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link: State Courts Guide Home - State Courts Guide
Click on a state to learn about how it selects judges for its high court.
Method of Selection
- Judicial Election
- Democratic Appointment
- Hybrid
- Missouri Plan
Judicial Election
Judges are elected by popular vote.Democratic Appointment
Judges are appointed directly by a democratic body, or appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of some democratic body.
Hybrid
Judges are appointed by the governor after nomination by a commission and confirmation by a democratic body.Missouri Plan
Judges are appointed by the governor after nomination by a commission.
Featured Resources
- A Survey of Empirical Evidence Concerning Judicial Elections
- Choi, Stephen J., et al. “Professionals or Politicians: The Uncertain Case for an Elected Rather Than Appointed Judiciary,” 26 J.L. Econ. & Org. 290 (2010).
- Fitzpatrick, Brian. “The Politics of Merit Selection,” 74 Mo. L. Rev. 675 (2009).
- Judicial Selection in State High Courts (PDF)
- Legislative Authority to Adjust Judicial Benefits Under the New Jersey Constitution
- Philadelphia Tort Litigation: Forum Shopping and Venue Reform
- State Court Challenges to Legislatively Enacted Tort Reforms
- State Court Docket Watch Fall 2011
- Textualism and the Michigan Supreme Court
- Ware, Stephen J. “The Missouri Plan in National Perspective.” 74 Mo. L. Rev. 751 (2009).
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21 January 2026StateCourtsGuide.com
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