Appointed By: Gov. Janice K. Brewer
Hon. Joan Sinclair is a judge for the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jan Brewer in August 2012.
During her judicial tenure, Sinclair has held assignments in the Family, Criminal, Civil, and Juvenile Courts.
Prior to her appointment, she spent six years as a commissioner of the Maricopa County Superior Court (2006 to 2012). Before joining the bench, Sinclair spent time in private practice. She practiced as an attorney at Dodge, Anderson, Mableson, Steiner, Jones & Horowitz, Ltd. (2003 to 2006) and Meagher & Geer (2002 to 2003).
She received a B.A. in history from LeMoyne College in 1983. Sinclair went on to complete a J.D. at the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School in 1986. She was admitted to practice in Georgia (1988), Arizona (1995), and New York (1995).
After graduating from law school, she worked in Atlanta, Georgia, as a regional staff attorney in the Social Security Disability Litigation Unit of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (1987 to 1988) and as assistant regional counsel in the Federal Highway Administration with the United States Department of Transportation (1988 to 1989).
Sinclair later became an assistant solicitor in the DeKalb County Juvenile Court, where she remained until 1995 (1989 to 1995). Then, after relocating to Arizona, she briefly worked as a legal intern in the Criminal Division of the Office of the City Attorney in Tucson (1995 to 1996) before becoming a deputy county attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in 1996.
Following her three-year tenure there, Sinclair went on to serve as a staff attorney with the Arizona Death Penalty Judicial Assistance Program (1999 to 2001) and spent two years as a law clerk to the Hon. Charles E. Jones, Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court (1999 to 2001).
Her memberships have included the State Bar of Arizona, the Arizona Women Lawyers Association, the Thurgood Marshall Inn of Court, and the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice. Sinclair also sat as a member of the State Bar of Arizona’s Criminal Jury Instructions Committee and Employment and Labor Law Section.
| Current Appointment Maricopa County Superior Court, Department 911 | Maricopa County Superior Court, Department 911 |
| Election/Appointment November 6, 2018 - Re-elected November 4, 2014 - Re-elected | November 6, 2018 - Re-elected November 4, 2014 - Re-elected |
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Education
J.D., State University of New York at Buffalo Law School - 1986 B.A., LeMoyne College - 1983 |
J.D., State University of New York at Buffalo Law School - 1986 B.A., LeMoyne College - 1983 |
| Current Court: | AZ - Maricopa County Superior Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk phone: | +1 (602) 372-5375 |
| Office: | +1 (602) 372-4553 |
| Role | Employer | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Judge | Maricopa County Superior Court | Maricopa County, Arizona |
| Commissioner | Maricopa County Superior Court | Maricopa County, Arizona |
| Attorney | Anderson, Mableson, Steiner, Jones & Horowitz, Ltd. | Maricopa County, Arizona |
| Attorney | Meagher & Geer | Maricopa County, Arizona |
| Law Clerk | Arizona Supreme Court with the Hon. Charles E. Jones | Maricopa County, Arizona |
| Staff Attorney | Arizona Death Penalty Judicial Program | Maricopa County, Arizona |
| Deputy County Attorney | Maricopa County Attorney's Office | Maricopa County, Arizona |
| Legal Intern | Tucson Office of the City Attorney | Pima County, Arizona |
| Assistant Solicitor | DeKalb County Juvenile Court | DeKalb County, Georgia |
| Assistant Regional Counsel | Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation | Fulton County, Georgia |
| Regional Staff Attorney | Social Security Disability Litigation Unit, United States Department of Health and Human Services | Fulton County, Georgia |
The Judicial Branch of Arizona: Judge Joan Sinclair
Ballotpedia: Joan Sinclair
Martindale: Hon Joan M. Sinclair
Office of the Governor: Governor Jan Brewer Announces Appointment to Maricopa County Superior Court
12 News: Judge Declines Katie Hobbs Request to Block AG Threats
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