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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Post-Dobbs State Judicial Races Broke Spending Records
New analysis of 2022 elections shows state judicial elections saw almost double the amount of money than any other prior midterm cycle.
Bridging Gaps and Building Law Clerk Diversity in State Courts
Wisconsin Supreme Court Will Consider Voting Maps with All Justices Participating
Justice Janet Protasiewicz declined to recuse herself from a challenge to the state’s legislative maps, while Republican legislators may be stepping back from impeachment threats.
Lack of Transparency in New York Courts Undermines Democracy
Kansas Online Court System Faces Long Recovery Time After Cyberattack
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Election Could Shape Direction of State Law
The candidates for an open seat on Pennsylvania’s supreme court have very different approaches to legal interpretation.
The Stakes in Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court Election
Campaign Cash and Judicial Outcomes