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)
Filters
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.
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.
Scholarship Roundup: End of Semester Edition
Recent articles address states taking policy questions away from courts, standing in election cases, and state shadow dockets.
What Is a ‘Public Education’?
Formal legal questions around school funding haven’t changed much over decades, but cultural attitudes toward schooling have.
The Sorry State of Disclosure for State Supreme Court Justices
A new study reveals that disclosures by state supreme court justices are frequently hard to access and lack relevant financial information.
Unpacking the Legal Challenges to Trump’s Ballot Eligibility
The vast majority of cases aiming to remove Trump from the ballot have been dismissed, but without deciding whether he’s eligible to hold the presidency.
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?
Efforts to Keep Trump Off 2024 Ballot Move Through State Courts
Courts are considering claims that Trump engaged in an insurrection and is disqualified from running for president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.