Tennessee
Tennessee’s highest court is the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court has four justices and one chief justice, who is chosen by a majority of the court’s members. (Source: Tennessee Constitution)
Judicial Selection
The governor nominates Tennessee Supreme Court 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. After at least 30 days on the court, a justice may stand in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Tennessee’s next general election. Justices serve eight-year terms unless they were first appointed to fill an unexpired term, in which case they serve the remainder of the unexpired term. Justices may stand for additional eight-year terms in the same retention process. When a seat becomes open in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor nominates 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. There are no term limits, nor is there a mandatory retirement age.
State Constitution
Tennessee has had three state constitutions adopted between 1796 and 1870. As of January 1, 2026, it had 47 amendments. (Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
The Tennessee Constitution: “Least Imperfect and Most Republican of the State Constitutions”
Filters
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250 Years of State Constitutions
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“State Capture” and the Role of State Courts
State constitutions offer powerful tools for combatting control of state and local institutions by private interests.