Governor Doug Ducey announced on Thursday that he will appoint Kathryn Hackett King, a member of the Board of Regents, to the state’s Supreme Court.
“Kate’s strong belief in the separation of powers and experience serving in all three branches of government will serve the people of Arizona well,” Ducey described in a statement.
King has practiced law in a variety of settings — both public and private. She currently is a partner at BurnsBarton PLC, a woman-owned law firm. In addition to her private-sector job, where she focuses on a wide variety of legal issues, King is a member of the Arizona Board of Regents — the governing body of public colleges and universities in the state.
Before transferring to the private sector, King also served under Ducey. She served as his deputy general counsel. She advised Ducey on constitutional, statutory and other legal requirements of the office, according to Ducey’s statement.
“I have witnessed her intelligence and wisdom firsthand, and I know she is well-respected in the legal field. I am delighted to appoint Kate to the Arizona Supreme Court,” Ducey said of her previous work experience, where she has served in each of the three different branches of government in some capacity.
This will not be King’s first position with the highest court in the state. After graduating from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, she clerked for Arizona Supreme Court Justice Michael D. Ryan.
The vacancy on the court was created by the resignation of Justice Andrew Gould, who is running in a crowded Republican primary to replace Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Brnovich is opting to run for U.S. Senate.
King will be the fifth woman to serve on the Arizona Supreme Court.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Arizona Supreme Court” by davidpinter. CC BY 3.0.
