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Larkin Walsh
Larkin Walsh is a judge of the Kansas Supreme Court. She assumed office on September 17, 2025. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027.
Appointments
Kansas Supreme Court (2025-present)
Governor Laura Kelly (D) appointed Larkin Walsh to the Kansas Supreme Court, replacing Justice Evelyn Z. Wilson, who retired on July 4, 2025. In her retirement announcement, Wilson cited her recent ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) diagnosis as her reason for stepping down.[1] Walsh was appointed on August 7, 2025, and is Governor Kelly's fourth nominee to the seven-member supreme court.[2] Walsh was sworn in on September 17, 2025.[3]
In Kansas, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a bar-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the state Bar Association. This is the only state using this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. A judicial nominating commission recommends qualified candidates to the governor and the governor selects a successor from that list. The new appointee serves for at least one year and then stands for retention.[4]
State supreme court judicial selection in Kansas
- See also: Judicial selection in Kansas
The seven justices on the Kansas Supreme Court are selected through the assisted appointment method. The Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission is responsible for providing the names of nominees to the governor, who must then select a justice from that list.[5] The commission is made up of nine members, one lawyer and non-lawyer from each congressional district and one additional lawyer who serves as chairperson. The four non-lawyers are appointed by the governor. Four lawyers are elected by members of the Kansas State Bar in each congressional district. The fifth lawyer is elected by a statewide vote of members of the Kansas State Bar.[5]
Newly appointed justices serve for at least one year, after which they must stand for retention in the next even-year general election. If retained, the justice serves a six-year term and must stand for retention every six years after that point to remain in office.[5]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must:[5]
- have at least 10 years of active and continuous law practice in the state;[6]
- be at least 30 years old; and
- be no older than 75. If a sitting judge turns 75 while on the bench, he or she may serve out the term.
Chief justice
The court's chief justice is chosen by seniority. He or she is the longest-serving justice on the court and serves as chief indefinitely.[7] Upon his or her retirement, the justice with the next-longest tenure on the court becomes chief justice.
Vacancies
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. A judicial nominating commission recommends qualified candidates to the governor and the governor selects a successor from that list. The new appointee serves for at least one year and then stands for retention.[4]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Supreme Court of Kansas, "Letter of resignation," March 24, 2025
- ↑ Kansas - Office of the Governor, "Governor Kelly Appoints Attorney Larkin Walsh to Fill Vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court," August 7, 2025
- ↑ Kansas Judicial Branch, "Walsh sworn in to Kansas Supreme Court," September 17, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kansas Judicial Branch, "Kansas Supreme Court," accessed June 21, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Supreme Court Nominating Commission, "Filling a Supreme Court vacancy," Aug. 6, 2020
- ↑ This may include work as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.
- ↑ Our Kansas Courts, "Judicial Selection," accessed Sept. 24, 2021
Federal courts:
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Kansas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Kansas
State courts:
Kansas Supreme Court • Kansas Court of Appeals • Kansas District Courts • Kansas Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Kansas • Kansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Kansas
