California
California’s highest court is the Supreme Court of California. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice, who is appointed under the same procedures as the associate justices. (Source: California Judicial Branch)
Judicial Selection
The governor nominates candidates to the Supreme Court of California who must be confirmed by a majority of the commission on judicial appointments. The commission consists of the chief justice, the state attorney general, and the senior presiding justice of the state’s courts of appeal. Once confirmed, the nominee stands in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of California’s next general election. Justices serve 12-year terms and may seek additional terms through an unopposed yes/no retention vote. There are no term limits, and there is no mandatory retirement age.
State Constitution
California has had two constitutions adopted in 1849 and 1879. As of January 1, 2026, it had 543 amendments. (Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
Filters
California’s Racial Justice Act Goes to Court
The California Supreme Court overturned a death sentence but diluted the law’s protections, two justices said.
The Many Versions of State Constitutional Lockstepping
The practice of interpreting state constitutions identically to their federal counterpart is often criticized in blanket terms. But the ways state courts lockstep vary widely.
How State Courts Can Help Deflect the Supreme Court’s Latest Blow to Multiracial Democracy
State courts need not import a federal doctrine directing judges to avoid issuing rulings that could change election rules in the runup to an election.
Texas Parental Rights Amendment Threatens to Invalidate Child Abuse Laws
During oral arguments in a child abuse case, some Texas Supreme Court justices seemed open to the possibility that the amendment protected parental violence against children.
“State Capture” and the Role of State Courts
State constitutions offer powerful tools for combatting control of state and local institutions by private interests.
State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in June
Issues on the dockets include crossover voting, a gun ban for young adults, transgender prisoners, and court reporter shortages.
Fines, Fees, and Bail in State Courts
Recent state supreme court cases, including a major California ruling last week, address the burden of court-imposed financial obligations on criminal defendants.
State Courts Offer Protection Against Pregnancy Discrimination
Courts in almost two dozen states have rejected the U.S. Supreme Court’s reasoning that discrimination based on pregnancy is not sex discrimination.