Have you heard judges or practitioners use the phrase "Ninth Circuit Representative" or "Lawyer Reps (or Representatives)" and wondered what it was about? This brief summary is intended to give you an overview of the role of a Ninth Circuit Representative, and how he/she is chosen.

Each year, the judges of the United States District Court and the United States Bankruptcy Court in Arizona select five lawyers to serve as the District's Ninth Circuit Representatives. There are a total of 15 lawyer representatives in Arizona. The Lawyer Reps serve staggered three-year terms. They attend the annual Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, which is also attended by many federal judges, magistrate judges, bankruptcy judges, and clerks of court within the Ninth Circuit, along with Lawyer Representatives from all the other states and territories within the Ninth Circuit. The Arizona Lawyer Representatives also meet periodically with our district judges, bankruptcy judges, magistrate judges, and clerks of court to discuss shared issues and potential improvements to the judicial system. In addition, the Lawyer Representatives play the leading role in organizing the annual Arizona District Conference for federal judges and practitioners.

One of the most important roles of the lawyer representatives is to provide a channel of communication between judges and attorneys, as well as provide support and advice in the functioning of the courts.

For more information, see the Ninth Circuit Lawyer Representative Website. 

Current lawyer representatives are listed below: