By Tort Law Team 
Few attorneys build a courtroom record measured in more than 150 civil jury trials to verdict while also becoming one of the most recognizable figures in professional sports. Ed Hochuli did both. For legal professionals, insurance defense specialists, and anyone curious about high-profile trial lawyers who balanced demanding dual careers, the story of the Ed Hochuli attorney path offers clear lessons in discipline, advocacy, and leadership.
This article examines his background, the founding and growth of Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C., his core practice areas, professional recognition, the interplay between his legal work and NFL referee role, and the lasting impact of his career. It draws on firm records, peer recognition, and public biographical details to present an accurate picture of a civil defense attorney who treated every trial like a high-stakes contest with clear rules and a decisive outcome.
Early Life, Education, and Path to the Law
Edward G. Hochuli was born on December 25, 1950, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His family moved to Tucson, Arizona, when he was eight. He attended Canyon del Oro High School, where he earned all-state honors in football for two years and also competed in basketball, wrestling, and track. That competitive drive carried into college.
Hochuli earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1972. He played linebacker for the UTEP Miners and received All-Western Athletic Conference academic honors. His father worked as a wills and estates planner, which helped steer him toward the law. He enrolled at the University of Arizona College of Law (now the James E. Rogers College of Law) and graduated with distinction in 1976.
While in law school he served as a law clerk for two years under United States District Judge Carl Muecke. After graduation he was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in 1976. He later gained admission to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Early professional experience included time at Jones, Teilborg, Sanders, Haga & Parks before the partnership that would define his career.
These years established the foundation for a practice built on preparation, clear communication, and comfort under pressure. Those same traits later appeared in both the courtroom and on the football field.
Founding Partner at Jones, Skelton & Hochuli
In 1983 Hochuli joined Bill Jones and others to form Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. The firm began with five partners and seven associates. It focused on insurance defense and civil trial work in Arizona. Over the following decades it expanded into one of the largest and most experienced trial and appellate firms in the Southwest, with offices serving Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah and more than 100 attorneys in recent years.
Hochuli served as a founding partner and remained deeply involved for more than three decades. The firm’s growth reflected a consistent emphasis on trial readiness, insurance coverage issues, and defense of corporations, self-insureds, governmental entities, and insurance carriers. Colleagues described him as dedicated almost to the point of compulsion, regularly managing dozens of active matters while contributing to firm leadership and client development.
Today the firm continues as a leading Arizona law firm in civil defense litigation. Hochuli’s role evolved over time. Firm materials list him as retired or Of Counsel in later years, with formal retirement from active practice around 2021. The partnership he helped build remains a central part of his professional legacy.
Trial Lawyer Record and Courtroom Approach
Throughout his career Hochuli was a dedicated trial attorney. Firm biographies and peer profiles consistently state that he tried more than 150 civil jury trials to verdict. Some accounts place the number above 160. He handled a high volume of work, at times involved in roughly 200 matters while personally leading 25 to 50 cases.
He approached trials as structured contests governed by rules, evidence, and advocacy. In interviews he compared the adrenaline of a jury trial to competition itself: a clear win-or-lose outcome on a public stage. Preparation, clarity of explanation, and the ability to persuade under scrutiny defined his style. Those skills later transferred visibly to his work as an NFL referee, where concise yet complete explanations of complex rulings became a signature.
Defense verdicts and successful post-trial motions appear in firm case summaries. One example involved a construction-related personal injury claim in which the defense secured a verdict that limited exposure after the court later addressed an excessive award. The pattern across decades was steady representation of clients facing significant liability exposure in Arizona state and federal courts.
Legal Specialties and Practice Focus
As a civil defense attorney, Hochuli concentrated on matters that demanded both technical knowledge of insurance issues and courtroom skill. Core areas included:
- Bad faith and extra-contractual liability claims
- Complex litigation and insurance coverage disputes
- Legal malpractice and professional liability defense
- Product liability defense
- Trucking and transportation industry defense
- Wrongful death and personal injury defense
- Dram shop and social host liability
- Retail defense and premises liability
- General liability matters
These specialties placed him at the intersection of insurance carriers, self-insured businesses, and individual defendants. Insurance coverage litigation and extra-contractual exposure required careful analysis of policy language, claims handling, and potential bad-faith allegations. Transportation and product cases often involved technical evidence, expert witnesses, and high-stakes damages. Professional liability work demanded sensitivity to the reputational and financial consequences for lawyers and other professionals.
He also participated in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution when appropriate, though his reputation rested primarily on jury trial experience. Memberships reflected this focus: American Board of Trial Advocates (advocate member and past diplomate), Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, Trucking Industry Defense Association (board of directors), USLAW Network (board and past chair), and related defense organizations.
Professional Recognition and Leadership
Peer recognition tracked his trial work over many years. He appeared in Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants from 2003 onward. Southwest Super Lawyers listed him from 2007 through 2018. Arizona Business Magazine named him among the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona in 2015. He held an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Beyond individual rankings, Hochuli contributed to the broader defense bar. He served on the board and executive committee of the USLAW Network and later received the organization’s 2024 O’Hagan-Carr Award for outstanding service and commitment. That recognition highlighted decades of courtroom leadership, client service, programming, and network development. He also spoke at seminars on negotiation, teamwork, perspective, and crisis management, drawing on both legal and officiating experience.
