Title: Principal Assistant City Attorney
Company: City of Tucson
Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States
Regina L. Nassen, Esq., Principal Assistant City Attorney with the City of Tucson, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in legal services.
With over three decades of experience, Ms. Nassen has built a distinguished career as an attorney, specializing in public law. She currently serves as a principal assistant city attorney with the City of Tucson, a role she has held since 2021. In this capacity, she advises elected and appointed officials, handles litigation, assists in negotiating and drafting complex commercial and real estate agreements, advises regarding the issuance of government bonds and other financing obligations, and works with city procurement officials to ensure compliance with government purchasing requirements. Her experience also includes serving as deputy director of economic development for Pima County, Arizona, in 2021, civil deputy county attorney for Pima County from 2003 to 2021, and associate at Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. from 1993 to 2000. Laying a strong educational foundation, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and anthropology from the University of Northern Iowa, graduating summa cum laude in 1986, and a Juris Doctor from the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona, summa cum laude, in 1992.
Ms. Nassen also dedicates her time as a life fellow with the American Bar Foundation, a governing council member for the American Bar Association’s Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division, and a member of the CLE committee of the American Bar Association’s Center for Professional Responsibility. Additionally, she serves as a member of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct and has previously served as council chair and council member for the Public Lawyer Section of the State Bar of Arizona. She was also a member of the Arizona Supreme Court’s Ethics Advisory Committee 2018 to 2023 and is a proud contributor to the Justice Fund of Lambda Legal. In light of her impressive undertakings, she was honored as the 2024 Member of the Year by the State Bar of Arizona, and received the Distinguished Public Lawyer Award from the Arizona Public Lawyer Section of the State Bar of Arizona in 2015.
Additionally, Ms. Nassen has made significant contributions to the field of government lawyer ethics. While serving at the Pima County Attorney’s Office, she served as the Office’s chief ethics counsel and presented numerous ethics trainings. More recently, she collaborated with a task force that proposed revisions to the Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct to address ethics issues unique to government lawyers. She also assisted with the drafting and editing of an Ethics Manual for Government Lawyers soon to be published by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys Advisory Council. She is grateful for the support of her colleagues over the years and finds great fulfillment in the meaningful and impactful nature of her work. Her passion for all aspects of the practice of law keeps her engaged and motivated, as she firmly believes that only boring people get bored. She is driven to solve problems, excelling at simplifying complex legal issues for the benefit of courts, clients, and colleagues. She is known for her meticulous approach, and her strong legal writing and analytical skills, which enable her to craft clear and effective motions, appellate briefs, and legal opinions. Looking to the future, she aspires to serve on an appellate court and has applied for an available position on the Arizona Supreme Court.
For more information, please visit:
Contact Ms. Nassen:
