COURTS
Justice Bacon awarded national honor for state court judges
Justice awarded 31st Annual William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence
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New Mexico Supreme Court Justice C. Shannon Bacon has a track record of taking on tough issues facing the judiciary, ranging from behavioral health to guardianship reform.
A national organization this week recognized Bacon for her advocacy by awarding her the 31st Annual William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence, the premier honor for state court judges.
The National Center for State Courts makes the award to recognize judges for integrity, fairness and courage exemplifying the legacy of the late Chief Justice Rehnquist.
"Justice Bacon has a gift for finding the hard, structural problems 鈥� legal education, rural access, judicial pay 鈥� and staying with them for years until they're meaningfully addressed," said Elizabeth Clement, president of the National Center for State Courts.
"That kind of patience and follow-through is exactly what this award was created to recognize," Clement said in a statement. "She is also, simply, a joy to work alongside."
Bacon was appointed to the state鈥檚 high court in 2019 by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and served as chief justice from 2022 to 2024. She previously served as a trial judge in the 2nd Judicial District Court in Albuquerque from 2010 to 2019.
She will receive the award in November from Chief Justice John Roberts in a ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bacon routinely speaks to legislative panels in support of judicial reform initiatives, often advocating for ordinary people caught up in the judicial system.
"We all feel deep sorrow and fear when we read about a senseless death and other tragedies as a result of crime," she told lawmakers in a 2023 State of the Judiciary address. "Yet we must remember why our Constitution protects the rights of every person, including those accused of crimes."
The National Center for State Courts cited several examples of Bacon's advocacy, including:
Mitigating New Mexico's "legal deserts": Bacon led an initiative to address the shortage of lawyers in rural areas that created a clerkship program that places new law school graduates under rural district chief judges.
Expanding access to justice: Bacon led efforts to eliminate court fines and fees in adult criminal and traffic cases and end driver's license suspensions for unpaid court debt. She also helped create a statewide eviction diversion program.
Strengthening the judiciary: Bacon spent more than a decade building support among legislators and the bar for judicial pay reform, helping raise New Mexico's judicial compensation by more than 51%.
Reforming legal education: Bacon led a nationwide panel that recommended ways of improving legal education and bar admission. In New Mexico, she served on a committee that won approval in 2026 for a skills-based pathway to law licensure.
Olivier Uyttebrouck covers the court system. You can reach him at ouyttebrouck@abqjournal.com.
