The Hon. Joan L. Wagener is a judge for the Pima County Superior Court in Arizona. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jan Brewer on May 13, 2014, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Ted B. Borek.
Prior to her appointment, Wagener was a commissioner for the Pima County Superior Court, a position to which she was named in 2000. During her tenure there, she presided over juvenile matters (2000 to 2012) and family law matters (2012 to 2014).
Wagener earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Arizona in 1985. She then completed a J.D. at the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law in 1987.
After graduating from law school, Wagener entered into private practice, working as an attorney at Richards & Pennington (1988 to 1990) and the Law Firm of Ann Haralambie (1990 to 1993). She then opened her own private practice as a sole practitioner in 1993. While in private practice, Wagener specialized in family and juvenile law. She also handled probate, guardianship, personal injury, and misdemeanor criminal cases.
Her memberships have included the Arizona Council of Attorneys for Children, the National Association of Counsel for Children, the Arizona Asian American Bar Association, and the Arizona Minority Bar Association. She was also a founding member of In My Shoes, a participant with Lawyers for Literacy, a co-chair of the Arizona Superior Court Advisory Committee on Workforce Diversity, and an ad hoc member of the Pima County-City of Tucson Commission on Addiction Prevention & Treatment.
She was named the Pima North Champion for Young Children by First Things First (2020). The award is given to individuals who volunteer their time to raise public awareness about the importance of early childhood development.