John R. Lopez IV (born 1968)[1] is an American lawyer who has served as the vice chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court since 2024. He concurrently has served as a justice of the court since 2016.
Early life and education
Lopez received his bachelor's degree in political science and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992. After receiving his bachelor's degree, Lopez did graduate work in political science and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Chicago and graduated from the Arizona State UniversitySandra Day O'Connor College of Law in 1998. In law school, Lopez was an articles editor for the Arizona State Law Journal.
Career
After law school Lopez clerked for Justice Charles Jones of the Arizona Supreme Court.[2] He then worked at the law firm Bryan Cave as a commercial litigator.
On November 28, 2016, Governor Doug Ducey announced the appointment of Lopez to the Arizona Supreme Court to a newly created seat.[3] He was sworn into office on December 19, 2016.[4]
In April 2024, Lopez authored a 4-2 decision in Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Mayes finding that the state's "territorial-era law outlawing abortion except to save the life of the mother is enforceable."[5]
