Connecticut
Connecticut’s highest court is the Connecticut Supreme Court. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice. The governor appoints the chief justice from a list created by a judicial nominating commission unless the justice is already an associate justice. Nominees who are not already on the court must be confirmed by a majority of the Connecticut General Assembly. (Source: Appointment Process for Connecticut Supreme Court Justices; Connecticut General Assembly)
Judicial Selection
The governor nominates a candidate to the Connecticut Supreme Court from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by a majority of the general assembly. Justices serve eight-year terms and may seek reappointment to additional terms in the same appointment process. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 70.
State Constitution
Connecticut has had two constitutions adopted in 1818 and 1965. As of January 1, 2024, it had 34 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
Filters
The Right to Protest and State Constitutions
First Amendment analogues could offer distinct rights for protesters.
Scholarship Roundup: End of Semester Edition
Recent articles address states taking policy questions away from courts, standing in election cases, and state shadow dockets.
All Law Students Should be Educated About State Constitutions
Fortunately, there is a resource that makes it easy to incorporate state constitutions into the first-year constitutional law course.
The Sorry State of Disclosure for State Supreme Court Justices
A new study reveals that disclosures by state supreme court justices are frequently hard to access and lack relevant financial information.
State Equal Rights Amendments Can Protect Reproductive Rights Post-Dobbs
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that a Medicaid ban on abortion is sex discrimination under the state’s ERA.
Unpacking the Legal Challenges to Trump’s Ballot Eligibility
The vast majority of cases aiming to remove Trump from the ballot have been dismissed, but without deciding whether he’s eligible to hold the presidency.
Fifty Unique, Ever-Changing State Constitutions
The Greening of State Constitutions