Santa Fe, NM — Today, Governor Susana Martinez announced the appointment of Stephen French to the New Mexico Court of Appeals, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael D. Bustamante. French brings a combined 35 years of public and private-sector legal experience to the Court.
French served as assistant district attorney for the Second Judicial District from 1980 to 1981. Afterward, he went on to become a founding partner at Walz & French from 1982 to 1990. From 1990 to 1993, he served as legal bureau chief for the State of New Mexico Risk Management Division, where he reviewed claims against the State of New Mexico and oversaw litigation. In 1993, French went back into private practice, founding French & Associates, where he has focused on civil rights law for the last 26 years.
In addition to his experience practicing law, French has served on the New Mexico Court of Appeals and on the City of Albuquerque Personnel Board, as a member of the Rules Committee for the U.S District Court of New Mexico, and as board member and past president of the New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association.