Marroquin honored by State Bar award

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When Christina Marroquin voiced her teenage opinions at home, her mother would always tell her to “save it for the courtroom.” She never wanted to be a judge but now, after gaining one of the state's highest legal honors, she thought maybe her mother's words planted a seed.

Years after hearing those words, Marroquin presides over the Fifth Judicial District, where she was appointed in 2018. Recently she was named as one of 30 Fellows by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation.

“There's not a lot of members of the Bar who got to have that opportunity, so it's nice to have that phone call for sure,” Marroquin said.

A Fellow is chosen based on dedication to improving the administration of justice, leadership in the legal profession, civic service and integrity and support of the Foundation. Those are traits that Marroquin has exhibited for years.

She was born and raised Seward, growing up to see her grandparents and parents heavily involved in civic organizations. That's how she was raised. So she grew up to be a group leader of the St. John Lutheran Church Godparent Program, a Lutheran Family Service Board of Directors member, member of the Seward Memorial Hospital Foundation and the St. John Lutheran Church Foundation. She's also a Seward Rotary Club board member.

“It is my community so it is important,” Marroquin said. “It's important, I think, for everybody to do a piece of philanthropy and service back to the community.”

Her personal philosophy and the Nebraska State Bar Foundation's outreach synced. She used to help write mock trial problems for students. Now that she's a judge she's been able to judge those competitions.

“It's such a great experience for our high schools and Nebraska is very competitive in that mock trial setting on a national level,” she said.

Curiosity and interest led her to law. She was a sociology major in college when she took classes taught by an attorney that talked about minority justice, social inequality and criminal justice. Marroquin said those classes were interesting. Then she went to law school.

She graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of Law and took the Bar in California but she never practiced there. Instead, she returned to Nebraska to work for a small firm based in Lincoln. But she always wanted to be back in Seward. Her partners at that firm allowed her to open a satellite office in Seward.

“That's why I got so much experience in the fifth judicial district, because I was practicing in Seward, York, David City, Butler County, up in Saunders County,” she said. “That was my first almost 10 years of practice.”

When the former Seward County public defender retired she applied to become his successor. She was appointed, and later elected, public defender. Then some suggested she apply for the judicial opening when it appeared.

She said she's enjoyed the two years representing the Fifth Judicial District and she hopes the district has found the two years beneficial.