Oregon
Oregon’s highest court is the Oregon Supreme Court. The court has six justices and one chief justice, who is selected for a six-year term by the other members of the court. (Source: Oregon Judicial Branch)
Judicial Selection
Justices on the Oregon Supreme Court are selected to a six-year term through a nonpartisan election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat. Justices may seek additional terms through participating in a nonpartisan election. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor appoints a candidate, who holds office until Oregon’s next general election that takes place more than 61 days after the appointment. The elected justice serves a six-year term. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 75.
State Constitution
Oregon’s first and only state constitution was adopted in 1857. As of January 1, 2026, it had 263 amendments. (Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
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The Many Versions of State Constitutional Lockstepping
The practice of interpreting state constitutions identically to their federal counterpart is often criticized in blanket terms. But the ways state courts lockstep vary widely.
How State Courts Can Help Deflect the Supreme Court’s Latest Blow to Multiracial Democracy
State courts need not import a federal doctrine directing judges to avoid issuing rulings that could change election rules in the runup to an election.
“State Capture” and the Role of State Courts
State constitutions offer powerful tools for combatting control of state and local institutions by private interests.
State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in May
Issues on the dockets include mid-decade redistricting, defendants’ access to social media evidence, and mandatory judicial retirement.
Can States Ban Federal Officers from Wearing Masks?
The answer likely boils down to whether courts believe masking is necessary for the federal government to do its job.
How Are State Judges Selected?
Thirty-eight states use elections as part of their system for choosing high court judges.
The Right to Counsel in an Age of Case-Specific and Systemic Inadequacies
State courts and constitutions can offer meaningful solutions to federal gaps in the right to counsel.
Behind the Movement Toward Humane Punishment
A recent Pennsylvania decision barring mandatory life without parole for felony murder is part of an accelerating trend toward broad state constitutional protections for people in the criminal justice system.