Daniel R. Ortega, Jr. is a 1974 graduate of Arizona State University, B.A. in Political Science and received his juris doctorate degree in 1977 from Arizona State University College of Law. He has been licensed to practice law in Arizona since 1977 and practices in the area of plaintiff’s personal injury litigation primarily concentrated on serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. Among several other settlements and verdicts, in 1990 Mr. Ortega was the primary litigator and co-counsel in a trucking accident case in which a federal court jury awarded $10.7 million to the seriously injured victims. Mr. Ortega is a partner with the law offices of Roush, McCracken, Guerrero, Miller & Ortega. He is a member of the Arizona State Bar, American Association of Justice (formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association), American Bar Association, Maricopa County Bar Association and Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association.
Mr. Ortega is also a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars. His presentations have concentrated in the areas of litigation, personal injury and wrongful death cases; trucking accident cases; representing the Spanish speaking client; ethics; trial practice, and federal court practice.
Mr. Ortega has a strong record of service to his profession. He has served on the Disciplinary Commission of the Arizona Supreme Court, Maricopa County Commission on Trial Court Appointments, Thuragood Marshall Inn of Court Master, Supreme Court Commission on Minorities in the Judiciary, and the Board of Directors of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association.
Mr. Ortega has appeared as a legal commentator (in both English and Spanish) on a variety of television and radio programs and is frequently quoted in a variety of newspapers and periodicals. He has also hosted a great number of educational radio legal talk shows aimed at educating the public about their legal rights and remedies including the rights of accident victims and wrongful death cases.
Mr. Ortega has a long and distinguished history, not only with respect to his law practice, but also because of his public service in the community. Mr. Ortega currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Farm Workers Service Center and the Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association. Over the years he has served on a variety of Boards and Commissions dedicated to serving and improving the community.
In recognition of his professional and public service Mr. Ortega has received several awards which include: State Bar of Arizona President’s Award, Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame Award, Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award, Anti-Defamation League Leader of Distinction, Valley Leadership Visionary Award, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Professional of the Year, and The City of Phoenix Eighth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Breakfast “Living the Dream” Community Service Award.
