Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he worked as a civil litigator at a Phoenix law firm for several years. He graduated from the University of Texas in 1992, and from the Arizona State University College of Law in 1998.

Vice Chief Justice John R. Lopez IV

Vice Chief Justice John R. Lopez IV - Arizona Judicial Branch

John Lopez IV earned a degree from the University of Texas and a law degree from Arizona State University.

Previously, he was Solicitor General for the State of Arizona in the Office of Attorney General where he handled civil lawsuits and appeals, as well as criminal appeals, including capital cases.

He worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix for over 12 years serving in various roles, including Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of Financial Crimes and Public Integrity Section.

He also served for six months in Iraq as a legal advisor with the Regime Crimes Liaison Office, the Department of Justice-led group tasked with assisting the Iraqi government with the prosecution of Saddam Hussein.

Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he worked as a civil litigator at a Phoenix law firm for several years.

John has experience as the Arizona Solicitor General and as a civil litigator.

Justice John R. Lopez IV was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in November 2016 and took the bench in January 2017.

John was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in November 2016 and took the bench in January 2017.

John serves as a judge on the Arizona Supreme Court and took the bench in January 2017.

2026 Arizona General Election

2026 Judicial Performance Reports

Meets the Arizona Judicial Peformance Review (JPR) standards.

- Meets the Arizona Judicial Peformance Review (JPR) standards.

Judicial Administration

As of October 12, 2026, John Lopez IV did not have a website or any information online.

Judicial Philosophy

Justice John Lopez IV serves on the Arizona Supreme Court. Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Lopez served as Arizona’s Solicitor General. Before that, he served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office as Executive assistant U.S. attorney; Chief assistant, U.S. Attorney's office in Phoenix; Chief of the Financial Crimes and Public Integrity Section; and Deputy appellate chief. Previous to that, Lopez worked as a legal advisor in the Regime Crimes Liaison Office of the Department of Justice, as an attorney with Bryan Cave, and a law clerk to Justice Charles Jones of the Arizona Supreme Court.

John Lopez IV

Served as Arizona solicitor general, handling civil lawsuits and appeals, as well as criminal appeals, including capital cases.

Worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix for more than 12 years, including serving as executive assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the Financial Crimes and Public Integrity Section.

As a state supreme court justice, evaluates questions of constitutional law, wrongful imprisonment cases, election contests, and the state’s use of the death penalty. The justice ensures that lower courts apply the law correctly, allows certain cases to be retried, and provides final interpretations of state law.

- Served as Arizona solicitor general, handling civil lawsuits and appeals, as well as criminal appeals, including capital cases.
- Worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix for more than 12 years, including serving as executive assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the Financial Crimes and Public Integrity Section.
- As a state supreme court justice, evaluates questions of constitutional law, wrongful imprisonment cases, election contests, and the state’s use of the death penalty. The justice ensures that lower courts apply the law correctly, allows certain cases to be retried, and provides final interpretations of state law.

Legal Experience

Community Involvement

Ethics & Conduct

As of October 12, 2026, John Lopez IV’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Q: Does that mean you are also open to persuasion on a case where you had made up your mind?

A: Indeed. Every one of my colleagues remains open to persuasion and when a justice says that, they mean it. We want to get it right. If you don’t have an open mind, you risk reaching incorrect conclusions. You should never ignore a person who is pointing out flaws in your reasoning. In some cases, where reasonable minds can differ, we simply agree to disagree. And when we disagree, we do so respectfully.

Arizona Supreme Court justice to co-teach new course at ASU | ASU News

Q: What do you enjoy most about the law, be it what you have learned or what you want to convey to students?
A: The most powerful things that drew me to the law are twofold: One is the nature of the law. It’s a perfect blend of art and science. The rigorous, methodical approach to legal reasoning really appealed to me. It suggests that there are definitive answers to very complex issues. The other appeal is the centrality of the rule of law to American society. The rule of law defines and distinguishes our society. It is at the center of government, the economy and our public discourse.

I find that fascinating as well.

Isaac Brickman

Walter Ley

- The Arizona Supreme Court consists of 7 justices and serves as the final authority on the Arizona Constitution and appeals within the state.
- It handles all civil, criminal, and state-related cases, including reviewing issues like life imprisonment and death penalty matters.
- Decisions are made collectively by majority vote, and the chief justice writes the majority opinion.
- Each justice is appointed by the governor of Arizona. Justices stand for retention in an election two years after their appointment and then every six years. They must retire at the age of 70.
- They are paid an annual salary of $205,000, while the Chief Justice makes $212,000.

One of seven justices who serves on the highest court in Arizona.