McMicken Alumnus Named Arizona's Outstanding Jurist

Judge Stephen M. McNamee ('64, BA, history) was recently named the 2006 recipient of the State Bar of Arizona’s James A. Walsh Outstanding Jurist Award.

McNamee, a Cincinnati native who serves in Phoenix, was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. He recently finished a term as chief judge for the U.S. District Court of Arizona.

Judge Stephen McNamee of Arizona is a 1964 McMicken graduate.

The James A. Walsh award annually recognizes "that judge who exemplifies the highest standards of judicial conduct for integrity and independence; who is knowledgeable of the law and faithful to it; who is unswayed by partisan interests, public clamor or fear of criticism; who is patient, dignified and courteous to all who appear before the court; and who endeavors to improve the administration of justice and public understanding of, and respect for, the role of law in our society."

McNamee earned graduate and law degrees at the University of Arizona after graduating from UC. He was appointed U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 and made prosecuting violent crime in the state’s 21 Native American communities a top priority.

Since 1999, the filing of criminal cases has gone up 80 percent and civil case filings, 59 percent, but under McNamee, the number of cases pending for three years or more has declined nearly 20 percent. McNamee began his career as an assistant U.S. attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tucson.

Read a profile of Judge McNamee

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