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Phoenix Attorney

Phoenix Attorney

A Phoenix Attorney is a lawyer who is barred and in good standing in the State of Arizona. A Phoenix attorney represents clients in all kinds of legal matters in the city of Phoenix in Maricopa County. Criminal Phoenix Attorneys will represent individuals charged with crimes originating in Maricopa county and the city of Phoenix whether they be misdemeanors, felonies, DUI, traffic violations or violations of local ordinances.  Phoenix Attorneys who work in civil cases represent their clients in actions where the cause of action for a tort, contract or other matter involving damages, injunctions, or other form or relief are at issue.  Phoenix Attorneys who focus on civil law will represent clients who are involved in personal injury, contracts, real estate, landlord/tenant, wills and trusts, corporate law and many others.
Becoming a Phoenix Attorney
In order to practice law within the city of Phoenix an individual must meet a number of requirements including ethical qualifications, education and pass a number of exams before they may be barred in the State of Arizona and the city of Phoenix.
The first thing that a potential Phoenix Attorney must do is achieve a bachelors degree from a college or university either in the United States or an accredited University abroad. In addition, a Phoenix Attorney applicant must be a graduate of an accredited law school or meet any of the alternate eligibility requirements allowed by the Arizona Board of Bar Examiners. Once an applicant has graduated from law school he, or she, must pass the Arizona Bar Exam. The Arizona Bar Exam is a two day examination. The first day is comprised of 6 essay questions based exclusively on Arizona law. The first day also includes 2 Multi State Performance Tests. The MPT exam is an test that gauges an applicants ability to take evidence and, both statutory and common law, and create a persuasive memo or brief discussing the legal issue. The second day of the Arizona Bar Exam is the Multi-State Bar Exam. The MBE is a nationwide exam consisting of 200 multiple choice questions written and administered by the National Bar Association. The average passing rate for the Arizona Bar Exam is around 71%. In addition, an applicant must take the MPRE and get a passing score of 80.
Where do Phoenix Attorneys argue their cases?
The Arizona state court system is comprised of three levels of courts. There are 3 types of trial courts consisting of the municipal courts, the justice of the peace courts, and the superior courts. Appeals from those matters are brought in the Court of Appeals for the State of Arizona and the Arizona Supreme Court is the highest court in the State.
The municipal court in Phoenix hears criminal matters involving misdemeanors and petty offenses in the municipality. The municipal courts have concurrent jurisdiction with the justice of the peace courts over violations of State laws and also have jurisdiction over DUI, hit & runs and reckless driving. The municipal courts do not hear civil suits.  The municipal court in Phoenix is located at:
City of Phoenix

Municipal  Court
300 West Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85003
The Justices of the Peace Courts comprise a larger jurisdiction than the municipal courts and are larger than a town but usually smaller than a county. The Justices of the Peace Courts hear traffic cases, certain criminal cases; and civil matters where the amount in question is less than $10,000. The Justices of the Peace Courts also have concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior courts to hear landlord/tenant matters where the damages are between $5,000 and $10,000. The Justices of the Peace Courts also hear misdemeanors, assault & battery, preliminary felony matters, and criminal offenses where the maximum penalty is greater than 6 months in jail or greater than a $2,500 fine.  The Justice of the Peace Courts in Phoenix are located at the following locations:
620 W. Jackson St.    18380 N. 40th St. 4622 W. Indian School Road
Phoenix, AZ 85003 Phoenix, AZ 85032 Phoenix, AZ 85031 
The Superior court has one location in each county and hears all felony cases and some misdemeanor cases concurrently with the Justices of the Peace Courts. The Superior Courts also hear civil matters where the amount in question is greater than $10,000, evictions, probate, divorces and naturalization.  The Superior court is in Phoenix are broken up into 4 locations on Washington & Jefferson streets.
Where do I find an Phoenix Attorney?
If you are looking for Phoenix Attorneys you have many options to you.   The simplest way to find Phoenix attorneys is to ask friends, co-workers and other individuals who you know have had to use Phoenix attorneys in the past.  Almost every Phoenix Attorney has a website that will detail their experience, education, victories, any specialities, and their areas of practice. Although this is a good start, this information about Phoenix Attorneys is usually puffed and you should do more research on your Phoenix attorney.
Aside from looking on your own you may also want to take advantage of a referral service. The Arizona Bar Association does not operate its own referral service but most of the Arizona County and Local bar associations operate referral services.  Maricopa County has  referral service through www.maricopalawyers.org. You have two options when accessing the service. You can call directly at 602-257-4434 to speak to a representative or you can fill out the referral form by clicking on the link at the right of the page. A representative from the Maricopa County Referral service will then get in touch with you about finding an Phoenix Attorney to represent you in that particular county.
One other option in seeking an Phoenix Attorney is to use the lawyer referral service at laws.com. Laws.com operates a valuable referral service where, just by inputting your basic contact information and a brief description of your problem a representative from laws.com will be able get you in touch with a Phoenix Attorney who will be able to help you with your legal problem.