Missouri
Missouri’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Missouri. The court has six judges and one chief justice, who is selected for a two-year term by the other members of the court. (Source: Missouri Supreme Court Justices)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints justices to the Supreme Court of Missouri from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, the judge may stand for a 12-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Missouri’s next general election. Judges may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor appoints a judge from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 70.
State Constitution
Missouri has had four state constitutions adopted between 1820 and 1945. As of January 1, 2024, it had 131 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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States Grapple with the Death Penalty
More people have been executed in 2025 than in any year of the past decade. But some states are strengthening protections against the death penalty.
Religious Freedom Claims Could Provide New Path to Protect Abortion Rights
Challenges to abortion bans by religious plaintiffs have had mixed results.
As Executions Rise, A Conversation with an Attorney Whose Clients Are Facing the Death Penalty
John Mills, whose client on Oklahoma’s death row was granted a new trial by the U.S. Supreme Court this term, discusses his anti-death-penalty advocacy.
Despite Constitutional Amendment, Abortion Still Out of Reach in Missouri
The Missouri Supreme Court reinstated restrictions on abortion this week, effectively making the procedure impossible to access in the state.
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.
State Politicians Broaden Attacks on Direct Democracy
Multiple state legislatures have taken steps to make it more difficult for citizens to amend their laws.
Attorney General Duties Are a Frequent Target of Legislative Gamesmanship
Legislatures in multiple states have stripped power from attorneys general they disagree with politically.
Three Years After Dobbs, State Courts Are Defining the Future of Abortion
Litigation across the states is testing how far constitutional amendments can go in protecting or restricting abortion access.