CONTACT: Jeffery Hidalgo
ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (July 23, 2025) – Town of Oro Valley Legal Services Department Director Tobin Sidles has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the John Belatti Public Lawyer Career Achievement Award, one of the highest honors granted by the Public Lawyer Section of the State Bar of Arizona.
Legal Director Tobin Sidles
The award recognizes Sidles for more than three decades of dedicated public service and outstanding legal leadership as a government attorney. Sidles, who is retiring in August 2025 after 35 years with the Town of Oro Valley, has served as a trusted advisor, mentor and advocate for good governance throughout his distinguished career.
“Tobin’s legal work has shaped nearly every facet of this organization. His commitment to public service and ethical legal practice leaves a lasting legacy in Oro Valley,” said Town Manager Jeff Wilkins. “This recognition from the State Bar is both fitting and well deserved, and he will be missed as a trusted colleague.”
The John Belatti Award is presented to retiring or retired public attorneys whose careers reflect distinguished service and a strong commitment to the legal profession and the public good. While the award will be officially presented by the State Bar in late August, the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC), where Sidles served alongside colleagues from across the state, announced the honor early during its 2025 Annual Prosecutor Conference in June.
Sidles joined the APAAC Council in 1993 and is its longest serving member. APAAC Executive Director Elizabeth Burton Ortiz summarized Sidles’ contributions: “Tobin is that rare individual who, for almost four decades, has consistently put the needs of his community and profession above himself, serving with integrity and setting the standard of excellence… Tobin’s legacy is both his body of work and the training and standards he has imparted on prosecutors, law enforcement officers and elected officials across Arizona.”
Former APAAC Council member John Belatti, for whom the award is named, exemplified the spirit of public service and community-focused law. The award is part of a broader initiative by the State Bar’s Public Lawyer Section to recognize lawyers and judges who have made extraordinary contributions to justice and the communities they serve. To learn more about the Public Lawyer Section Awards or view past recipients, visit the AZBar.org website.
Sidles was also previously recognized with the 2018 Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Prosecutor of the Year Award.
The Town of Oro Valley’s Legal Services Department, comprised of the Civil Division and the Prosecution Division, is committed to providing the highest quality representation possible to meet the present and future needs of the Town in an efficient and effective manner. To learn more, visit the Town’s website.
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