Kansas
Kansas’ highest court is the Kansas Supreme Court. The court has six justices and one chief justice, who is the member of the court with the most seniority. (Source: Kansas Supreme Court)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints Kansas Supreme Court justices from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, the justice may stand for a six-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote in Kansas’s next general election. Justices may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. The governor fills an interim vacancy by appointing a candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits, however, a justice may not be appointed or reelected after age 75.
State Constitution
Kansas’s first and only constitution was adopted in 1859. As of January 1, 2024, it had 100 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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Massachusetts Looks to International Sources to Inform ‘Evolving Standards of Decency’
A Conversation About Abortion Rights and the Future of State Constitutions
A retired state supreme court justice, a reproductive rights scholar, and the director of the Brennan Center’s Judiciary Program discuss the role of state courts after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion.
Knife Laws on the Chopping Block
Status of Partisan Gerrymandering Litigation in State Courts
Several lawsuits remain pending as state courts consider partisan gerrymandering challenges to voting maps.
Kentucky Supreme Court Weighs Partisan Gerrymandering
Voters are increasingly turning to state constitutions to fight partisan gerrymandering. Will the Kentucky Supreme Court be the next to greenlight such claims?
Kansas Online Court System Faces Long Recovery Time After Cyberattack
Why State Constitutions Matter on Election Day
Two new explainers examine voting rights under state constitutions and how state courts oversee ballot initiatives.
Scholarship Roundup: Back to School Edition