SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State Court of Appeals Judge Briana Zamora has been named to the New Mexico Supreme Court, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Barbara Vigil.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office announced the appointment Friday.. The governor selected Zamora, 47, from a list of candidates provided by a nominating commission.
Before joining the appellate court, Zamora served as a judge in New Mexico’s busiest judicial district in Albuquerque. She has presided over thousands of criminal cases and specialty courts during her time on the bench and also worked as assistant state attorney general and assistant district attorney.
A graduate of Cibola High School, she earned undergraduate degrees in government and psychology from New Mexico State University. She graduated with honors from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2000.
Zamora also is a member of the steering committee for the Commission on Equity and Inclusion and the Tribal State Judicial Consortium.
Earlier this year, The Paper. profiled women in New Mexico courts. Read more from our archives below.
Women on the Bench
In 1910 Doña Ana court reporter Olga Melinda Victoria Miller occupied the bench of her boss, Judge Wright, during an unexpected absence. Little did she know she…
Creating Equity and Diversity in the Courts
It’s perfect timing, really. As March is Women’s History Month, and as The Paper. takes a closer look at women judges on the bench in New Mexico,…
Judicial Equity In the Courts: One-on-One With Judge Cindy Leos
Judge Cindy Leos feels like New Mexico’s courts are on the precipice of creating something groundbreaking that will address gender and racial equity within the courts. Just…