Iowa
Iowa’s highest court is the Iowa Supreme Court. The court has six justices and one chief justice. The justices on the supreme court elect the chief justice by majority vote, and the term of chief justice corresponds with the term of the justice serving in that capacity. (Source: Iowa Supreme Court)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints an Iowa Supreme Court justice from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, a justice may stand for an eight-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Iowa’s next general election. Justices may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. When a seat on the court opens in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor appoints a judicial candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 72.
State Constitution
Iowa has had two constitutions adopted in 1846 and 1857. As of January 1, 2024, it had 55 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
Filters
State Justices Continue to Challenge Originalism
A lively debate about the value of “history and tradition” in analyzing cases is ongoing in state courts. Some justices are pushing for alternative interpretative methodologies.
A New Tool Makes Comparing State Constitutions Easier
Scholars, practitioners, and judges can quickly see how constitutional provisions differ or overlap with a resource from the nonprofit American Juris Link.
Disability Rights Under State Constitutions
Thirty-five years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, state constitutional anti-discrimination clauses, voting rights, and educational guarantees can expand protections for people with disabilities.
Universal Injunctions in State Courts
Debates over whether a judge in a single county can issue a statewide injunction are brewing. States should not follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s approach.
How Courts and Litigators Can Help Redefine “Cruel” and “Unusual” Punishments
A new law review article offers guidance for state appellate judges interpreting their Eighth Amendment cognates for the first time.
The History of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States, and What Might Come Next
Until the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, the country was a patchwork of laws regarding who could marry.
Georgia Supreme Court Allows Under-21 Handgun Carry Ban
The court looked to the state’s own constitutional history rather than following recent U.S. Supreme Court gun decisions.
The Role of History and Tradition in State Court Abortion Cases
Some state courts weighed historical evidence and found abortion rights protections, diverging from the U.S. Supreme Court’s approach in Dobbs.