The Essential Guide To All 50 State Supreme Courts (And DC And Puerto Rico)

Useful primer for increasingly important state courts.

gavel-3575414_640With the United States Supreme Court suffering a wholly deserved legitimacy crisis entirely of its own making, state supreme courts as important as ever. In several states, state constitutions are the only thing protecting historically recognized rights. To banish any doubt, consider Wisconsin, where a recent state supreme court election sparked a full meltdown, that’s carried over in unhinged opinions and judicial tantrums.

But most people have no idea how their state supreme courts even work.

Bolts just put out “Your State-by-State Guide to Every State Supreme Court” (h/t Josie Duffy Rice) and author Quinn Yeargain has put out the quintessential (get it?) guide to state high courts.

Entries are broken down by: the big picture, the paths to sitting on this court, mandatory retirement and removal, the court’s judicial powers, the court’s policymaking and administrative powers. Here’s an example from the NY entry.

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There’s a wealth of information in here for familiarizing people with their state supreme courts. Spread far and wide!

Your State-by-State Guide to Every State Supreme Court [Bolts]

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HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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