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)
Filters
The Right to Petition in State Constitutions, Explained
Some states protect citizens’ right to make requests of or complaints against the government more broadly than the federal Constitution.
Judicial Deference to Agency Expertise in the States
Almost all state courts recognize the importance of agencies’ expertise in policymaking.
SCOTUS’s 2nd Amendment Decision Leaves Open Questions for State Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the disarmament of a domestic abuser in United States v. Rahimi, but litigation over where to draw the line will continue.
Three U.S. Supreme Court Cases that Transformed State Judicial Elections
Judicial elections have become major political battlegrounds — complete with dark money, special interests, and attack ads — thanks to several U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
Every State Supreme Court Justice in One Searchable Database
A new resource from the State Law Research Initiative lets users sort the nation’s high court justices by state, professional background, party affiliation, and more.
New Findings Highlight Lack of Diversity on State Supreme Courts
More data and further scholarship is needed to devise policies for promoting a state bench that adequately represents the varied background of the public.
Scholarship Roundup: End of Semester Edition
Recent articles address states taking policy questions away from courts, standing in election cases, and state shadow dockets.
The Arizona High Court Upheld A 160-Year-Old Abortion Ban. Now What?
Abortion law expert David Cohen talks about Arizona’s ongoing abortion litigation, a possible abortion amendment in the state, and the biggest threats to abortion rights nationwide.