Utah
Utah’s highest court is the Utah Supreme Court. The court has three justices, one associate chief justice, and one chief justice, who is chosen by majority vote of the members of the court for four-year terms. (Source: Utah Constitution)
Judicial Selection
The governor nominates a Utah Supreme Court justice from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. The nominee must be confirmed by a majority of the state senate. After at least three years on the court, a justice may stand for a 10-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Utah’s next general election. Justices may seek additional terms in the same retention process. To fill an interim vacancy, 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 senate. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 75.
State Constitution
Utah’s first and only state constitution was adopted in 1895. As of January 1, 2026, it had 131 amendments. (Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
The Utah State Constitution Is ‘Distinctively Undistinctive’
Filters
State Constitutions Must Better Protect Children
State and federal law fails children caught in custody battles, sometimes with tragic results.
A New Way Some State Courts Limit Abortion Rights
Hostile courts are increasingly using procedural hurdles to limit access to abortion, allowing them to avoid explicitly grappling with questions over reproductive rights.
250 Years of State Constitutions
Early state charters are essential to understanding the American founding.
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.
Religious Freedom Claims Could Provide New Path to Protect Abortion Rights
Challenges to abortion bans by religious plaintiffs have had mixed results.
Fines, Fees, and Bail in State Courts
Recent state supreme court cases, including a major California ruling last week, address the burden of court-imposed financial obligations on criminal defendants.