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Justice Deno G. Himonas

3 cases – Third District Court
4 cases – Utah Supreme Court
1 case – Eighth District Court

Position: Associate Justice
Court: Utah Supreme Court
Years on Court: February 2015 – March 31, 2022
Chief Justice: N/A
Appointed By: Governor Gary R. Herbert
Predecessor: Associate Chief Justice Ronald E. Nehring
Successor: Justice Diana Hagen (following subsequent changes to the Court’s composition)


Biography

Justice Constandinos “Deno” Himonas served as an Associate Justice of the Utah Supreme Court from 2015 until his retirement in 2022. Before joining the Supreme Court, he served for approximately eleven years as a judge on Utah’s Third District Court, where he presided over hundreds of civil, criminal, and family law cases.

Justice Himonas graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in economics before earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School. After law school, he spent approximately fifteen years in private practice with Jones, Waldo, concentrating on complex commercial and civil litigation.

Governor Olene Walker appointed him to the Third District Court in 2004. During his district court service, he served as Associate Presiding Judge, co-chaired the district’s pro bono program, served on the Judicial Conduct Commission, and taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. Governor Gary R. Herbert appointed him to the Utah Supreme Court in 2015.

While on the Supreme Court, Justice Himonas became nationally recognized for his work on access to justice and legal innovation. He chaired Utah’s task forces on Licensed Paralegal Practitioners (LPPs) and Online Dispute Resolution, and co-chaired Utah’s groundbreaking regulatory reform initiative that created the nation’s first legal regulatory sandbox. Following his retirement from the Court in March 2022, he entered private practice with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, focusing on litigation and appellate matters.


Judicial Philosophy

Justice Himonas was widely regarded as a practical, innovative jurist whose opinions emphasized:

  • Careful statutory interpretation
  • Access to justice
  • Judicial efficiency
  • Civility and professionalism
  • Clear guidance for lower courts

He earned a reputation for asking probing questions during oral argument and writing opinions that were both analytically rigorous and accessible. Throughout his career, he consistently advocated for expanding access to legal services and modernizing the legal profession.


Notable Family Law Opinions

Among Justice Himonas’s significant family law opinions are:

  • Dahl v. Dahl, 2015 UT 79 — Divorce, alimony, property division, custody, and attorney fees.
  • Scott v. Scott, 2020 UT 54 — Clarification of Utah’s cohabitation standard for alimony termination.
  • In re B.T.B., 2020 UT 60 — Termination of parental rights and the “strictly necessary” standard.
  • Rosser v. Rosser, 2021 UT 71 — Divorce and contempt.
  • Taylor v. Taylor, 2022 UT 35 — Judicial review of divorce arbitration awards.

Leadership and Service

During his judicial career, Justice Himonas:

  • Served as Associate Justice of the Utah Supreme Court.
  • Served as Associate Presiding Judge of the Third District Court.
  • Chaired Utah’s Licensed Paralegal Practitioner Task Force.
  • Chaired Utah’s Online Dispute Resolution Task Force.
  • Co-chaired Utah’s legal regulatory reform initiative.
  • Served on the Judicial Conduct Commission.
  • Taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.
  • Was named the 2017 Honorary Alumnus of the Year by the S.J. Quinney College of Law.
  • Is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Education

  • University of Utah — B.S. in Economics, magna cum laude
  • University of Chicago Law School — Juris Doctor

Professional Experience

  • Attorney, Jones, Waldo
  • Judge, Utah Third Judicial District Court (2004–2015)
  • Associate Justice, Utah Supreme Court (2015–2022)
  • Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (2022–Present)

Legacy

Justice Himonas is widely recognized as one of the principal architects of modern legal innovation in Utah. Beyond his judicial opinions, his leadership in expanding access to justice, creating the Licensed Paralegal Practitioner program, promoting online dispute resolution, and helping establish Utah’s legal regulatory sandbox has influenced court systems and legal regulators nationwide. His combination of thoughtful jurisprudence and institutional reform continues to shape Utah’s judiciary and legal profession.