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, 2024, it had 13 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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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.
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.
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.