James Alan Soto (born July 1, 1950) is a
United States district judge of the
United States District Court for the District of Arizona and former Arizona state court judge.
Biography
Soto received a
Bachelor of Science degree in 1971 from
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
. He received a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
in 1975 from
Arizona State University College of Law
The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (ASU Law) is one of the professional graduate schools at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona. The school is located in the Beus Center for Law and Society on ASU's downtown Phoenix campus. The law ...
. From 1975 to 1976, he worked in the law office of Nasib Karam. From 1976 to 1979, he was a sole practitioner of law. From 1979 to 1992, he was associated with various law partnerships. From 1992 to 2001, he was a shareholder of Soto, Martin and Coogan, P.C. Concurrently with his private practice, he held a number of public positions. From 1975 to 1983, he worked as a part-time deputy city attorney in the Office of the
Nogales City Attorney. He worked as a part-time town attorney in
Patagonia, Arizona
Patagonia is a town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 913. It developed in the mid-19th century as a trading and supply center for nearby mines and ranches. In the 21st century, it is a t ...
in from 1975 to 1992. He worked as a part-time deputy county attorney for the
Santa Cruz County Attorney's Office in 1979. From 2001 to 2014, Soto served on the Superior Court in Santa Cruz County, where he also served as presiding superior court judge. Soto was elected to the bench as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
Federal judicial service
On December 19, 2013, President
Barack Obama nominated Soto to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, to the seat vacated by Judge
David C. Bury
David Charles Bury (born December 9, 1942) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
Education and career
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Bury received a Bachelor of Science from Oklaho ...
, who assumed
senior status on December 31, 2012. On February 27 2014, his nomination was reported out of the committee. On May 13, 2014, Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid filed for
cloture on his nomination. On May 15, 2014,
United States Senate invoked
cloture on his nomination by a 61–35 vote. Later that same day, his nomination was confirmed by a 93–1 vote.
He received his judicial commission on June 9, 2014.
See also
*
List of Hispanic and Latino American jurists
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soto, James A.
1950 births
Living people
21st-century American judges
Arizona Democrats
Arizona lawyers
Arizona state court judges
Hispanic and Latino American judges
Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law alumni
United States district court judges appointed by Barack Obama
Hispanic and Latino American lawyers