Rule 1. Purpose

Article VI, Section 36 of the Arizona Constitution provides that when making recommendations for judicial office, the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments “shall consider the diversity of the state's population, however the primary consideration shall be merit.” Similarly, Article VI, Section 41 of the Arizona Constitution provides that the Commissions on Trial Court Appointments “shall consider the diversity of the county's population and the geographical distribution of the residences of the judges throughout the county, however the primary consideration shall be merit.” The goal, therefore, of the judicial nomination process is to select judges who have outstanding professional competence and reputation and who are also sensitive to the needs of and held in high esteem by the communities they serve and who reflect, to the extent possible, the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity of those communities. Competence and diversity among our judges will enhance fairness and public confidence in judicial proceedings.