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The State Judicial Selection Process

Juan Banuelos

Professor Sheila Farr

SOC205

08/02/2014

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The judicial selection process can complex at times and many states have different requirements that are needed to become a judge. The two states that I chose for the judicial selection process are Texas and Missouri. The judicial process in Texas require certain qualifications to become a judge. The Texas constitution establishes basic qualifications before being selected. In the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court judges are required to have a license to practice law and must have been practicing law for ten years. Another requirement is that a judge needs to be a legal resident of the United States and a resident of Texas before being selected. In other states age requirements are not mandatory, but in Texas the age requirement is thirty-five years of age. District judges are required to have a licensed to practice law in Texas for at least four years and be a resident of the judicial district for two years, they must also be a resident of the State of Texas. In District Courts judges are to compete in partisan elections as well, the same for the Supreme Court if a vacancy occurs the Governor of Texas will appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term, again this is needed to be approved by the Senate. The requirement's to serve as a judge is to be a citizen of the United States. The nominee must have held a judicial district for two years, they also must have been licensed to practice law. The age requirement is different from the Supreme Court rather requiring the age of thirty-five the age for District Courts is twenty-five to the age of seventy-four. The election process for judges in the Constitutional County Courts do not require to have a license to practice law, the only qualification that is needed is that the nominee is well informed