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The Judges and staff of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico mourn the loss of Senior United States District Judge James A. Parker. We were privileged to work with and know this exemplary man. I have extended our deepest condolences to his family.
Senior United States District Judge James A. Parker passed away on September 16, 2022 at the age of 85.
Judge Parker was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to the United States District Court on July 10, 1987 and received his commission on November 6, 1987. In 2000 he was elevated to Chief Judge and served in that capacity until September 1, 2003, when he assumed senior status. Even as a Senior District Judge his energy, work ethic and ability to maintain a heavy caseload was legendary. He served the District of New Mexico honorably for 35 years making him one of the longest serving district judges in the history of the District of New Mexico.
James Parker was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Rice University in 1959 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1962, graduating first in his class. He soon joined the Modrall Law Firm in Albuquerque, NM, where he practiced law for 25 years until President Ronald Reagan nominated him to fill a judicial vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.
Judge Parker will be remembered for his public service within the judiciary, both on the bench handling complex cases and behind the scenes serving on national and local committees. He served on the U.S. Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedures, the Federal Judicial Center Board of Directors, and the Board of the Federal Judges Association. He was a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the New Mexico and Albuquerque Bar Associations, and the American Judicature Society. He was a proponent of using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in appropriate cases and was proud of the District of New Mexico’s effective ADR program, crediting the “finest U.S. Magistrate Judges in the nation” with its success. Judge Parker was also a mentor to judges, lawyers, and court personnel and those of us who were privileged to know and work with Judge Parker will always be indebted to him for his inspirational guidance and leadership.
In recognition of Judge Parker’s exemplary and tireless service to the Nation and specifically to the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, a special ceremony was held at the Historic Courthouse at 421 Gold on January 7, 2022. During the event the 6th floor courtroom in which he presided for so many years was renamed the James A. Parker Historical Courtroom.
In honor of Judge James A. Parker, I have ordered that the flags outside the courthouses of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico be flown at half-staff.
-William P. Johnson, Chief District Judge
The Supreme Court of New Mexico is currently seeking applications to fill vacancies on committees, boards, and commissions. Our committees, boards, and commissions are integral to ensuring equity and justice for those who participate in our judicial system—members of the public and the broader legal community—by assisting the Court with the regulation of the practice and procedures within our courts. These panels have a wide range of responsibilities and functions. They regulate the practice of law, expand resources for civil legal assistance to New Mexicans living in poverty, oversee continuing legal education for lawyers, foster improved communication between tribal, federal, and state courts to improve legal services to tribal communities, administer funds to assist individuals unable to pay for legal services, and advise on long-range planning, just to name a few. Anyone who has ever served on one of the Court’s committees, boards, or commissions can attest to how challenging and rewarding this work can be.
In filling these vacancies, the Court strives to appoint non-attorneys, attorneys and judges who are able to regularly attend committee meetings and who are committed to generously volunteering their time, talent, and energy to this important work. The Court also endeavors to bring diversity, geographical and practice area balance to these committees, boards, and commissions by soliciting volunteers from throughout the state and from the various practice segments of our bar. To achieve these goals, we need volunteers representing the broad spectrum of our bench and bar who come from all corners of this great state, and are requesting that applicants voluntarily disclose demographic information to ensure the committees, boards and commissions reflect our diverse community.
If you would like to be considered to serve on a committee, board, or commission, please send your application and resume by October 14, 2022, to Elizabeth A. Garcia, Chief Clerk of Court at supeag@nmcourts.gov. The application and a complete list of vacancies on committees, boards, and commissions can be found on the Supreme Court’s website at https://supremecourt.nmcourts.gov/current-vacancies.aspx.
Read Chief Justice Bacon's Letter
2022 Year-End Vacancies
The UNM Law Library facility is currently closed to guests. Reference services are available remotely Monday through Friday, from 9am-6pm via email at lawlibrary@unm.edu or phone at 505-277-0935.
In 2021, the State of New Mexico enacted the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, aka RULONA (Sections 14-14-A1 to 14-14A-32 NMSA 1978) which is effective January 1, 2022.
This change in law impacts every current and future commissioned notary public. RULONA makes a distinction between a notary public and a notarial officer. A notarial officer is not commissioned to perform a notarial act, but is authorized to perform a notarial act by certain authority, including individuals who are authorized to practice law in New Mexico, a New Mexico Judge, or New Mexico county clerk or deputy county clerk.
A notarial officer authorized to practice law in New Mexico is authorized to practice notarial acts with no expiration but shall maintain an active license to practice law. The commission expiration date is December 31, 2021, for a notarial officer authorized to practice law in this state who was commissioned under the previous Uniform Law on Notarial Acts.
All notarial officers will be required to get new official stamps to meet new legal requirements, keep a mandatory journal of notarial acts, and pass a training examination before being recommissioned. The new law also provides for notarial officers to apply with the Secretary of State to become authorized to perform remote online notarizations.
Notarial officers are required to have an official stamp that follows statutory requirements that is on file with the Secretary of State before the notarial officer performs a notarial act.
RULONA also provides that a judge of a court of this state, a court clerk or deputy court clerk of this state while performing a notarial act within the scope of the clerk’s duties, and an individual licensed to practices law in this state are “notarial officers” and may perform notarial acts without applying to become a commissioned notary public.
The Secretary of State’s Office has additional information about the changes and new requirements on their website that all current or prospective notaries should review. That information can be found by going to https://www.sos.state.nm.us/ or by calling the Secretary of State’s Office Business Services Division at 505-827-3600.
Please direct any questions regarding this notice to the Secretary of State’s Office Business Services Division by calling 505-827-3600.
NEW MEETING! Defenders in Recovery meets every Wednesday night at 5:30 PM. Our meeting schedule is as follows:
These meetings are open to all who seek recovery. We are a group of defenders supporting each other, sharing in each other’s recovery. We are an anonymous group and not affiliated with any agency or business.
Anonymity is the foundation of all of our traditions. Who we see in this meeting, what we say in this meeting, stays in this meeting. For the meeting link, we can be reached at defendersinrecovey@gmail.com or Jen at 575-288-7958, Jaime at 505-225-9330, JJ at 307-321-4752.
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals Library, Albuquerque Branch is now open to members of both the District of New Mexico Federal Bar and State Bar of New Mexico. The Library is located on the 2d floor of the Pete V. Domenici United States Courthouse and hours are 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m (MT)., Monday through Friday when staff is present. We are also able to provide in-person, limited assistance to members of the general public at this time. For more information please call (505) 348-2135.
The Legal Services and Programs Committee will host the sixth annual Breaking Good Video Contest for 2021. The Video Contest aims to provide an opportunity for New Mexico high school students to show their creative and artistic talents while learning about civil legal services available to their communities. The LSAP Committee would like to invite members or firms of the legal community to sponsor monetary prizes awarded to first, second, and third place student teams and the first place teacher sponsor. The Video Contest sponsors will be recognized during the presentation of the awards, to take place on 2022 Law Day, and on all promotional material for the Video Contest. For more information regarding details about the prize and scale and the Video Contest in general, or additional sponsorship information, visit sbnm.org/breakinggood.