Diane Johnsen
Diane is the former chief judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One.
Prior to her appointment to the bench, Diane Johnsen practiced law in California and Arizona, focusing on media law, contract, tort, and environmental litigation.
During her 14-year tenure as a judge, Diane chaired the Phoenix Judicial Selection Advisory Board and was a member of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct. In 2020, she was named the Arizona Judicial Branch's Judge of the Year and also received the Arizona State Bar Association's James A. Walsh Outstanding Jurist Award. After she retired as a judge in 2020, she worked for two years as the court's special projects attorney.
A former journalist, Diane spent five years as a political reporter at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson before attending law school.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- Duke University, LL.M., Judicial Studies, 2016
- Stanford University, J.D., Stanford Law Review, 1982
- The University of Arizona, B.A., magna cum laude, 1975
Bar and Court Admissions
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Arizona
- Supreme Court of the United States
Related Employment
- Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One, Phoenix, AZ, Judge, 2006-2020; Special Projects Attorney, 2020-2022
- Osborn Maledon, Phoenix, AZ, Attorney, 1985-2006
- Munger Tolles & Olson, Los Angeles, CA, Attorney, 1983-1985
- Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ, Reporter, 1975-1979
Clerkships
- Hon. Ben C. Duniway, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Professional Recognition
Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Commercial Litigation, 2005-2025; Appellate Practice; Environmental Law, 2024-2025
Impact
Professional Leadership
- American Law Institute, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
- State Bar of Arizona, Member
- Arizona Women Lawyer’s Association, Member
Community Involvement
- Children’s Action Alliance, Board Member, 2004-2006
- Maricopa County Superior Court, Judge Pro Tempore, 1995-2006
- Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest, Board Member, 1993-2006