Attorney members must have practiced law in Arizona for five years. All members must have resided in Arizona for at least five years. They may not hold any governmental office, elective or appointive, for profit. Members generally serve four-year terms. When a vacancy occurs for a public member of a Trial Court Commission, the county board of supervisors member from the district in which the vacancy occurred appoints a nominating committee of seven persons from the district.
Public notice is given that applications are being accepted for appointment to the commission.
All applications, along with the committee's recommendations, are forwarded to the Governor. When a public member vacancy occurs on the Appellate Court Commission, the Governor appoints a nominating committee of nine members who solicit and review applications, and forward the names of all applicants, along with the committee's recommendation, to the Governor. Attorney members of the three commissions are recommended to the Governor by the State Bar of Arizona. The 1992 amendments to the Constitution also added a requirement for periodic review of the performance of appointed judges. The JPR commission strives to provide clear and accurate reports to the public about how well judges are doing their jobs in a report issued before each general election.