University of Idaho – Boise Linda Copple Trout holds the distinction of being the first woman appointed to the Idaho Supreme Court, where she served for 15 years, including two terms as chief justice. Trout retired from the court in 2007 to protest increasingly politicized elections for high-court justices. She praised the collegiality among justices during her tenure, “. . . And I think that’s the way it should be — judges are nonpartisan.” Trout earned three degrees at Idaho — marketing, management and law — and praised the foundational value of her experiences during seven years on campus. “Attending the University of Idaho challenged my thinking and caused me to look at issues and problems in different ways,” Trout said. “I was exposed to diverse people, concepts and ideas, which continually reaffirmed the importance of keeping an open mind. As a judge, this ability to look at all Linda Copple Trout sides of an issue is invaluable. My campus experience certainly contributed to my leadership abilities when I was selected to serve as the chief justice.” Upon graduation from law school in 1979, Trout joined the Lewiston law firm of Blake, Feeney & Clark, where she was engaged in private practice before her appointment to the position of magistrate judge in Idaho’s Second Judicial District. From 1987 through 1991, she assumed additional responsibilities as the acting Trial Court administrator for the five counties of north-central Idaho. In 1990, she was elected as a district judge and handled cases in Nez Perce and Clearwater counties. In August 1992, Trout was appointed by Gov. Cecil Andrus to be the first woman justice on the Idaho Supreme Court. She was twice elected by the Supreme Court to the position of chief justice. Trout is a member of the Idaho State Bar Association, and the American Inns of Court and has previously served on a number of boards of directors as well as statewide administrative, judicial and bar committees. She has served on the College of Law Advisory Committee to the dean and inspired law students as an adjunct faculty member through courses she has taught at the University of Idaho in family law.
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