2019 award Recipient

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Hon. Dean Christoffel (1948-2024) is a Pima County Superior Court Commissioner/Judge Pro Tem. Before taking the bench, he practiced law for 37 years and was a State Bar Certified Specialist in Family Law. He is also a member and former Chair of the Executive Council of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Arizona and a former member of the Board of the Arizona Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. Dean was awarded the William E. Morris Pro Bono Service Award by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education. Dean co-founded Simpla Phi Lex, a collaboration among the English Department and Law School at the University of Arizona and the Pima County Superior Court. Simpla Phi Lex is the proud recipient of the Arizona Supreme Court’s Assess to Justice Award for its work in simplifying the forms, instructions and manuals for self-represented people in family law matters in Pima County. He is also a member of the Founding Board of Step Up to Justice, full-service, free civil legal center for low-income individuals and families who would otherwise be denied access to justice. Dean has been married to his lovely wife, Teresa Welborn, since 1982 and he and Teresa enjoy spending time with their children (Chandler and Taylor) and grandchildren (Etrulia, 4 years, and Theo, 1 ½).