Rita P. Maguire is a founding member of Maguire & Pearce, PLLC located in Phoenix, Arizona. Maguire & Pearce concentrates its legal practice in the areas of water law, environment law, land use planning and legislative policy development. Prior to forming the law firm, Ms. Maguire was the founding President and CEO of the Arizona Center for Public Policy, a nonpartisan public policy research center providing comprehensive and objective analysis of major policy issues in Arizona. In addition to managing the ACCP’s research and administrative staff as well as the production of more than 40 publications, Ms. Maguire authored the Center’s Natural Resources publications and served as its primary spokesperson.
Ms. Maguire served as Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources from 1993 through 2001. During her tenure as Director, Ms. Maguire represented the state’s interests in the Colorado River Basin, was a key figure in the development of the Arizona Water Bank Authority, and played a central role in Indian water rights negotiations in Arizona. As Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Fife Symington from 1991 to 1993, Ms. Maguire oversaw the operation of ten Executive Branch agencies including the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the State Land Department. Ms. Maguire began her legal career at the firm of Snell and Wilmer practicing environmental and administrative law.
As a recognized expert on western water policy, she has written extensively on the subject and makes frequent public speaking appearances, and is a contributor to editorial pages and industry publications.
Ms. Maguire holds three degrees from Arizona State University: a Juris Doctorate received in 1988, a Masters in Business Administration received in 1979, and a Bachelor of Science received in 1977. In 2001, Ms. Maguire was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
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