Sonia Blain, who has been Tempe deputy city attorney since 2016, has been appointed city attorney by Tempe City Council.
She succeeds Judi Baumann, who announced her resignation early this year.
Blain has practiced law in Arizona for nearly four decades at law firms, a national bank, the Attorney General’s Office and the city of Phoenix.
Her primary area of municipal-law expertise is economic development.
Her appointment comes as Tempe City Council reviews an economic development proposal from the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League to construct an arena with massive ancillary mixed-use development near Loop 202 and Priest Road.
Blain holds a bachelor’s degree in English and French from Barnard College. Her law degree is from Southern Methodist University.
According to the Tempe Charter, City Council has authority to hire and manage employment of four appointed positions: city attorney, city manager, city clerk and presiding judge of Tempe Municipal Court. All other city employees are managed by one of those appointees.
