Nominations are being accepted for a vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court created by the Sept. 8 retirement of Justice Lee Johnson.
Johnson’s retirement announcement begins a merit-based nomination process that Kansas voters added to the constitution in 1958.
When there is a vacancy, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission reviews applications and conducts public interviews of nominees. The commission narrows the nominee pool to three names that it sends to the governor. The governor chooses one nominee to appoint.
Nominees must be at least 30 years old, and a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least 10 years, whether as a lawyer, judge or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.
The nomination form is available online at www.kscourts.org under “What’s New,” and also from the clerk of the appellate courts in Topeka.
Only nominations submitted on the nomination form will be accepted. An original and one copy of the nomination must be received by the clerk of the appellate courts’ office by noon, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019.
Nominations may be hand-delivered or submitted by mail to: Douglas T. Shima, Clerk of the Appellate Courts, Kansas Judicial Center, 301 SW 10th Ave., Room 107, Topeka KS 66612-1507.
Nominations will not be accepted by fax or email.