Wyoming
Wyoming’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Wyoming. The court has four justices and one chief justice, who is chosen by members of the court to serve a four-year term. (Source: Wyoming Judicial Branch)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints justices to the Supreme Court of Wyoming from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, a justice may stand for an eight-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Wyoming’s next general election. Justices may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor appoints a judicial candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 70.
State Constitution
Wyoming’s first and only constitution was adopted in 1889. As of January 1, 2024, it had 81 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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Back-to-School Scholarship Roundup: State Courts, Constitutional Law, and Federalism
Recent books and law review articles discuss voter disenfranchisement, separation of church and state, and much more.
What Happens if the U.S. Supreme Court Guts the Voting Rights Act?
State provisions could help fill a voting rights gap, but they are a poor substitute for a strong federal standard.
American Indians and Indigenous Peoples in State Constitutions
In the shadow of federal law, some state constitutions address American Indian land, taxation, gaming permissions, voting rights, cultural protection, and governance.
A New Tool Makes Comparing State Constitutions Easier
Scholars, practitioners, and judges can quickly see how constitutional provisions differ or overlap with a resource from the nonprofit American Juris Link.
Disability Rights Under State Constitutions
Thirty-five years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, state constitutional anti-discrimination clauses, voting rights, and educational guarantees can expand protections for people with disabilities.
Universal Injunctions in State Courts
Debates over whether a judge in a single county can issue a statewide injunction are brewing. States should not follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s approach.
Religious Freedom Claims Could Provide New Path to Protect Abortion Rights
Challenges to abortion bans by religious plaintiffs have had mixed results.
The History of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States, and What Might Come Next
Until the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, the country was a patchwork of laws regarding who could marry.