Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey recently announced the appointment of Aryeh D. Schwartz to the Maricopa County Superior Court.

The appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge George H. Foster Jr.

Mr. Schwartz has been a Commissioner of the Maricopa County Superior Court since 2015, where he served in the Probate and Criminal Divisions. He also served on the Maricopa County Superior Court’s Community Outreach Committee and the Office of Public Defense Services’ Probate Evaluation Committee.

Prior to his Commissioner appointment, Mr. Schwartz had his own law firm where he primarily practiced in civil matters, developed extensive trial experience, and served as a Judge Pro Tem for Maricopa County Superior Court. Before having his own firm, he practiced for various law firms, including Engelman Berger and Wilenchik & Bartness.

Mr. Schwartz’s work in private practice included a broad range of areas, such as commercial and consumer litigation, transactions, and general counsel matters. He also practiced in a considerable amount of bankruptcy, employment, construction, real estate, and contract disputes.

He is very active in the legal community, including service as Judicial Co-Chair of the Maricopa County Bar Association’s Bench/Bar Committee. In this role, he successfully directed an initiative to assist litigants in their understanding of the judicial process while conserving county resources through efficiency. In July 2017, the Maricopa County Bar Association awarded Mr. Schwartz the Judicial Officer of the Year Award for his contributions to the legal and non-legal communities in Maricopa County.

Mr. Schwartz volunteers on the Outreach Committee of Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, which is a nonprofit organization that provides creative and therapeutic arts programs for children who have faced abuse, neglect, and homelessness. He has also volunteered with Feed My Starving Children and as a youth soccer coach for Phoenix Rising Soccer. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Phoenix Art Museum Men’s Arts Council.

“Aryeh regularly demonstrates his commitment to Arizona and Maricopa County through his accomplishments and dedication to service,” Mr. Ducey stated. “I look forward to Aryeh’s work on the Maricopa County Superior Court.”

Mr. Schwartz graduated cum laude from the University of Arizona, Honors College in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He then received his law degree from the Arizona State University College of Law.