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Judicial Selection
How judges are selected can impact who sits on state courts and how they approach their role. Processes may vary depending on both the level of court (trial, intermediate appellate, high court) and the type of vacancy being filled (interim vacancies or vacancies that open at the end of a judge’s term). The most common methods of state judicial selection are merit selection, which involves vetting of candidates by a nominating commission coupled with a retention election, nonpartisan elections, partisan elections, gubernatorial appointment, and legislative appointment. For a breakdown of each state’s judicial selection process, see this interactive map.
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s Plummeting Productivity
The state high court will issue fewer than 20 opinions this term — less than a fifth of its average output two decades ago.
Scholarship Roundup: End of Semester Edition
Recent articles address states taking policy questions away from courts, standing in election cases, and state shadow dockets.
Florida Supreme Court Allows Abortion Ban, but Final Decision Will Go to Voters
The decision means that a 6-week ban will go into effect next month, but a proposed amendment protecting abortion will be on the Florida ballot in November.
State Supreme Court Elections to Watch in 2024
Key races in Michigan, Montana, Kentucky, and Ohio will shape state law on reproductive rights, criminal justice, and much more.
What We’ll Be Watching in the 2024 Elections
Our new Election 2024 page that will collect stories that explain, contextualize, and track all the ways state courts and constitutions matter this election season.
The Politics of State Constitutionalism
Transcript of panel from Symposium: The Promise and Limits of State Constitutions
Judicial Federalism and the Status of State Constitutions
Transcript of panel from Symposium: The Promise and Limits of State Constitutions
Interpretive Methods in State Constitutional Law
Transcript of panel from Symposium: The Promise and Limits of State Constitutions