Ruth McGregor

Ruth V. McGregor is a former justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.

McGregor was a justice of the state's highest court from 1998, when she was appointed to the court by Republican governor Jane Dee Hull until her retirement in 2009.^[1] She was retained in 2000 and 2006. She served a term as Chief Justice that ended with her retirement from the court. She retired from the court on June 30, 2009, and was succeeded by John Pelander.

Legal education and experience

McGregor received a B.A. degree from the University of Iowa in 1964, an M.A. from the University of Iowa in 1965, and her law degree from Arizona State University in 1974.

Judicial career

McGregor was a justice of the Arizona Supreme Court from 1998, when she was appointed to the court by Governor Jane Dee Hull until her retirement in 2009. She was retained in 2000 and 2006. She served a term as Chief Justice that ended with her retirement from the court. She retired from the court on June 30, 2009, and was succeeded by John Pelander.

Prior to McGregor' appointment to the Supreme Court, she served on the Arizona Court of Appeals from 1989-1998 and was a law clerk to Sandra Day O'Connor from 1981-1982.

Advocate of Missouri plan

Justice McGregor is an advocate of Arizona's version of the Missouri Plan for choosing state judges.^[2]

On "derogatory" terms

The Los Abagados Hispanic Bar Association requested that the Arizona Court system cease using terms like "illegal" in cases and opinions. In a letter dated October 2, 2008, Justice McGregor indicated that she has informed the judges of the organization's concerns with using terms like "illegal" "aliens" or "illegal immigrants."^[3]