Louisiana
Louisiana’s highest court is the Louisiana Supreme Court. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice, who is the member of the court with the most seniority. (Source: Louisiana Constitution)
Judicial Selection
Justices run for a 10-year term on the Louisiana Supreme Court in partisan elections. When a seat opens in the middle of a term, the remaining justices appoint an interim candidate to fill the vacancy. Within a year of the vacancy, the governor calls a special election. The interim justice may not run in that election, which is a partisan contest open to multiple other candidates. The elected justice then serves the remainder of the unexpired term. The mandatory retirement age is 70.
State Constitution
Louisiana has had 11 constitutions, adopted between 1812 and 1974. As of January 1, 2024, it had 217 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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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.
Attorney General Duties Are a Frequent Target of Legislative Gamesmanship
Legislatures in multiple states have stripped power from attorneys general they disagree with politically.
Battle Over Religion in Public Schools Continues
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled a Catholic institution could not be a public charter school, but the issue is far from resolved.
State Constitutional Challenges to Laws Defining Sex
A Montana court decision shows how state protections for privacy and against discrimination may invalidate laws defining sex as binary.
Levels of Scrutiny Applied by State Courts, Explained
The tests state courts use to decide whether a law impermissibly infringes on people’s rights play a big role in determining whether government restrictions on those rights are upheld.
A Practical Guide to Using State History to Overcome Federal Precedent
Lawyers often waive state constitutional claims by failing to make arguments that diverge from federal case law. An originalism-style approach may provide alternatives.
Defining Legal Parenthood for Same-Sex Families
Now-unconstitutional bans on same-sex marriage can undermine efforts to establish parental rights even today.
Federal Workers Have Scant Job Protection in the Constitution
In contrast, some state constitutions protect explicitly both the civil service and public employee unions.