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After a distinguished career as a federal prosecutor, Paul Charlton (BA '83, JD ‘88) has returned to University of Arizona Law with the goal of improving the justice system by better preparing its key actors.
A former United States Attorney and current partner in the Phoenix office of Dentons LLP, Paul became a professor of practice in Fall 2021, teaching Prosecutorial Ethics and Decision Making.
Throughout the years, Paul has been a frequent class speaker, has mentored students and alumni in employment settings, has been a member of the Law College Association Board of Directors, and currently serves as an ambassador for the college as a member of its Board of Visitors.
The ‘double Wildcat’ launched his legal career in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, where he focused on fraud prosecutions. In 1991, he joined the US Attorney's Office in Arizona as an Assistant US Attorney, prosecuting a wide variety of cases, from homicides to industrial espionage. A decade later, in 2001, Paul was appointed US Attorney for the District of Arizona.
During his tenure, Paul oversaw a staff of more than 220 employees in four offices throughout the state with a total budget of almost $20 million. The size, scope, and complexity of that position affords him a deep and nuanced understanding of the ethical issues prosecutors face.
“I loved prosecuting and the role of the prosecutor. I felt that I was contributing to society and giving back in some way,” he said.
In addition to teaching, Paul organizes a popular speaker series with high-profile, nationally regarded prosecutors and former prosecutors. He plans to continue the series, “Prosecutorial Ethics in Real Life,” next fall.
Paul’s ultimate goal is to establish a full-fledged prosecutorial ethics program for both students and practitioners:
“We focus so much during law school on unjust convictions and how to remedy them. We should. But we rarely focus on why a prosecutor brought such a case or how it was that they were mentored into thinking that way. If we instead teach prosecutors and provide examples of how to act ethically at a case’s inception, then we’ve greatly reduced the risk that that case will result in an unjust conviction."
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