Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Rhode Island. The court has four justices and one chief justice. The chief justice is selected according to the same procedures as their peers on the court. (Source: Rhode Island Constitution)
Judicial Selection
The governor selects Supreme Court of Rhode Island justices from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. The governor’s nominee must be confirmed by a majority of the state house and senate. An appointed justice serves a single life term with no mandatory retirement age. When a seat on the Rhode Island Supreme Court becomes open in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor selects a candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by a majority of the state house and senate. An appointed justice serves a single life term with no mandatory retirement age.
State Constitution
Rhode Island has had two state constitutions adopted in 1842 and 1986. As of January 1, 2026, it had 13 amendments. (Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
The Rhode Island Constitution: Royal Charter and a Modern Constitutional Convention
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The Many Versions of State Constitutional Lockstepping
The practice of interpreting state constitutions identically to their federal counterpart is often criticized in blanket terms. But the ways state courts lockstep vary widely.
How State Courts Can Help Deflect the Supreme Court’s Latest Blow to Multiracial Democracy
State courts need not import a federal doctrine directing judges to avoid issuing rulings that could change election rules in the runup to an election.
“State Capture” and the Role of State Courts
State constitutions offer powerful tools for combatting control of state and local institutions by private interests.
State Courts Offer Protection Against Pregnancy Discrimination
Courts in almost two dozen states have rejected the U.S. Supreme Court’s reasoning that discrimination based on pregnancy is not sex discrimination.
How Are State Judges Selected?
Thirty-eight states use elections as part of their system for choosing high court judges.
The Rhode Island Constitution: Royal Charter and a Modern Constitutional Convention
The Ocean State’s constitution is notable for protection of its surrounding waters; an update to the document in the 1980s included more than 40 amendments.
Closing Remarks
Transcript of panel from Symposium: State Constitutions and the Limits of Criminal Punishments
The Tenacious Power of Constitutional Torts
Despite hurdles, civil rights litigation is a critical tool for people who have been harmed by the government and for those seeking long-lasting change.