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AZ.gov Arizona's Official Website Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings
Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings AZ.gov Arizona's Official Web Site
Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings


Helping us help you: www.azoah.com MAKING THE MOST OF THE OAH WEBSITE


By Cliff J. Vanell, Director
Vol. 22, January 2002

There are two images that often come to my mind as I think about how people must feel about coming to a hearing. One is the image of my mother sitting alone on the couch in my living room in the very early morning before the sun was up. She was staying at my house in Gilbert, Arizona, visiting from Globe where she lived. She had a small claims matter in a nearby justice court. She had been taken from pillar to post and although she would never say so, I know she was worried. She was expected to present her case before a perfect stranger, in an unfamiliar place with no experience. Even though my mother has been dead for almost ten years, my heart still goes out to her. The other image is of a man I saw at the public library years ago asking the librarian where the Arizona law was. After he was shown the large set of books comprising the Arizona Revised Statutes and after watching him puzzle through the index, I couldn’t help but think what incredible barriers are set up for people who are not lawyers, but who are nonetheless expected to know and obey the law. These two people probably have no idea how they have affected the spirit of the OAH in its formative years. It is to these two people, my mother and that nameless man, that I dedicate our web page. May serving people like them always be a focus of the “quality of life” that we proclaim in our mission statement as being OAH’s reason for existing.

The OAH website is designed with the minimum of frills and organized to get people to the right place as quickly as possible. The background of the OAH, including its mission statement, logo, management philosophy and views of the hearing rooms give parties a sense of the “feel” of the OAH. The biographies of the Administrative Law Judges allow parties to put a name to a face and learn about a judge’s background. Along with links to the Arizona Revised Statutes, Arizona Administrative Code and OAH's procedural rules , the OAH has included extensive cross referencing to allow non-lawyers to quickly pick up practice pointers and be able to put the law together with a minimum of searching. For example, if a person goes to OAH’s procedural rules, any rule which references another rule will have a link to it, as well as any statute in the Uniform Administrative Hearings Procedures that deals with the same issue. Likewise, any reference in articles dealing with practice pointers or any response to a frequently asked question that refers to any rule or statute will have links.

The OAH Portal is an important asset to parties since it allows parties to directly access OAH’s docket to view case settings, rulings, receipt of documents and other information. Parties can also quickly research any important considerations regarding attorney representation. Parties also have the ability to file motions on line and download sample subpoena forms .

Ultimately the best designers of a website are those that use it. The OAH welcomes any suggestions and can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. We have included a link to comments and questions on the website to make that process easier.

Although the OAH welcomes direct contact to answer questions, we suggest that parties try www.azoah.com first. The OAH website can truly be a one-stop way to learn about procedures, get valuable practice pointers, research your case, find statutes and agency rules that affect your case.