A native of Hobbs, where he grew up helping deliver milk for his family’s small dairy business, Bill Carpenter holds a bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico and a J.D. from UNM School of Law (1966). His work as a licensed mortician paid his law-school tuition.
After a year of clerking on the New Mexico Supreme Court, he began his life-long practice as a trial lawyer, devoted to representing those injured by the negligence of others and those victimized by the abuse of corporate or governmental power.
During the last 40 years, through his own cases, and as a founder and leader of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, Carpenter has had a profound influence on the progressive development of New Mexico law. He was a founding member of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
His career has been marked by excellence in service to clients, a commitment to the highest ethical standards and a winsome good humor and collegiality that has made him respected by all members of the bar with whom he has come in contact.
He also helped train an entire generation of trial lawyers who have been guided by his high standards and respect for the law and its institutions. Former associates or partners are Betty Velarde, Daymon Ely, Joe Goldberg, Chief Justice Ed Chavez of the New Mexico Supreme Court, David Stout (current partner) and Richard Ransom, retired New Mexico Supreme Court justice.
When Pamela B. Minzner was appointed by Gov. Bruce King to the New Mexico Supreme Court in 1994 she became the second woman to sit on the state's highest court. Later, she became the first woman to serve as chief justice. She remained on the court until her death in August 2007.
Justice Minzner joined the UNM School of Law faculty in 1973 after working in private practice in both Boston and Albuquerque. She was a 1968 graduate of Harvard Law School. At UNM, she was loved by her students and colleagues, receiving the highly esteemed Faculty Award in 1977 and 1981. She was a striking example of what a woman could accomplish within the legal landscape at a time when that wasn’t easy.
In 1984, she was appointed by Gov. Toney Anaya to the New Mexico Court of Appeals, where she served for a decade and was the chief judge from 1993 to 1994.
Justice Minzner was one of the most highly respected and admired members of New Mexico’s legal community. She made lasting marks on the legal landscape with her intellect, graciousness and love of the law. Even more significant was her gentle smile and ability to treat everyone with dignity, respect and genuine thoughtfulness.
At the end of his second year of law school at the University of New Mexico, Gary O'Dowd secured a summer internship with the New Mexico Attorney General's Office. That led to nearly 50 years of service in state and local government and he became one of the most significant contributors to legal reform in the state.
After earning his J.D. in 1965, he spent the next six years with the AG's office, leaving in 1971 to become the first director of the University of New Mexico School of Law's Institute of Public Law. Right away, he drafted the first set of Rules of Criminal Procedure for New Mexico's district courts, and during the next 12 years, he built a fledgling operation into a crucial arm of the state's legal system.
During the 1971 Legislature, newly elected Gov. Bruce King called on O'Dowd to review bills passed by the Legislature. O'Dowd continued as King's legal counsel throughout all three of his administrations. From 1976-1978, O'Dowd worked on a complete revision of the New Mexico Statutes and developed a farsighted system for the compilation and distribution of the state's legal materials. He remained a constant adviser to the Legislative Council Service on innumerable critical issues involving the codification and publication of the state's laws. He also was a leader in the move to electronic databases.
Under contracts with the state, he drafted many state laws, including the Tort Claims Act, the Risk Management Division of the State and the current Student Loan program.
In 1983, O'Dowd was appointed Albuquerque City Attorney. In that position, he helped automate the city's ordinances so they would be available online.
Three years later, he became director of the New Mexico Compilation Commission, where he remained for the next 21 years, among many accomplishments publishing the first CD-ROM in the country with state statutes and rules of procedure.
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