Initial filings take place at the Arizona Supreme Court Office of the Clerk.
Address: 1501 W. Washington St., Ste. 402, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Attorneys must electronically file; no copies are required if electronically filing. For those not electronically filing you will need:

• the original and 1 copy if the case is not sealed
• the original and 6 copies if the case is sealed

A Reply is not allowed unless the Supreme Court orders a Reply to be filed.

Payment or an approved waiver or deferral of the filing fee must be presented to the Clerk of the Supreme Court at the time of filing

Portions of the record and legal authorities that are cited in the petition or response that are necessary to assist the Arizona Supreme Court in understanding and ruling on the issues presented. The respondent must file their appendix in the same manner as the petitioner.

An appendix with more than one item must begin with a Table of Contents. Index number, transcript date, or exhibit number should be used to identify the various items. If including an Appendix with your initial filing it must be separated by a different colored paper and numbered sequentially to the rest of the packet. If filing an Appendix separately, the page number should start with the cover page of the Appendix.

The Petition for Review must be filed within 30 days after the Court of Appeals has entered their decision. If you need an extension on filing, you may file a Motion of Extension with the Supreme Court explaining why, but do not assume that it will be granted. Extensions need to be filed prior to the 30 day deadline. Objections can be raised to an extension by the other entity in the case.

Certificate of Compliance/Certificate of Service (Form 17) must be filed with with the Petition for Review and the Response to the Petition for Review. The Certificate of Compliance states that you did not exceed the word count or page limitation.It also includes how and when copies of the Petition for Review or the Response were served to the other entities in the case.

A decision on whether to consider the appeal will be mailed to the initial filer. If you would like to have the decision sent to you via email, a Consent for Electronic Distribution form must be submitted. At this time the court will also decide if oral arguments will be heard or if supplemental briefs are permitted.

Denied appeals can go no further; motions to reconsider a denial are not allowed.

Be sure to:

• Be on time
• Dress neatly
• Find out if children are allowed in courtroom

Be prepared to tell the judge why they should agree with your filing position. Oral arguments are limited to 20 minutes (including rebuttal) per side. In death penalty cases, each side is granted 25 minutes.