Tom Horne Construction Attorney

Tom Horne served as Arizona’s Attorney General from 2010 to 2014. He served as the elected Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2003 to 2011. As Attorney General, Tom personally argued cases in the Arizona Superior Court, Arizona Supreme Court, Federal District Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He personally argued for the State of Arizona before the United States Supreme Court in two cases,

Tom is the author of Arizona Construction Law, published by the State Bar of Arizona, the first comprehensive treatise specifically related to construction law in the state. While in private practice, Tom served as Chairman for the State Bar Construction Law seminars from 1978 through 2000. He tried and arbitrated numerous construction cases. In the 1980’s, Tom was Special Assistant Attorney General handling all major highway construction cases, and some major cases for the Department of Administration in prison construction.

Prior to his service in statewide elected office, Mr. Horne was a litigation attorney in private practice for more than 30 years. Early in his practice, Tom was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates, which required documentation of, at a minimum, 25 trials to a jury to conclusion (not settled cases) as first chair lawyer. He developed a statewide reputation for simplifying complex commercial cases for juries.

During that time he also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General, Superior Court Judge Pro Tem and Court of Appeals Judge Pro Tem. While practicing law, Mr. Horne served on the school board of Arizona’s third largest school district for 24 years, ten as its president. He served four years in the Arizona Legislature, was a member of the Judiciary Committee, and was Chairman of the Academic Accountability Committee. On July 11, 2000, the Arizona Republic wrote that Tom Horne, “raises the level of debate at the state Legislature by several notches all by himself.”

Mr. Horne has served in every branch of the government:

• Executive: State Superintendent of Schools and Attorney General
• Legislative: State Legislature
• Judicial: Judge Pro Tem
• Local: School Board

He received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Harvard College and his J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School.