Supreme Court of Virginia Chief Justice Bernard Goodwyn retired on January 1, 2026.

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Goodwyn's replacement will be appointed by the Virginia State Legislature.

In Virginia, state supreme court justices are selected through direct legislative appointment. Justices are appointed directly by the state legislature. There are two states that use this selection method. To read more about the legislative appointment of judges, click here.

When the General Assembly is in session, midterm vacancies are filled by the same legislative selection process normally used to select judges. When the assembly is not in session, the governor appoints a replacement to serve until 30 days after the start of the next session, by which point a judge must be elected to the seat.[1][2]

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