PETER J. ECKERSTROM
400 West Congress Street
Tucson, Arizona 85701-1374
[email protected]
Office phone: (520) 628-6950
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PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE
Judge, Arizona Court of Appeals
Appointed by Governor after merit selection process to intermediate
state court of appeals; selected by fellow judges to act as Vice Chief
Judge and administer one of two appellate panels as Presiding Judge
of that panel (2005-2010); position on court entails authoring, or
deliberating on, hundreds of decisions and opinions each year
addressing a wide variety of legal issues, both civil and criminal
(citations to all published opinions I have authored available upon
request); have endeavored each year to improve judicial skills
through exhaustive continuing education (itemized list of seminars
also available on request); active involvement in several state
commissions designed to improve the quality of Arizona’s judicial
branch.
2003-present
Law Office of Peter J. Eckerstrom
Private practice in the area of criminal defense and personal injury,
including extensive representation of indigent persons facing capital
punishment by federal court appointment; considerable advocacy in
the areas of both trial and appellate litigation of both criminal and
civil matters.
1994-2003
Pima County Public Defender’s Office
Represented indigent defendants as to felony charges; lead counsel
in over 800 felony cases including the most serious offenses; earned
post of Trial Team Supervisor.
1988-1994
Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison
Commercial litigation for high technology ventures in the “Silicon
Valley” as an associate with a large corporate law firm of over 400
attorneys based in San Francisco, CA.
1986-1987
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Stanford University, School of Law
Palo Alto, California
Doctor of Jurisprudence with Distinction, 1986
Attended September 1983 through June 1986
Awards, Honors, Citations: Graduated “with Distinction” (an honor based on grade average
and class standing); Kirkwood Moot Court Competition Finalist (did not win); R. Summers
Trial Practice Prize (for exceptional performance in “Sergeant’s at Law”); co-authored Law
Review Note, The Applicability of the Necessity Defense to Civil Disobedience, 39 Stanford
Law Review 1173 (This article has tangibly influenced federal law limiting the use of the
common law necessity defense when that defense has been asserted for acts of civil
disobedience.)See United States v. Schoon, 971 F.2d 193, 196-97, 200 (9th Cir. 1991);
United States v. Santana, 184 F. Supp. 131, 138 (D. Puerto Rico 2001); United States v.
Brodhead, 714 F. Supp. 593, 597 (D. Mass. 1989).
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, 1982
With Distinction in American Studies
Attended September 1978 through June 1982
Awards, Honors, Citations: Graduated Magna Cum Laude (with “high honors”) and with
Distinction in American Studies (an honor awarded for receiving a grade average of 3.9 or
higher within the major); awarded the Lutheran Brotherhood Scholarship.
PROFESSIONAL AND PUBLIC SERVICE
Service on Commissions and Boards
Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct
2010 - present
Appointed by Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court; commission assesses formal
complaints against judicial officers filed by members of the bar or the public at large;
commission investigates complaints and has authority to impose both formal and informal
sanctions, ranging from reprimand to removal from judicial office, when appropriate.
Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review
2008 - 2012
Appointed by Chief Justice of Arizona Supreme Court; active commission established to
assure judicial accountability and improve judicial performance. Commission evaluates
data received from legal community and public through questionnaires and public hearings
and presents information to voters. Commission votes as to whether each judge on the
upcoming election ballot “meets” or “does not meet” standards. Active commission that
meets regularly to evaluate the performance of numerous merit-selected judges before their
upcoming election cycles.
Arizona Supreme Court Commission on Minorities in the Judiciary
Chairman, Diversity Subcommittee
2009 - 2012
Appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court; primary task of commission
to encourage greater diversity and cultural competence in the judicial branch of Arizona;
current Chairman of subcommittee tasked with encouraging qualified minority members of
the bar to apply for judicial positions and assisting those applicants in effectively presenting
their qualifications to the appropriate appointing authority.
Arizona Commission on Court Technology
2003-2008
Appointed by Chief Justice; active commission established to coordinate the development of
computer technology for the state courts of Arizona. Determines how significant resources
will be directed with a goal toward integrating to the extent possible, the technology systems
of our state’s numerous appellate, superior, and limited jurisdiction courts.
Board of Visitors
University of Arizona, Rogers College of Law
2004-present
Invited by Dean Toni Massaro to sit on board, together will other community leaders, to
assist her in improving the reputation and resources of the college of law.
Arizona Judges Association
Appellate Judges Representative
2004-2009
Elected by colleagues as appellate representative to executive committee of professional
organization of Arizona judges. Organization represents our members interests in the public
and political arena; advocates for both judicial independence in the context of mechanisms
which assure professional accountability; also advocates for reasonable compensation and
retirement benefits for judicial officers.
Federal Habeas Corpus Oversight Committee
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
1996-2003
Acted as attorney representative to committee made up federal judges and administrators.
Met quarterly to review capital habeas funding requests for all Ninth Circuit capital cases
and promulgated benchmarks for scope of appropriate litigation of those cases.
Contributions to Legal Profession through Teaching
President
Morris K. Udall Inn of Court
2011-2012
Adjunct Professor
University of Arizona
Rogers College of Law
2002-2003
Topics: Taught Trial Practice to third-year law students, including specific instruction in the
presentation of opening statements, direct examinations, cross-examinations, objection
practice, and closing arguments.
Invited Speaker
Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference
January 10, 2000
Topic: “The Important Role of Federal Courts in Assuring the Fairness of State Capital
Litigation.”
Audience: Appellate and District Court Judges of the Ninth Circuit.
Speaker or Instructor
Have presented at numerous continuing education seminars (several annually) both as judge
and, previously, as private practitioner. Asked to do so at various events sponsored by the
Arizona Bar Association, the Arizona Judicial Conference, the Pima County Bar
Association, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the University of Arizona Law
School. Comprehensive listing of specific events and topics of instruction available on
request.
Other Service to Profession and Community
Judge
Moot Court
University of Arizona
Rogers School of Law
2003-present, annually
(Presided at mock oral arguments conducted twice annually—for semi-finals and to prepare
law school’s national team.)
Host Judge
International Delegations of Judges from Evolving Democracies
Have acted as host on behalf of our court for separate visits of judges from Ghana, the
Phillippines, Ukraine, and Kazakstan and facilitated dialogue on topic of judicial
independence from political arm of government, a topic of central importance in countries
with no such tradition. Visits were sponsored by the William H. Rehnquist Center.
Attorney Volunteer
“The Justice Project”
2002-2003
Contributed hundreds of hours of pro bono legal work to project overseen by University of
Arizona College of Law; directed law students in litigating on behalf of indigent convicts
who the project has identified as worthy of further attention to their cases. Through project,
drafted successful post-conviction action on behalf of Donna Jean Bennett, a petition which
ultimately resulted in the reversal of her conviction for first-degree murder and the ultimate
dismissal of those charges.
Coach
YMCA, Youth Basketball teams
(Teams included my son)
2007 - present
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Bar Association-Judicial Section; State Bar of Arizona; Pima County Bar
Association.
Bar Admissions:
State of Arizona, 1988
State of California, 1986
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 1994
Admitted to Practice before Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1997
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Fantasy baseball (have participated in the same league with fellow Tucson attorneys since
1988); master’s water polo (fun way to stay in shape; in hiatus since the birth of my son);
NCAA basketball enthusiast (we live two blocks from the University of Arizona Basketball
arena); birdwatching (I keep a life list and Arizona is a great place to do it).