Supreme Court


 RULE  AFFECTS  SUMMARY AND IMPACT

SCR Rule 42
ER 7.5(a)

R-11-0046

Superior
Justice
Municipal

Judges
Clerks
Admin

Summary:  Arizona has adopted the ABA’s language from Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7.5 pertaining to the use of trade names by law firms.

Impact:  Law firms may file documents that include a new trade name allowed under this new provision.  A law firm’s trade name may not imply a connection with a government agency, or with a public or charitable legal services organization.  Furthermore, a law firm’s trade name may not be in violation of ER 7.1 regarding false or misleading communications about a lawyer or a lawyer’s services.


SCR Rule 123 [also Crim. Proc. Rule 2.3]

R-12-0003

Superior
Justice
Municipal

Judges
Clerks
Admin
Probation

Summary: The revisions are largely technical in nature but include substantive revisions that identify employee discipline records as closed, authorize audio or video of a case to be posted online by court leadership, and add additional offenses to the list for which the prosecutor must advise the clerk upon filing.

Impact: 

Rule 123(b) (“Definitions”):  The amendment removes a definition of “public purpose organization” and adds a definition of “private organization serving a public purpose” to conform to an identical revision in ACJA § 1-606.  The amended rule substitutes these definitions in other sections of Rule 123.

Rule 123(e) (“Access to administrative records”):  The amendment identifies “employee discipline records” as being closed except upon a showing of good cause for release.

Rule 123(g) (“Remote electronic access”): The revisions (1) clarify that the superior court in all counties shall display criminal case minute entries online; (2) clarify what constitutes a high profile case, for which case records may be posted online; and (3) allow the presiding judge of a court to authorize audio or video of a case to be posted online.

Rule 123(g) and Criminal Rule 2.3(b) (“Content of complaint”):  The revisions expand the list of criminal charges (in which a juvenile is the victim of a sexual offense) for which the prosecutor must advise the clerk upon filing so the clerk can ensure that the documents are not made accessible by remote electronic access.