The Supreme Court of Texas has nine members: one chief justice and eight justices. That number is fixed by the Texas Constitution, and every seat is filled by statewide election.
The court is Texas's court of last resort for civil and juvenile cases. It does not hear criminal appeals — Texas is one of only two states (the other is Oklahoma) that splits its highest court in two, sending criminal cases to a separate Court of Criminal Appeals instead.
Who is on the court right now?
This table isn't a snapshot frozen when the article was written — it's generated from the same court records that power the rest of Referlex, so it updates as the bench changes.
Why nine?
The court hasn't always been this size. The Constitution of 1876 set the Supreme Court at just three judges. As the state's docket grew, the legislature bolted on workarounds — most notably the Commission of Appeals, a side panel that drafted opinions for the court to adopt. A 1945 constitutional amendment finally absorbed that machinery into the court itself, expanding it to the nine-member bench Texas has today.
How justices get the seat
Justices are chosen in statewide partisan elections and serve six-year staggered terms, so three seats appear on the ballot in every even-year general election. When a justice leaves mid-term, the governor appoints a replacement, subject to Texas Senate confirmation — and the appointee must then stand for election at the next general election to keep the seat. In practice, many members of the court first arrive by appointment.
To qualify, a justice must be at least 35 years old, a U.S. and Texas citizen, and a licensed Texas attorney (or judge of a court of record) for at least ten years.
Where it sits in the Texas system
Beneath the two high courts sit fifteen intermediate courts of appeals, and below those the district courts that try most serious civil and criminal cases. You can explore the courts we track — and the attorneys who file in them — across Referlex:
Sources
Texas Constitution, Article V. Texas Judicial Branch judicial directory. Bench composition is read live from Referlex court records.
Last verified
August 13, 2026