Arizona
Arizona’s highest court is the Arizona Supreme Court. The court consists of five justices, one vice chief justice, and one chief justice. The chief justice and vice chief justice are selected by a majority of the court. The chief justice serves a five-year term and the vice chief justice’s term is determined by the court. (Source: Arizona Supreme Court)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints Arizona Supreme Court justices from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least two years on the court, the justice can stand for a six-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote in Arizona’s next general election. Justices can stand for additional terms through retention elections. The governor fills interim vacancies from a list provided by the judicial nominating commission. The mandatory retirement age is 70.
State Constitution
Arizona’s first and only constitution was adopted in 1911. As of January 1, 2026, it had 161 amendments. (Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
Filters
Supreme Court and Election Law Still Feel the Fallout 25 Years After Bush v. Gore
The 5–4 decision started a long slide in public approval for the court, accentuated by a widening partisan gap.
Bush v. Gore Introduced a Fringe Theory that Threatened Elections Decades Later
The “independent state legislature theory,” shut down in 2023 by the U.S. Supreme Court, would have robbed state courts of the power to review state laws related to federal elections.
Judging Democracy: A Former Justice Reflects on Bush v. Gore 25 Years Later
The legal battles over the 2000 presidential election were the beginning of a cautionary tale reminding us that democracy does not sustain itself.
Everyone Benefits When Judges Come from a Variety of Backgrounds
Amid attacks on “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the need for representative state supreme courts is as urgent as ever.
Resistance to Public Policies Assisting the Poor
Property owners have challenged programs meant to assist vulnerable populations, alleging they are unconstitutional takings of private property for public use.
States, Not the President, Run Elections in America
The administration’s attempts to undermine or interfere with elections run afoul of constitutional delegations of responsibility.
State Legalization of Marijuana Is Changing Search and Seizure Jurisprudence
The smell of marijuana, on its own, is no longer considered to be evidence of criminal activity in many jurisdictions.
The Extra Hurdle in State Courts to Prove a Statute Violates the U.S. Constitution
Many states require a litigant challenging a statute as violating the U.S. Constitution to prove the statute is unconstitutional “beyond a reasonable doubt.”