Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch was recently honored by the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law during the Arizona State Law Journal Banquet at the El Chorro Lodge. Chief Justice Berch was given the John S. Lancy Distinguished Alumni Award during the banquet.
The distinguished award was named for the Journal's first editor-in-chief and a founding member of the first class of the law school. In 2001, Lancy died at the age of 56 after a battle with cancer.
Since then, the Arizona State Law Journal implemented an annual alumni award in his honor that recognizes other influential alumni and contributors to the Law Journal.
This year the honor went to Justice Berch.
Justice Berch was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in 2002, and in 2009, became its 23rd Chief Justice. Before her appointment to the Supreme Court, she served as Solicitor General of the State of Arizona, Special Counsel to the Attorney General, First Assistant Attorney General, and as a Court of Appeals Judge.
In 1986, she joined the faculty at Arizona State University College of Law and has authored numerous law review and magazine articles.
She also co-authored the textbook, Introduction to Legal Method and Process, now in its 5th edition and is used in law schools throughout the nation.
Chief Justice Berch is a strong proponent of pro bono work and participates in and strongly encourages all lawyers to engage in volunteer work. The Pro Bono Suite at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is named in her honor.
Meet Chief Justice Berch.