SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) -Utah's first female Supreme Court member and its current Chief Justice is hoping Barack Obama makes the nation's highest court more diverse.
In a rare interview, Christine Durham tells ABC 4 News there still aren't enough female judges.
Durham has been on the Utah Supreme Court for nearly 3 decades.
In addition to being its first female member and Chief Justice, she was once reportedly on the short list for the U.S. Supreme Court.
In an interview in the Supreme Court chambers, Durham talked about the number of American female judges,
"We're not making as rapid progress across the board as I would hope."
But you can't blame Chief Justice Christine M. Durham for that.
In 1982, she became Utah's first female Supreme Court justice.
27 years later, though, she worries about those women not being given the same chance.
"It hasn't happened as quickly and as naturally as we would have suspected. Women still represent less than 25 percent of the state and federal benches."
And we asked the woman who has sworn in several Utah governors if she has ever wondered - what if?
What if she were appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court?
“I doubt if there's an appellate judge in the country - state or federal - who hasn't thought about what it would be like to serve on the United States Supreme Court."
And with a new opening on the U.S. Supreme Court, we also asked:
ABC 4: "Any chance you could be the selection?
Chief Justice Durham: “I would think it highly unlikely."
But Chief Justice Durham is being modest.
In the 1990's, it was reported that she was on President Clinton's short list for the highest court in the land.
Ultimately, that Supreme Court seat went to Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
"It was a different administration. It was quite a long time ago and I haven't heard from anyone in Washington."
