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)
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When Does the U.S. Supreme Court Review State Supreme Court Decisions?
State courts have the final word on state law, but when federal law is involved, it can be complicated.
All Law Students Should be Educated About State Constitutions
Law professors planning lessons for the new academic year should consider incorporating state constitutions into the first-year constitutional law course.
State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in September
Issues on the dockets include climate change, redistricting, and lawsuits by victims of child sexual abuse.
Scholarship Roundup: September 2024 Back to School Edition
New articles and books cover a wide range of topics related to state constitutions, judiciaries, state-level democracy, and more.
States Grapple with Problematic Rule from Federal Voting Cases
The Purcell principle, which holds that federal courts should not change voting rules too close to an election, is increasingly being raised in state litigation.
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.
Knife Laws on the Chopping Block
Massachusetts’s highest court confronts the nuances of federalism in a Second Amendment challenge to the state’s switchblade ban.
An Eventful Summer for State Constitutional Abortion Rights Litigation
State supreme courts addressed abortion rights head on, even as the U.S. Supreme Court punted on similar questions.