Elizabeth Burton Ortiz

Executive Director

Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys' Advisory Council

Elizabeth Burton Ortiz has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, a Master of Arts in Political Science, and a Juris Doctor. After graduating from law school, Ms. Ortiz clerked at the Arizona Court of Appeals. Ms. Ortiz then joined the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, in Phoenix, Arizona, where she prosecuted cases for sixteen years. During that time, Ms. Ortiz served as a Bureau Chief in Juvenile, Pretrial, Charging, and Appeals. In 2009, Ms. Ortiz joined the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (“APAAC”) as the Senior Staff Attorney, and was subsequently named Executive Director. In addition to her APAAC duties, Ms. Ortiz is a sworn special prosecutor in several Arizona counties. Ms. Ortiz is co-chair of the Arizona Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women, chair of the State Bar of Arizona Public Lawyers Executive Council, and chair of the State Bar of Arizona Criminal Justice Executive Council. She serves as a board member for the National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators, the National District Attorney’s Association, the Arizona Forensic Science Academy, the Arizona Supreme Court’s Commission of Victims in Court, the State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization, and the State Bar Professionalism Advisory Council. Ms. Ortiz she serves as a facilitator for the Lessons From the Holocaust: What You Do Matters course, and has taught extensively on a variety of ethics and trial advocacy topics in Arizona, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Montana, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, South Carolina, California, Idaho, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas, Michigan, and Oregon. In 2022, Ms. Ortiz was recognized by the State Bar of Arizona with the Michael Cudahy Criminal Justice Award.