These honors confirm that colleagues viewed him as one of Arizona’s most experienced civil trial lawyers during the height of his practice.
Balancing Law and the NFL Referee Role
From 1990 to 2018 Hochuli worked as an NFL official. He began as a back judge and became a referee (crew chief) in 1992. He wore number 85 and served as referee for Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXVIII, along with numerous playoff and championship games. He was widely recognized for clear, detailed explanations of rulings and for an athletic presence that stood out among officials.
The dual career required rigorous time management. Reports from the period describe him maintaining substantial law-firm hours even during the football season. He has noted that the pressure of an NFL game, with millions watching and instantaneous second-guessing via replay, exceeded typical trial pressure. At the same time, the skills transferred: commanding presence, rapid yet accurate decision-making under scrutiny, and the ability to explain complex rules persuasively.
He retired from active NFL officiating after the 2017 season, announced in 2018, and later consulted for the league. His son Shawn followed him into officiating and became an NFL referee. The public profile of the NFL referee role never overshadowed the private work of the trial lawyer. For many observers the two identities reinforced each other: a disciplined professional who performed at a high level in two demanding arenas.
Is Ed Hochuli Still Practicing Law?
Firm records and biographical sources list Ed Hochuli as retired from active practice. The Jones, Skelton & Hochuli website has identified him as retired, and Wikipedia and other profiles place the end of his active attorney role around 2021. Earlier materials described him as Of Counsel. He is no longer listed among actively practicing partners handling new dockets in the same volume as earlier decades.
His influence continues through the firm he helped found, through recognition such as the USLAW award, and through the example of sustained excellence in civil defense trial work. Legal professionals seeking current representation at the firm can contact Jones, Skelton & Hochuli directly for active counsel.
Lessons from a Dual Career in Law and Sports
The Ed Hochuli attorney story illustrates several practical points for trial lawyers and firm leaders. Consistency in preparation produces results across hundreds of matters. Clear communication under pressure serves both juries and public audiences. Building a firm culture around trial readiness can support long-term growth from a small partnership to a multi-state practice. Leadership in professional networks extends impact beyond individual cases.
For insurance defense specialists the record shows the value of deep experience in coverage, extra-contractual claims, and high-exposure personal injury and product matters. For sports fans and general readers it demonstrates that the same person who explained penalty flags on national television also spent weekdays mastering the rules of civil procedure, evidence, and advocacy in Arizona courtrooms.
His career also underscores the reality that elite performance in one domain can reinforce another when the underlying skills (decision-making, persuasion, resilience) overlap. The adrenaline of a jury trial and the scrutiny of an NFL game both demand composure and precision.
Conclusion
Ed Hochuli built a substantial civil defense practice as a founding partner of Jones, Skelton & Hochuli while simultaneously rising to prominence as an NFL referee. He tried more than 150 civil jury trials, focused on insurance-related and complex liability matters, earned sustained peer recognition, and helped grow an Arizona law firm into a leading regional defense practice. He is now retired from active practice, yet the firm and the professional networks he supported continue.
Readers interested in civil defense strategy, insurance coverage litigation, or the intersection of high-level trial work and public performance will find lasting value in this record. For those facing similar litigation challenges, consulting experienced counsel at a firm with deep trial resources remains the practical next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
What law firm did Ed Hochuli found?
He is a founding partner of Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C., established in 1983 in Phoenix, Arizona. The firm has grown into one of the largest trial and appellate defense practices in the Southwest.
How many trials did Ed Hochuli try?
Firm biographies and profiles state that he tried more than 150 civil jury trials to verdict over a career spanning more than 30 years.
What were Ed Hochuli’s main legal specialties?
His practice centered on civil defense work including bad faith and extra-contractual liability, insurance coverage, legal malpractice and professional liability, product liability, trucking and transportation defense, wrongful death and personal injury defense, dram shop liability, and general liability matters.
Is Ed Hochuli still practicing law?
No. He is listed as retired from active practice, with sources placing the transition around 2021 after decades as a partner and later Of Counsel role.
How did Ed Hochuli balance being a lawyer and an NFL referee?
He maintained a full trial practice while officiating from 1990 to 2018. The dual roles required strict scheduling and transferred skills such as rapid decision-making, clear explanation of complex rules, and composure under public scrutiny.
What professional awards and memberships did he hold?
Recognition includes Best Lawyers in America (Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants) from 2003, Southwest Super Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona, AV Preeminent rating, membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, and leadership roles in USLAW Network, including the 2024 O’Hagan-Carr Award.
Did Ed Hochuli’s NFL work affect his legal career?
Publicly it raised his visibility. Professionally he treated the skills as complementary: both required authoritative presence, precise communication, and performance under pressure. Colleagues and profiles consistently present the legal career as substantial and independent.
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