Judge Anthony “Tony” Schofield has spent 50 years in the law—as a pioneering BYU Law student, commercial litigator, respected Utah district court judge, mediator, judicial investigator, and advocate for an independent and accountable judiciary. In this episode of Legends in the Law, host and attorney Randy Spencer sits down with Judge Schofield for a candid conversation about a remarkable legal career and the cases, people, and decisions that shaped it. Judge Schofield was a member of the inaugural class of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, attending classes before the current law school building even existed. He recalls studying in an old Catholic school the students affectionately called “St. Reuben’s,” learning under professors determined to establish a first-class law school, and even taking a trusts class from then-BYU President Dallin H. Oaks. After clerking for federal Judge A. Sherman Christensen, Schofield began practicing law in Guam, where a young attorney suddenly found himself working on matters involving major international corporations and financial institutions. He eventually returned to Utah, developed a successful commercial litigation practice at Ray Quinney & Nebeker, and fulfilled a lifelong ambition when Governor Mike Leavitt appointed him to Utah’s Fourth District Court. Judge Schofield shares remarkable stories from his years on the bench—from an unforgettable courtroom on September 11, 2001, to a Utah Highway Patrol officer with an uncanny ability to uncover hidden drugs, to the case involving 88 pounds of marijuana that left a jury deliberating in a room filled with the unmistakable smell of the evidence. But some judicial decisions were anything but humorous. Schofield speaks candidly about the emotional burden of sentencing defendants, particularly in child sexual abuse cases where imprisonment could devastate innocent family members. He also discusses the one sentencing decision that still troubles him nearly two decades after leaving the bench: sentencing a 25-year-old murder defendant to life without parole after the young man committed the crime alongside his recently released father. The conversation also explores something every practicing attorney should hear: how judges evaluate lawyers and the importance of credibility in the courtroom. According to Schofield, once a lawyer earns a reputation for misrepresenting facts or legal authority, rebuilding judicial trust can be extraordinarily difficult. After leaving the bench, Judge Schofield continued working to strengthen Utah’s legal institutions. He served as a special master for the Utah Supreme Court in a judicial misconduct investigation, investigated allegations of ethical misconduct involving a Provo City Council member, and became an inaugural member—and later chairman—of the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC). Judge Schofield explains why he strongly supports Utah’s system of judicial selection and retention, why judicial elections concern him, and why Utah voters should pay attention to judicial performance evaluations before casting their retention ballots. From the beginnings of BYU Law to difficult sentencing decisions, courtroom ethics, judicial independence, attorney credibility, and the search for truth, this episode offers a rare look at the legal system through the eyes of someone who has experienced it from nearly every angle. Topics include:BYU Law School history • J. Reuben Clark Law School • Utah judges • judicial ethics • criminal sentencing • commercial litigation • courtroom advocacy • attorney credibility • judicial selection • judicial retention elections • Utah JPEC • judicial misconduct • mediation • September 11 • Fourth District Court • Utah legal history Subscribe to Legends in the Law for conversations with legendary lawyers, judges, legal scholars, and the people behind the cases and events that shaped the law.
