Total Credits: 2 CLE
Join us for our annual “state of the courts” address by each presiding judge at the Superior Court in Pima County. An update from the Court of Appeals will also be included. New this year - we will hear an update from the U.S. District Court - District of Arizona. Learn what is happening at the various Courts, share lunch with your favorite judge and get your questions answered. Lunch is included with your registration.
Topics
Pima County Superior Court
Civil Bench
Criminal Bench
Family Law Bench
Juvenile Bench
Probate Bench
Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two
United States District Court - District of Arizona
Faculty:
Honorable Jennifer Zipps, Chief Judge, United States District Court - District of Arizona
Honorable Christopher Staring, Chief Judge, Arizona Court of Appeals Division Two
Honorable Danelle Liwski, Presiding Judge, Pima County Superior Court
Honorable Michael Butler, Presiding Judge, Pima County Juvenile Court
Honorable Sandra Bensley, Probate Bench Presiding Judge
Honorable Randi Burnett, Family Law Presiding Judge
Honorable Casey McGinley, Criminal Bench Presiding Judge
Honorable Greg Sakall, Civil Bench Presiding Judge
Chairperson:
Ted Schmidt, Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian
Chief Judge Jennifer G. Zipps, United States District Court, District of Arizona
Chief Judge Jennifer Zipps earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of Arizona and a J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. After clerking for the Honorable William Canby on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, she was an associate at Molloy, Jones and Donahue in Tucson, Arizona, focusing on business litigation and bankruptcy matters.
Judge Zipps worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for ten years, serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division, Chief of the Civil Division, and Chief Assistant.
Judge Zipps was appointed as a United States Magistrate on April 4, 2005, received her commission as a U.S. District Judge on October 5, 2011, and became Chief Judge on October 21, 2024. She sits in Tucson, Arizona.
Chief Judge Christopher Staring attended the University of California at Davis, receiving his B.A. in 1983. He received his J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 1986, graduating cum laude, and Order of the Coif. Judge Staring was in private civil practice for more than 23 years before being appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Arizona for Pima County in 2010. He was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two in 2015.
Judge Staring serves as Chair of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct. He also serves as Chair of the Arizona Supreme Court’s Ethics Advisory Committee and was a member of the Task Force on Ethics Rules Governing the State Attorney General, County Attorneys, and Other Public Lawyers. Additionally, Judge Staring serves on the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts and the Arizona Judicial Council Steering Committee on Mental Health and the Justice System.
Judge Staring previously served on the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review and the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on Mental Health and the Justice System. He is a frequent speaker on judicial ethics, mental health law, and other mental health related topics.
Honorable Danelle B. Liwski was appointed to Division 6 of the Pima County Superior Court bench on April 8, 2011. She initially served on the family law bench. In 2014 when she joined the criminal bench where she presided over all levels of felony cases, criminal competency, criminal mental health court, guilty except insane and sexually violent predator cases. In 2020 – 2021 Judge Liwski helped to develop the first pre indictment drug diversion court in Pima County. From July of 2023 to 2024 she served on the probate bench presiding over guardianship, conservatorship and probate cases. Judge Liwski has served as the Presiding Criminal Judge, the Associate Presiding Judge and as of July 2024 the Presiding Judge for Pima County.
Prior to the serving on the Pima County Superior Court bench Judge Liwski presided as a hearing officer over juvenile matters, including juvenile drug court. She also served as an Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Pima County Attorney.
Judge Liwski received her bachelor’s degree in business from New Mexico State University in 1987 and her law degree from the University of Arizona in 1990. She has been active in the bench and bar with the highlight being the Arizona High School Mock Trial Program.
Honorable Michael Butler was appointed to the Pima County Superior Court in May 2013, and he has been assigned to the juvenile, criminal and civil benches. During his time on the criminal bench, Judge Butler spent three years as Pima County’s mental health judge, and he presided over all competency matters and the superior court’s Mental Health Court. Judge Butler now serves as Presiding Judge of the Pima County Juvenile Court. Before his appointment, Judge Butler practiced as a commercial litigator in Tucson for twenty years. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arizona, and prior to his legal career he worked as a certified emergency paramedic.
Honorable Sandra Bensley is presently assigned to the probate bench at Pima County Superior Court and became presiding probate judge on January 1, 2025. Prior to being appointed as a judge in 2024, Judge Bensley was a shareholder at Waterfall Economidis where she practiced in the area of trust and estate law, with a concentration in probate litigation. Before joining Waterfall Economidis, Judge Bensley was an assistant public defender with Pima County.
The Honorable Randi Burnett currently serves as the presiding judge of the family bench for the Pima County Superior Court. Prior to joining the bench in April 2021, Randi was a partner at Waterfall, Economidis, Caldwell, Hanshaw & Villamana, P.C. for several years and then spent her last two years of private practice at The McCarthy Law Firm. Her family law practice included a broad range of family law matters including divorce, legal separation, same-sex family law issues, multi-state jurisdictional issues, high conflict custody issues, grandparent visitation, minor child guardianships, child support, spousal maintenance, paternity, and appellate matters. Randi has presented at multiple legal seminars on numerous topics, including complex financial issues, ethical issues, high conflict custody concerns, and the unique concerns involving autistic children in custody matters. Outside of work, Randi enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her husband and two children.
Honorable Casey McGinley was appointed to the Superior Court by Gov. Doug Ducey in June 2018. He has served on the juvenile, civil, and criminal benches, and currently serves as Criminal Presiding Judge. Prior to his appointment, Judge McGinley served as a full time Judge Pro Tempore on the Superior Court’s criminal bench, having been appointed to that position by the Hon. Sarah. R Simmons in Feb. 2013. Judge McGinley graduated with honors from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and a minor in economics. In his senior year, he served as a Legislative Intern for The Hon. Jane D. Hull, Governor of Arizona. He attended law school at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, and in his second year, Judge McGinley served as a legal intern for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl. After earning his J.D. in 2003, Judge McGinley clerked for The Hon. Christopher C. Browning of the Pima County Superior Court before joining the Pima County Attorney’s Office in July 2004. Between 2004 and February of 2013, he prosecuted various forms of criminal charges, including vehicular and violent offenses, and cold case homicides. In his free time, Judge McGinley enjoys spending time with his family and visiting Pinetop.
Honorable Greg Sakall is a Pima County Superior Court Judge. He is currently that court’s Associate Presiding Judge and Civil Presiding. Previously, he was assigned to the family bench and served as that bench’s presiding judge. He also serves as the Chair of the Committee on Family Court, and the Spousal Maintenance Guideline Review Subcommittee. In 2023, he was selected as Judge of the Year by the Arizona Supreme Court. After law school, Judge Sakall clerked for U.S. District Judges William D. Browning and Cindy K. Jorgenson, and afterwards was in private practice. He has also been an adjunct associate professor and is a guest lecturer at the James E. Rogers College of Law.
Education: Hillsdale College (B.A., summa cum laude, double major in Spanish & History); University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (J.D., summa cum laude).
Ted Schmidt is President of the Arizona State Bar, a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers as well as an Associate of the American Board of Trial Lawyers.
