Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s highest court is the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice, who is chosen by members of the court to serve a two-year term. (Source: Wisconsin Constitution)

Judicial Selection

Justices run for a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in nonpartisan elections, and they can seek additional terms through nonpartisan elections. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor appoints a candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission, but the governor is not required to select a candidate from the list. The appointed justice holds office until Wisconsin’s next spring election when no other justice is to be elected. If the vacancy occurs between December 1 and the date of the spring election, the appointed justice stands for election in the second succeeding spring election (or later if another justice is to be elected) instead. There are no term limits, nor is there a mandatory retirement age.

State Constitution

Wisconsin’s first and only constitution was adopted in 1848. As of January 1, 2024, it had 150 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)