The Arizona Superior Court in Pima County is the second largest superior court in the state. By statute, the court is entitled to the appointment of one judicial officer for each 30,000 persons living within the jurisdiction of the court.

To facilitate discussion about which species might be considered for protection, a series of in-depth interviews were conducted with members of the local science community who have expertise in the areas of birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals, plants and plant communities, and reptiles and amphibians.