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’
In declaring life without parole unconstitutional for people under 21, the state’s high court cited sentencing practices in Canada and the United Kingdom.
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.
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
The outage underscores the hurdles the public faces accessing court information across the country.
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
Recent articles address access to justice, administrative law, the law of democracy, and state constitutional law.
Florida Supreme Court Hears Pivotal Abortion Case
The conservative court is being asked to revisit precedents protecting abortion rights.
New Hurdles for Citizen Ballot Initiatives
Ohio legislators aim to head off an abortion rights constitutional amendment.