Ruth McGregor

Chief Justice Ruth McGregor served on the Arizona Supreme Court from February 1998 until June 30, 2009. She was the Court’s Chief Justice from June 2005 until her retirement. She was also a member of the Arizona Court of Appeals from 1989 until 1998, where she served as Chief Judge from 1995 to 1997. Before her appointment to the bench, Justice McGregor engaged in the private practice of law as a member of the Fennemore Craig law firm in Phoenix, Arizona. She served as a law clerk to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor during Justice O’Connor’s first term on the United States Supreme Court.

Justice McGregor has participated extensively in professional activities, particularly in those organizations dedicated to assuring a fair and impartial judiciary. She has served as an officer and a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Inns of Court Foundation, the National Association of Women Judges and Justice at Stake; as a board member of the Conference of Chief Justices and the American Judicature Society, and as a member of the Legal Council of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, including a term as Chair.

Since her retirement, Justice McGregor has been the chair of several commissions for the Arizona Supreme Court. She has completed several investigations for public entities and acted as a special master for the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, as a mediator for the City of Phoenix in public transit disputes, and as a special administrator for the Arizona Supreme Court. In addition to her role as a member of the Center for the Future of Arizona Board, Justice McGregor also serves on the board of The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.

Justice McGregor has received several state and national awards for her work in the judicial system, including the Dwight D. Opperman Award from the American Judicature Society; the A. Sherman Christensen Award from the American Inns of Court Foundation; the James A. Walsh Award from the Arizona State Bar; the Marilyn R. Seymann Award from the Arizona Foundation for Women; the Sarah Herring Sorin Award from the Arizona Women Lawyers Association; and outstanding alumna awards from Arizona State University and the University of Iowa.

Justice McGregor received a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and a Master of Laws in the Judicial Process from the University of Virginia.