[FIRM LETTERHEAD OR CAPTION BLOCK]
[DATE]
[Opposing Counsel Name]
[Law Firm]
[Address]
Via [Email/ECF/Overnight Mail]
Re: [Case Name], [Court], Case No. [Number] - Discovery Deficiency Meet-and-Confer
Counsel:
We write pursuant to Arizona Rule of Civil Procedure 37 and Rule 7.1(h) (meet-and-confer certification) to address deficiencies in your [responses/production] served on [DATE]. This letter satisfies the prerequisite good faith effort to resolve this dispute before filing a motion.
Arizona Discovery Rules - Key Citations
- Response deadlines: 30 days from service (Ariz. R. Civ. P. 33(b), 34(b)); +5 days if served by mail
- Interrogatory limit: 40 uniform interrogatories + 10 non-uniform without leave (Ariz. R. Civ. P. 33.1)
- Request for Production: Ariz. R. Civ. P. 34; 30 days to respond
- Motion to compel (Ariz. R. Civ. P. 37(a)): Requires Rule 7.1(h) meet-and-confer certification
- Sanctions (Ariz. R. Civ. P. 37(a)(5)): Court shall require reasonable expenses unless substantial justification
- Mandatory initial disclosure: Ariz. R. Civ. P. 26.1 - comprehensive automatic disclosure requirements
Specific Deficiencies and Requested Cures
| No. | Request/Topic | Deficiency | Requested Cure | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Interrogatory No. __/Request No. __] | [e.g., improper objections; failure to produce documents per Rule 34; inadequate answers] | [e.g., provide complete verified response; produce responsive documents; provide privilege log] | [Date] |
| 2 |
Additional Issues
- Privilege log (Ariz. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(5)): [not provided/incomplete]; Arizona requires express claim of privilege with sufficient detail—please provide by [DATE] with document date, author, recipients, privilege type, and general description.
- Verification: Interrogatory answers must be verified under Ariz. R. Civ. P. 33(b).
- ESI/formatting: [missing metadata/native format]; please re-produce in [reasonably usable form per Rule 34(b)].
- Protective order/clawback: [status]; propose to file agreed protective order by [DATE].
Arizona-Specific Sanctions Warning
Under Ariz. R. Civ. P. 37(a)(5), the court shall require the party whose conduct necessitated the motion to pay reasonable expenses including attorney's fees, unless the court finds the conduct was substantially justified or other circumstances make an award unjust.
Arizona courts actively enforce discovery obligations and emphasize compliance with the mandatory disclosure requirements under Rule 26.1.
Proposed Path to Resolution (per Ariz. R. Civ. P. 7.1(h))
- Good faith conference availability: [3 date/time windows] (Arizona Time). We are prepared to meet telephonically or in person.
- We propose resolving without court intervention if you confirm supplemental responses/production by [DATE].
- If unresolved by [DATE], we will file a motion to compel with the required Rule 7.1(h) certification and seek fees and costs.
- Our motion will include certification that we have conferred in good faith, referencing this correspondence.
Preservation Reminder
Please confirm litigation holds remain in place for email, text messages, messaging platforms, shared drives, cloud storage, and any custodian-specific data sources relevant to the disputed requests.
We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
______________________________
[Attorney Name]
[Law Firm]
Counsel for [Party]