Court
- 1993-1997: Judge, Maine Superior Court
- 1990-1993: Judge, Maine district courts
- 1980-1990: Attorney, Maine Attorney General Office[1][5]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2010 Woman Who Makes a Difference Award, International Women's Forum
- 2008 Deborah Morton Award, University of New England[6]
- 2008 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Maine at Presque Isle
- 2005 Portland Regionals Chamber Neal W. Allen Award
- 2005 Caroline Duby Glassman Award
- 2004 Maryann Hartman Award, Women of Achievement, University of Maine
- 2004 Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of New England
- 2002 Distinguished Alumna Award, University of Maine
- 2002 YWCA Women of Achievement Award
- 1998 L. Kinvin Wroth, Alumna of the Year Award[1]
Associations
- Conference of Chief Justices
- Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction of the Judicial Conference of the United States[1]
Political outlook
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Saufley received a campaign finance score of -1, indicating a liberal ideological leaning. This was less liberal than the average score of -1.01 that justices received in Maine.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[7]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Maine Supreme Judicial Court. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biographies of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court justices
- Project Vote Smart, Chief Justice Leigh Ingalls Saufley (ME)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Supreme Court Justice Biographies, "Hon. Leigh Ingalls Saufley," accessed September 8, 2015
- ↑ Maine State Legislature, "Historical List: Maine Supreme Court Chief and Associate Justices," accessed September 8, 2015
- ↑ Office of Governor LePage,"Governor LePage Announces Judicial Re-Appointment of Chief Justice," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ Penobscot Bay Pilot, "Maine’s Chief Justice Leigh Saufley to be named dean of University of Maine School of Law," April 9, 2020
- ↑ Cleaves Law Library, "Biography of Leigh Ingalls Saufley," accessed September 8, 2015
- ↑ University of New England, "UNE honors four prominent Maine women with 2008 Deborah Morton Awards," September 2, 2008
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maine • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maine
State courts:
Maine Supreme Judicial Court • Maine Superior Court • Maine Business and Consumer Court • Maine District Courts • Maine Family Division • Maine Juvenile Court • Maine Probate Courts • Maine Small Claims Court • Maine Treatment Court
State resources:
Courts in Maine • Maine judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maine
