South Carolina
South Carolina’s highest court is the Supreme Court of South Carolina. The court has four associate justices and one chief justice. The chief justice is selected according to the same procedures as their peers on the court. (Source: South Carolina Judicial Branch)
Judicial Selection
The legislature appoints justices to a 10-year term on the Supreme Court of South Carolina selected from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. Justices may stand for reappointment by the legislature to additional terms in the same appointment process. To fill an interim vacancy, the legislature votes to appoint a judicial candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. If less than one year remains of the unexpired term the governor may appoint a candidate instead. The appointed justice serves the remainder of the unexpired term. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 72.
State Constitution
South Carolina has had seven state constitutions adopted between 1776 and 1895. As of January 1, 2024, it had 502 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
Filters
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.
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.
Mapping State Supreme Court Abortion Rights Decisions
A new tool from the Center for Reproductive Rights tracks abortion-related state constitutional developments across the country.
A Conversation About Abortion Rights and the Future of State Constitutions
A retired state supreme court justice, a reproductive rights scholar, and the director of the Brennan Center’s Judiciary Program discuss the role of state courts after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion.