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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Religious Freedom Claims Could Provide New Path to Protect Abortion Rights
Challenges to abortion bans by religious plaintiffs have had mixed results.
Scholarship Roundup: September 2024 Back to School Edition
New articles and books cover a wide range of topics related to state constitutions, judiciaries, state-level democracy, and more.
Where Abortion Rights Will Be on the Ballot in 2024
Ten states will have abortion-related measures on the November ballot; most would amend their state constitutions to either affirm or expand protection for abortion care.
States Grapple with Problematic Rule from Federal Voting Cases
The Purcell principle, which holds that federal courts should not change voting rules too close to an election, is increasingly being raised in state litigation.
Advice for Law Students From State Supreme Court Justices
As the school year kicks off, eight justices reflect on what they wish someone had told them when they were in law school.
State Constitutional Conventions, Explained
The last state to hold a conventional convention was in Rhode Island in 1986.
The State Constitutional Rights to Bear Arms After Rahimi
The U.S. Supreme Court’s holding that the disarmament of a domestic abuser was not unconstitutional could incentivize gun-rights advocates to bring their claims in state court.
The Right to Petition in State Constitutions, Explained
Some states protect citizens’ right to make requests of or complaints against the government more broadly than the federal Constitution.