New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s highest court is the Supreme Court of New Hampshire. The court has four associate justices and one chief justice. The chief justice is appointed according to the same procedures as the associate justices. (Source: New Hampshire Judicial Branch)
Judicial Selection
The governor nominates justices to the Supreme Court of New Hampshire from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by a majority of the executive council, a five-member body whose members are chosen in partisan elections every two years. An appointed justice serves a single term until mandatory retirement at age 70. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor selects a candidate for a single term from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission but is not required to select a candidate from the list. The nominee must be confirmed by a majority of the executive council.
State Constitution
New Hampshire has had two constitutions adopted in 1776 and 1784. As of January 1, 2024, it had 147 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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What the SCOTUS Term Means for State Courts
Some of the Court’s most important holdings — including on abortion, gun restrictions, and presidential immunity — have implications for state courts and constitutions.
Status of Partisan Gerrymandering Litigation in State Courts
Utah’s high court sent a closely watched challenge to the state’s congressional maps back to the lower court.
Judicial Deference to Agency Expertise in the States
Almost all state courts recognize the importance of agencies’ expertise in policymaking.
SCOTUS’s 2nd Amendment Decision Leaves Open Questions for State Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the disarmament of a domestic abuser in United States v. Rahimi, but litigation over where to draw the line will continue.
Three U.S. Supreme Court Cases that Transformed State Judicial Elections
Judicial elections have become major political battlegrounds — complete with dark money, special interests, and attack ads — thanks to several U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
Every State Supreme Court Justice in One Searchable Database
A new resource from the State Law Research Initiative lets users sort the nation’s high court justices by state, professional background, party affiliation, and more.
State Constitutional Conventions Explained
The nation’s first constitutional convention in decades may take place in Louisiana this summer.
New Findings Highlight Lack of Diversity on State Supreme Courts
More data and further scholarship is needed to devise policies for promoting a state bench that adequately represents the varied background of the public.