Qualifications

All candidates must meet the following Constitutional Qualifications.

Please refer to the New Mexico Constitution for the full text and annotations.

Constitution of New Mexico, NMSA 1978, Article VI, Section 8.

[Supreme court; qualifications of justices.]

“No person shall be qualified to hold the office of justice of the supreme court unless that person is at least thirty-five years old and has been in the actual practice of law for at least ten years preceding that person’s assumption of office and has resided in this state for at least three years immediately preceding that person’s assumption of office. The actual practice of law shall include a lawyer’s service upon the bench of any court of this state. The increased qualifications provided by this 1988 amendment shall not apply to justices and judges serving at the time this amendment passes or elected at the general election in 1988. (As amended November 8, 1988.)”

Constitution of New Mexico, NMSA 1978, Article VI, Section 14.

[District court; qualifications and residence requirement of judges.]

“The qualifications of the district judges shall be the same as those of justices of the supreme court except that district judges shall have been in the actual practice of law for at least six years preceding assumption of office. Each district judge shall reside in the district for which the judge was elected or appointed. The increased qualifications provided by this 1988 amendment shall not apply to district judges serving at the time this amendment passes or elected at the general election in 1988. (As amended November 8, 1988.)”

Constitution of New Mexico, NMSA 1978, Article VI, Section 28.

[Court of appeals; number, qualifications, compensation; quorum; majority concurring in judgment; power of chief justice to select acting justices.]

“The court of appeals shall consist of not less than seven judges who shall be chosen as provided in this constitution, whose qualifications shall be the same as those of justices of the supreme court and whose compensation shall be as provided by law. The increased qualifications provided by this 1988 amendment shall not apply to court of appeals judges serving at the time this amendment passes or elected at the general election in 1988. . . .”

New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978, Chapter 34, Section 8A-4b.

Metropolitan court; judges. (1993)

“No person shall be eligible for election or appointment to the office of metropolitan judge unless he is a member of the bar of and has practiced in this state for a period of three years.