Award of Special Merit

Established in 1988, the Award of Special Merit is  presented by the Board of Governors to members of the State Bar of Arizona who have made significant contributions to the furtherance of public understanding of the legal system, the administration of justice,  and confidence in the legal profession.  

2013 Recipient

MARK E. MELTZER became a specialist with the Court Services Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts (the "AOC") in 2008. Mark currently serves as AOC staff for the Committee on Limited Jurisdiction Courts (the "LJC"), the Capital Case Oversight Committee, and the Committee on the Impact of Wireless Mobile Technologies and Social Media on Court Proceedings (the "Wireless Committee"). Mark was recently staff for the Committee on Civil Rules of Procedure for Limited Jurisdiction Courts, which drafted the Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure ("JCRCP") that became effective in January 2013. He also served as staff to the Complex Civil Litigation Court Evaluation Committee and the Criminal Rules Videoconference Advisory Committee.

Mark became a member of the State Bar of Arizona in 1976. He began his law career as a deputy district attorney in San Bernardino County, California, and he was a criminal defense attorney following his relocation to Arizona. Mark was in private practice prior to joining the AOC, concentrating in civil litigation.

Mark and his wife Catherine have two children, a daughter in her sophomore year at the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University, and a son in his senior year at Saguaro High School.

Prior Recipients

The award has been presented to: