State High Courts Lose Ground on Diversity, Report Finds

State supreme courts are less diverse than they were a generation ago with just about half comprised of white judges only and few minorities reaching the bench through elections, a report by the progressive Brennan Center said.

The report released on July 23 found that 15% of state high court seats are held by minorities even though they make up nearly 40% of the nation’s population, and 36% are held by women even though they make up about half the population.

With state courts hearing virtually all cases filed in the U.S. and state Supreme Courts most often the last ...