Michael Zimmerman (jurist)

Michael David Zimmerman (born October 21, 1943) is an American lawyer who served as the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court. He is also a Zen Buddhist teacher and received shiho from his teacher, Dennis Genpo Merzel, in December 2006.

Later, through his work in the courts, he met Diane and began sitting zazen at Kanzeon Zen Center with Merzel under Hamilton's suggestion. The two were married by Merzel in 1998. Zimmerman is currently a practicing attorney and partner at Zimmerman, Jones, and Booher in Salt Lake City. From 1984 to 2000 he served as a Justice for the Utah Supreme Court, and from 1994 to 1998 he acted as Chief Justice.

Biography
Michael Zimmerman was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1943. He attended university at the University of Utah, entering its law school and graduating first in his class. He was also awarded order of the coif for his academic achievement. Following graduation, Zimmerman moved to Washington, D.C. and worked as a judicial clerk for Warren E. Burger, then the acting Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He then moved to Los Angeles, working as a lawyer for O’Melveny & Myers there. Zimmerman moved back to Utah to practice law for a short period, also serving as a special counsel to Utah Governor Scott Milne Matheson part time. At the time of Zimmerman's joining in the Utah Supreme Court majority upholding prayers at government meetings as long as there was no religious restriction on who could give the prayer, Zimmerman was still an Episcopalian.

Zimmerman began a meditation practice in 1993 while his first wife, Lynne Mariani Zimmerman, was suffering a terminal illness. She died the next year, in January 1994, after a year-long struggle with cancer. Zimmerman continued to serve as Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court during this time, while also raising their three daughters on his own. In 1996, at the suggestion of Diane Hamilton, he began sitting zazen at Kanzeon Zen Center. In 1998 he received jukai and was given the Buddhist name of Mugaku ("no learning"). Later that year, he was married by his teacher, Dennis Genpo Merzel, to Diane Musho Hamilton. In December 2006 he received Dharma transmission from Dennis Genpo Merzel, giving him authority to teach Zen to others.

Awards

 * 1988: Utah State Bar Appellate Judge of the Year
 * 1994: Excellence in Ethics Award (Utah Valley State College)
 * 1998: Distinguished Service Award from the Utah State Bar
 * 2001: Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Utah