From Navy courtrooms to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, post-9/11 national security, civil rights prosecutions, and nearly 15 years on the federal bench, Judge Paul Warner’s 45-year legal career offers a remarkable look inside the American justice system.

Attorney & Host Randy Spencer sits down with Judge Paul Warner, former United States Attorney for the District of Utah and former U.S. Magistrate Judge, for a wide-ranging conversation about public service, trial advocacy, justice, professionalism and a lifetime in the law.

Warner begins with the unlikely story of how he became a member of the inaugural charter class of BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. The school had no building, no alumni network and no established reputation, but Warner joined a remarkable first class that included his lifelong friend, the late federal judge Dee Benson.

After graduation, Warner joined the Navy JAG Corps because he wanted trial experience. His first jury trial taught him a lesson that would follow him throughout his career: prosecutors can be tough, but they must always be fair.

Warner also tells the unforgettable story of defending a sailor accused of setting a U.S. Navy warship on fire. The government had a detailed written confession—but Warner kept investigating. What he discovered ultimately helped get the charges dismissed and taught the young attorney just how profoundly a lawyer can affect another person’s life.

His career later took him through the Utah Attorney General’s Office and into the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he worked alongside Dee Benson before eventually becoming United States Attorney himself.

Warner discusses serving in federal law enforcement after September 11, his work with national Department of Justice leadership, and the extraordinary security concerns surrounding the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

He also recounts significant federal civil rights prosecutions involving racially motivated violence, including a KKK-marked pipe bomb and the cross burning at the home of a mixed-race family.

After seven and a half years as U.S. Attorney, Warner moved from advocate to referee, serving nearly 15 years as a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

Along the way, he shares lessons about courtroom advocacy, civility, professional responsibility, knowing when to stop arguing, and why—after 45 years in the profession—he still recommends a legal education.

This is Judge Paul Warner’s story: prosecutor, defense attorney, U.S. Attorney, federal judge—and a lifetime devoted to public service and the law.