PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey has announced the appointments of Michael Blair, Todd Lang, and Erin O’Brien Otis to the Maricopa County Superior Court.
Michael Blair is a partner at Baird, Williams, & Greer, where he has practiced commercial, real estate, and construction litigation since 2000. He also serves as a Judge Pro Tempore for the Maricopa County Superior Court and serves on the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review.
Michael graduated from Brigham Young University in 1995 and received his law degree from Brigham Young University Law School in 1998. In law school, he was a member of the Brigham Young University Law Review.
“Michael has extensive experience as a commercial and business litigator,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “In addition, his years of experience as a Judge Pro Tempore make him a uniquely strong addition to the bench.”
Todd Lang is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix, where he represents the federal government in affirmative civil enforcement matters. Previously, he served as Executive Director of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and as Chief Counsel for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Litigation Unit. Todd received the Member of the Year Award from the Arizona State Bar in 2012.
Todd graduated from Oberlin College in 1988 and received his law degree from Cornell University in 1993. Todd has volunteered with the Maricopa County Volunteer Lawyers Program since 2000.
“Todd has a stellar reputation throughout the Arizona legal community,” said Governor Ducey. “His impressive public sector experience at all levels of government will make him an asset to the bench.”
Erin O’Brien Otis has served as a Commissioner for the Maricopa County Superior Court since 2012. She previously worked as a Deputy County Attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, where she developed specialized experienced in sex crimes and human trafficking cases. Erin received the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Prosecutor of the Year Award in 2010.
Erin obtained a Bachelor of Science and Master of Social Work from Arizona State University in 1997 and 2000, respectively. She received her law degree from the Arizona State University College of Law in 2002.
“Erin is nationally recognized for her expertise in sex crimes and human trafficking cases,” said Governor Ducey. “Her experience as a Commissioner on both the family law and criminal law benches will make her an outstanding addition to the court.”
The appointments of Michael Blair, Todd Lang, and Erin O’Brien Otis were made to fill the vacancies created by the retirements of the Honorable Richard Gama, Honorable Crane McClennen, and Honorable Roland Steinle.
