Application process to begin in January to select the next justice of the Colorado Supreme Court

Dec. 23, 2025, DENVER - On Dec. 19, 2025, Justice Melissa Hart announced her retirement from the Colorado Supreme Court, effective Jan. 5, 2026. The process to select the next Colorado Supreme Court Justice will commence soon. Qualified attorneys are invited to apply, and more details will be released in the coming two weeks.

The Supreme Court Nominating Commission will have 30 days from Jan. 5, 2026, to submit the names of three nominees   to the Governor for consideration. Once the Governor receives the three nominees, he will then have 15 days to select the     next Supreme Court Justice. It is anticipated that the application process will open in early January and that the Nominating   Commission will conduct interviews in early February.

To be eligible for appointment, the applicant must be a qualified elector of the State of Colorado and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years. The annual salary for a Supreme Court Justice is currently $221,301.96. A Supreme Court Justice’s initial term of office is a provisional term of two years. Thereafter, the incumbent justice, if retained by the voters, has a term of ten years. Application forms are available from the office of the ex-officio chair of the nominating commission, Chief Justice Monica Márquez, 2 E. 14th Ave., Denver, CO 80203, and on the court’s website at: https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/careers/judge-opportunities

Information about the Supreme Court Nominating Commission is available on the court’s website at: https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/sites/default/files/2025-12/SC_Roster.pdf

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