Michael Ryan, who received his law degree from Arizona State University in 1977, joined two other ASU law graduates on the Arizona Supreme Court July 1 -- Ruth McGregor '74 J.D. and Rebecca Berch '76 B.S., '79 J.D.

Justice Ryan, 56, received his juris doctorate in 1977. He worked in the Maricopa County Attorney's office from 1977-85, was appointed a Maricopa County Superior Court judge in 1985 where he presided over Gov. Evan Mecham's trial, the Phoenix Suns drug cases and the AzScam cases, and in 1996 then-Gov. Fife Symington named him to the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Those high-profile cases put Ryan in the public eye.

Ryan said his years as a prosecutor with the county attorney's office prepared him for a career as a judge. "People have this view of prosecutors like a bulldog trying to get a conviction," he said. "An ethical prosecutor is almost the opposite."

Ryan's early years after graduation from St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn., in 1967, were spent as an infantry platoon leader with the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1967-69. Many say his views are also shaped by his military service, where he was injured -- and decorated with a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts -- and then back in the States where he underwent rehabilitation and continues to use a wheelchair.

"Having been in combat and the challenges I faced when I got back has helped me put a lot of things into proper perspective," he said. "Everyone has their challenges and problems and someone may think that's not that much, but for them it's a serious problem or serious challenge.

"I've got a little more empathy."

Gov. Hull said Ryan, a Scottsdale resident, makes an ideal pick because of his experience.

"I am pleased to have such a fine appointee who brings 10 years as a trial court judge and 12 years of experience as a criminal prosecutor to the high court," she said.

Ryan and his wife, Karen, have cared for more than 80 foster children.

"That is another of the things that tremendously impressed me," said Gov. Hull.

Michael Ryan