Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday reappointed Chief Justice Leigh Saufley to her third term as chief judge of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and head of the Judicial Branch.
Saufley is the state’s first female chief justice and was the youngest judge ever to be appointed as chief justice.
“The highest standards of integrity both professionally and personally are required of our judges and justices. Chief Justice Saufley has demonstrated these qualities and is widely admired in the judiciary. I have confidence that she will continue to prove to be a great chief justice,” LePage said in a written statement announcing her reappointment.
With her third appointment, Saufley now has the distinction of having been selected as chief by a Republican governor, LePage; a Democrat, then Gov. John Baldacci; and by an independent, then Gov. Angus King.
Saufley was first appointed as a District Court judge in 1990, then as a Superior Court judge in 1993, followed by her appointment to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1997.
She was first sworn in as chief justice by King in Dec. 6, 2001. She was sworn in for a second term in 2009 by Baldacci
Saudfley is a graduate of the University of Maine at Orono and the University of Maine School of Law. She worked for the Attorney General’s Office for nearly 10 years, becoming one of Maine’s first female deputy attorneys general.
She is a member of the Conference of Chief Justices, the Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction of the Judicial Conference of the United States and she is the recipient of numerous awards, including the International Women’s Forum, Woman Who Makes a Difference Award.
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