Assistant Attorney General Paula Bickett Receives National Award

(Phoenix, Ariz. – June 21, 2007) Paula S. Bickett, an Arizona Assistant Attorney General, was presented with the prestigious Marvin Award by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). Bickett is Chief Counsel for the Civil Appeals Section of the Solicitor General’s Office. She received the award Wednesday during NAAG’s summer meeting held in Atlanta, Ga.

“I nominated Paula for this award to recognize her outstanding service to this Office and the State of Arizona over the past 17 years,” Attorney General Terry Goddard said. “Paula's dedication to public service and commitment to quality legal work set a fine example for us all.”

Bickett has been the Civil Appeals Chief Counsel since 1999 and has consistently produced noteworthy work. In the last year, Bickett has worked on a number of significant legal matters, including:

  • Serving as counsel of record for Arizona in Defenders of Wildlife v. EPA, a significant environmental case now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • Assisting with the preparation of an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in a major climate change case, Massachusetts v. EPA.
  • Overseeing appellate work in Arizona state courts concerning Arizona's efforts to investigate illegal smuggling of drugs and humans across the Mexican border.
  • Serving as lead counsel in federal court litigation concerning Arizona's tuition tax credit program.

Bickett also oversees the review of more than 300 civil appellate briefs each year and chairs the Public Records Task Force in the Attorney General’s Office. Bickett is the incoming Chair of the Appellate Section of the Arizona State Bar and is Co-Chair of the Committee for Women and Minorities.

“Paula is a quiet leader who sets a fine example for public lawyers,” Goddard said. “I know that I can rely on Paula to make sure that our Office's civil appellate work meets the highest professional standards.”

Named after Ray Marvin, executive director of NAAG from 1976 to 1986, the Marvin Award is given annually to recognize excellence and dedicated service by assistant attorneys general who have taken leadership roles in multi-state legal initiatives and other projects.

Bickett joined the Attorney General’s Office in January 1990. She previously worked as an appellate and real estate transaction attorney for Beus, Gilbert, Wake & Morrill in Phoenix. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and her law degree from Arizona State University.