In 9th grade, Judge Glenn Iwasaki wrote a paper about how he wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up. 2008, Iwasaki had been named Judge of the Year. On Sept. 30, Iwasaki will reach another milestone, retirement, something he says he is looking forward to after 19 years on the bench.

After attending the University of Utah Law School, Iwasaki served as Deputy Salt Lake County Attorney and was appointed to serve as a judge on the Third District Court by Utah Gov. Norman Bangerter in 1992.

“I used to serve Summit County from the courtroom in Coalville,” said Iwasaki who presided over courtrooms in Summit, Salt Lake and Tooele counties. “Every case, civil or criminal, I would try to do the best I could because this may be the only time that these people are in court and you want to give them the best impression of the justice system.”

Of all the cases Iwasaki presided over, he said his favorites were the adoption cases because of the gratification that came from them.

“Usually everyone left happy, which can be rare in the courtroom. You knew you were providing for the children and parents,” he said.

Iwasaki said his least favorite cases were those involving per se litigants, those advocating on their own behalf, because they had little knowledge of the legal system and often looked for help from the court.

“I haven’t seen a change in the type of cases over the past few years, but there has been a change in the number of cases coming in; everyone’s workload has really increased,” he said. “I think it is a result of an increasing population and an increase in the number of disputes people have with each other.”

One of Iwasaki’s proudest achievements was being named Judge of the Year in 2008 by the Utah State Bar Association because he was chosen by his peers.

“When I was a lawyer I told myself, ‘If I am ever a judge, I want to incorporate what I saw from the best ones and disregard what I saw from the worst.’ I think it is because of this I have enjoyed a fulfilling career,” he said.

With retirement only two weeks away, Judge Iwasaki is looking forward to having time to travel, meditate, and watch his grandkids grow up. He won’t be completely leaving the law behind, though. He will serve as a senior judge on some asbestos cases around Utah.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has named Ryan Harris to replace Iwasaki.