State Court Judges
Federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, decide many of the important cases that affect our rights. However, important cases are also decided in state courts across the country.
Millions of cases are filed every year in the state courts. There are around 30,000 state court judges. Nearly 98 percent of all the lawsuits in America go through the state-court system. These include cases brought under state constitutions seeking marriage equality, cases seeking parental rights and cases seeking redress for discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere.
The American Judicature Society has compiled a very useful map showing how judges are selected in each state. Find out how your state (or any state) selects judges.