Maria Elena Cruz (born 1972)[1] is an American lawyer who has served as a justice of the Arizona Supreme Court since January 29, 2025.
Cruz is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where she received a bachelor's degree in Psychology in 1998, and a Juris Doctor from the James E. Rogers College of Law in 2001.
While attending the University of Arizona as an undergrad, Cruz was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity.
[2] In March 2017, Republican Governor Doug Ducey appointed Cruz to the Arizona Court of Appeals.
[6] In January 2025, Hobbs appointed Cruz to a seat on the Arizona Supreme Court, replacing Robert M.