Biography
Judge Barbara A. Finlinson is a Utah justice court judge, attorney, and adjunct professor at Utah Valley University, where she teaches courses in Criminal Justice, Constitutional Criminal Rights, Writing for Criminal Justice Professionals, and Administrative Law. She currently presides over the Juab County and Nephi City Justice Courts and has served in judicial leadership as Presiding Judge of the Fourth District Justice Courts. Before her appointment to the bench in 2021, Judge Finlinson served as a Deputy Utah County Attorney, prosecuting criminal cases in district and justice courts and serving as lead prosecutor for the Fourth District Mental Health Court. She earned her Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School, where she served as Lead Editor of the Journal of Public Law, and graduated summa cum laude from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. Judge Finlinson has served on numerous judicial and criminal justice committees and working groups, including the Board of Justice Court Judges, the Six County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, the Race and Ethnicity Data Working Group, the Uniform Fine Committee, and the Technology Advisory Subcommittee. Her courts were recognized as Utah’s “Justice Court of the Year” in 2024, and she was named Justice Court Judge of the Year in 2026. Drawing on her experience as a prosecutor, judge, attorney, court administrator, and educator, Judge Finlinson brings a practical perspective to the classroom, emphasizing critical thinking, ethical decision-making, constitutional principles, administrative processes, and the real-world operation of courts and government institutions.
