As the court was being assembled, Peter Popovich was appointed Chief Judge and he began investigating the intermediate appellate courts that already existed around the country. He asked judges questions about the operations of their systems whenever he could: "So every morning or noon or night, I’d have dinner or lunch or breakfast with different judges. I’d ask them all the same questions. What’s wrong with your system? What’s good about it? What would you do different? Put yourself if my shoes. You got $2 million available. There’s going to be twelve judges. We have no room, no quarters, nothing. Now think what my problem is." (Popovich Oral History, p.29)
Applications were accepted for the other openings on the court and 155 people applied. Once the initial six appointments had been announced the group worked together to establish the procedures of the court so they would have a place to start once case filings started coming in.
Amhoist Towers, which is now known as Landmark Towers, on Rice Park, became the first home of the court.
