Hon. Michael Mandell is a judge for the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Doug Ducey in October 2017, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Edward Bassett (Ret.).
During his judicial tenure, Mandell has held assignments in the Criminal, Family, and Civil Courts.
Prior to his appointment, he sat for four years as a commissioner of the Maricopa County Superior Court (2013 to 2017). As such, Mandell served as the Presiding Family Court Commissioner. Before that, he worked in private practice. Mandell was of counsel at Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. (2013) and operated his own private solo practice, The Mandell Law Firm, LLC (2005 to 2013).
While maintaining his practice, he also acted as minority chief of staff and general legal counsel in the Arizona State Senate (2005 to 2011). During that time, Mandell handled legislative drafting, statutory interpretation, and constitutional analysis matters.
He received a B.S. in psychology from Arizona State University in 1991. Mandell went on to complete a J.D. at Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in 1998.
After graduating from law school, he began his legal career as a law clerk to the Hon. Noel Fidel with the Arizona Court of Appeals (1989 to 1999). Mandell then entered into private practice at Perkins Coie LLP in 2000, where he practiced until opening his own law firm.
Over the course of his legal career, he gained experience in complex commercial litigation, constitutional law, election law, and business transactions.