About Stephen J
Stephen J Gonzalez built his legal life in Arizona. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Public Administration from the University of Arizona in 1977 and returned to the same campus to receive his Juris Doctor in 1980. Those years laid the groundwork for a steady courtroom career that has spanned more than four decades.
Fresh out of law school, he gained admission to practice in Arizona and in the Ninth Circuit in 1980. That year also marked the start of his admission to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. He opened a firm under his own name and has practiced as STEPHEN J. GONZALEZ, P.C. since 1980, handling matters across state and federal forums.
His work has moved between trial courts and appellate work. He appears regularly in Arizona courts and maintains active admission to the Ninth Circuit, which allows him to carry appeals beyond the trial level. Over time he has handled filings and hearings in the U.S. District Court for Arizona, where his standing has been current since his admission.
Beyond private practice, Gonzalez has stayed engaged in public-facing legal roles. He serves as a commissioner on the Pima County Trial Court Nominating Commission, a position that places him in the middle of local judicial selection processes. He also works with Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc., offering legal services in that nonprofit setting. Those roles keep him connected to the local bar and to community needs, and they add a public-service dimension to his long-running practice.
Colleagues describe Gonzalez as steady in court and precise in filings. He has balanced a private practice with public commitments for many years. That balance has kept him active in both trial and appellate dockets, and it has required keeping current on federal and state procedural rules. He has sustained admissions and professional ties in Arizona and at the Ninth Circuit since 1980.
Today he continues to operate STEPHEN J. GONZALEZ, P.C., handling cases in Arizona state courts, the U.S. District Court for Arizona, and the Ninth Circuit as part of his ongoing practice focus.
