Idaho Gov. Brad Little has named an Idaho Supreme Court justice to fill a vacancy left by the retiring chief justice.
Little appointed Fourth District Judge Jason Scott to fill outgoing Chief Justice Richard Bevan’s seat on the state’s highest court, the governor’s office announced this week.
Scott is an Idaho native who earned an accounting degree at Idaho State University before graduating from Duke University’s School of Law in 1997. After law school, he returned to Idaho — clerking for a U.S. district judge and working for 15 years at the law firm Hawley Troxell, including seven years as a partner at the firm. His legal practice focused on civil litigation.
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“Judge Scott has dedicated his career to the law and to serving the people of Idaho,” Little said in a written statement. “His experience as a practicing attorney and a district judge gives him a strong understanding of both the courtroom and the broader legal system. I am confident he will bring thoughtful judgment, a strong work ethic, and a deep commitment to the rule of law to the Idaho Supreme Court.”
In 2014, Scott was first appointed as a district judge in Idaho’s Fourth Judicial District, which includes Ada County. As a judge, he has presided over high-stakes lawsuits — including a legal challenge to the state’s strict abortion ban and an open meetings lawsuit over University of Idaho’s attempted purchase of the University of Phoenix. He also serves as presiding district judge in Valley County.
“For twelve years, I’ve given my all to serving the people of Idaho as a district judge,” Scott said in a written statement. “I’m grateful to Governor Little for entrusting me with the opportunity to continue in public service as a justice of the Idaho Supreme Court. I will always perform the duties of the office to the best of my ability, and I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues on the Court to decide cases with the utmost care and fidelity to the law.”
Scott is set to fill the seat upon Bevan’s retirement on Oct. 30. Idaho Supreme Court justices recently elected Justice Robyn Brody to succeed Bevan as chief justice.
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