State Bar of Arizona exec named to Phoenix Business Journal 2025 40 under 40 class

PHOENIX – Noah Coakley, the State Bar of Arizona chief of staff, was named to the Phoenix Business Journal’s 2025 class of 40 Under 40. The list features executives and entrepreneurs who have made a difference in their profession and beyond. Judges assess candidates’ impact in business success, community involvement, leadership ability, and influence.

This year’s honorees were selected by a panel of judges, including previous winners, out of a pool of 374 nominees.

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized in this way,” Coakley said. “This award reflects the important work we’re doing at the State Bar to strengthen the legal profession, expand access to justice and uphold the rule of law for all Arizonans.”

At the State Bar of Arizona, Coakley leads teams that help increase access to justice in important ways. He oversees the Public Service Center, which provides legal aid via attorney volunteers, in addition to resources, education and consumer information. He also heads the Bar Leadership Institute, an annual application-based program that elevates and advances rising lawyers in the profession.

“Noah has been a tremendously valuable addition to the State Bar,” said State Bar CEO Joel England. “With his staff, he uses innovative ways to help many Arizonans facing legal challenges. The Bar’s mission is to serve and protect the public, and Noah’s efforts have been vital in advancing those goals.”

Coakley, a practicing attorney, joined the State Bar staff in 2023 after serving as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. Previously, he worked as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C. in the Civil Rights Division. He started his legal career as a Judge Advocate (JAG) with the U.S. Air Force at Arizona’s Luke Air Force Base. He studied law at Leiden University in the Netherlands and graduated with his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. He is a resident of Peoria, Arizona, where he lives with his wife Elizabeth and three children.

40 Under 40 honorees will be recognized at a ceremony on August 7, 2025.

About the State Bar

The State Bar of Arizona is a nonprofit organization that operates under the supervision of the Arizona Supreme Court. The Bar includes more than 19,000 active attorneys and provides education and development programs for the legal profession and the public. Since 1933, the Bar and its members have been committed to serving the public by making sure the voices of all people in Arizona are heard in our justice system.