Tucson attorney Ted Schmidt elected as president of the State Bar of Arizona

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2024

Contact: Taylor Tasler, Public Relations Manager

Phone: 602.340.7257

Email: taylor.tasler@staff.azbar.org

Tucson attorney Ted Schmidt elected as president of the State Bar of Arizona

Ted Schmidt, managing partner of Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian, has been elected President of the State Bar of Arizona Board of Governors. Ted is a longtime Tucson resident and graduate from the University of Arizona liberal arts college and University of Arizona College of Law in 1977.

“It’s an honor to serve as the State Bar of Arizona President this next year. With 45 years of experience working with judges and lawyers from Bisbee to Page, Holbrook to Lake Havasu City, Yuma to Prescott and Kingman to Flagstaff, I believe I can bring a unique perspective as I step into the role,” said Schmidt.

Ted started his career as a trial attorney for a major insurance defense firm where he acquired the experience, skill, and insight that led him to 45 years of success as a personal injury attorney. Aside from representing clients, Ted serves as a Judge Pro Tempore in the Pima County Superior Court. Outside the courtroom, he is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arizona College of Law, teaching Trial Advocacy, where he led the just-completed $4.5M fundraising campaign to build two new state-of-the-art courtrooms at the college.

As he steps into his role, one of Ted’s top priorities is to engage with legal communities across the state and encourage professionals to get involved with the programs at the State Bar of Arizona and Arizona Bar Foundation.

“I look forward to launching the ‘Ted & Joel Roadshow’ with our CEO & Executive Director Joel F. England. We want to travel around the state and meet with as many local county and affinity bars as possible.  We want to extend the bar’s reach far beyond Maricopa County. Through collaboration I hope to inspire among our members a commitment to advance the rule of law through engagement while enabling civil and respectful dialogue and conversation across political, religious and cultural lines,” said Schmidt.

Ted, a longtime leader in the local soccer community, served as President of the Pima County Junior Soccer League and FC Tucson Youth (formerly Tucson Soccer Academy) over the last 15 years, where he also raised over $150,000 to build the Ann Kathryn Schmidt Kickin’ It Clubhouse in memory of his late wife to serve youth soccer in Southern Arizona at the Brandi Fenton Memorial Park on River Road.  Ted created the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy, chaired the first Injury & Wrongful Death Certification Commission for 12 years, served on the Appellate Court Commission and in 1992 established the Tara Nicole Schmidt “Have a Dream” Memorial Scholarship in memory of his late daughter. The scholarship pays a minimum of $10,000 annually to a deserving Arizona high school student applying to attend the University of Arizona.

VIDEO ALERT! Hear more about Ted’s goals for his term here. Please feel free to share on your various platforms.

About the State Bar

The State Bar of Arizona is a non-profit organization that operates under the supervision of the Arizona Supreme Court. The Bar includes more than 19,000 active attorneys and provides education and development programs for the legal profession and the public. Since 1933 the Bar and its members have been committed to serving the public by making sure the voices of all people in Arizona are heard in our justice system.