Kansas
Kansas’ highest court is the Kansas Supreme Court. The court has six justices and one chief justice, who is the member of the court with the most seniority. (Source: Kansas Supreme Court)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints Kansas Supreme Court justices from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, the justice may stand for a six-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote in Kansas’s next general election. Justices may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. The governor fills an interim vacancy by appointing a candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits, however, a justice may not be appointed or reelected after age 75.
State Constitution
Kansas’s first and only constitution was adopted in 1859. As of January 1, 2024, it had 100 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
Filters
States Grapple with Problematic Rule from Federal Voting Cases
The Purcell principle, which holds that federal courts should not change voting rules too close to an election, is increasingly being raised in state litigation.
Advice for Law Students From State Supreme Court Justices
As the school year kicks off, eight justices reflect on what they wish someone had told them when they were in law school.
Knife Laws on the Chopping Block
Massachusetts’s highest court confronts the nuances of federalism in a Second Amendment challenge to the state’s switchblade ban.
An Eventful Summer for State Constitutional Abortion Rights Litigation
State supreme courts addressed abortion rights head on, even as the U.S. Supreme Court punted on similar questions.
What the Framers Really Thought About Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Debates from state constitutional conventions show delegates expected protections for inalienable rights to have teeth.
The State Constitutional Rights to Bear Arms After Rahimi
The U.S. Supreme Court’s holding that the disarmament of a domestic abuser was not unconstitutional could incentivize gun-rights advocates to bring their claims in state court.
The Right to Petition in State Constitutions, Explained
Some states protect citizens’ right to make requests of or complaints against the government more broadly than the federal Constitution.
Kansas Supreme Court Reaffirms State Constitutional Right to Abortion
The court declined to overturn its recent holding that abortion is protected by the state constitution’s right to personal autonomy.