Hon. Robert Brooks is a judge for the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Doug Ducey in 2020, filling the vacancy created by the appointment of the Hon. David B. Gass to Division I of the Arizona Court of Appeals.
During his judicial tenure, Brooks has held an assignment in the Juvenile Court.
Prior to joining the bench, he worked for six years as an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona (2014 to 2020). During that time, Brooks was assigned to the Violent Crimes Section, tasked with prosecuting bank robbery, gang-related crimes, and major felonies occurring on Native American reservations. He also prosecuted sex and labor trafficking cases and coordinated with law enforcement and service providers as a human trafficking coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Before that, Brooks was an assistant attorney general with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office (2012 to 2014). As such, he served in the Protective Service Section and represented the Arizona Department of Child Safety in all phases of dependency litigation. His legal career also includes a stint in private practice at Osborn Maledon, P.A. in Phoenix (2010 to 2012), where he handled complex commercial transactions.
Brooks received a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Arizona in 2005. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School in 2009.
Brooks began his legal career as a volunteer in Bangalore, India, with the International Justice Mission (2009 to 2010). During his yearlong service, he helped investigate and prosecute cases involving bonded labor and child labor, as well as assist in rescuing victims.
He is also credited with providing pro bono legal assistance as a court-appointed advisor through the Children’s Law Center with the Volunteer Lawyers Program.
Brooks received the FBI Award for Professional Excellence, Outstanding Leadership, Contributions and Successes in Prosecuting Bank Robberies (2017) and the Children’s Law Center Court Appointed Advisor of the Year Award (2012). He was also named Top 50 Pro Bono Attorney by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education in 2012.
