← State supreme courts · Montana overview
Montana Supreme Court
The highest court in Montana. Who sits on it, how they got there and how long their terms run.
Nonpartisan electionHow justices are chosenVoters elect the justices; no party label appears on the ballot.
8 yearsTerm length
7Sitting justices
1889Founded
No public decision data available for this court. There is no free, consistently coded source of how each state justice votes in cases, so this site doesn't score state judges.
Justices
Cory Swanson
Chief Justice
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: January 1, 2025
Appointing official: not listed
Photo: Ballotpedia
Beth Baker
Justice
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: January 3, 2011
Appointing official: not listed
Photo: Ballotpedia
Katherine M. Bidegaray
Justice
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: January 1, 2025
Appointing official: not listed
Photo: Ballotpedia
Ingrid Gayle Gustafson
Justice
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: January 1, 2018
Appointing official: not listed
Photo: Ballotpedia
Laurie McKinnon
Justice
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: 2013
Appointing official: not listed
Photo: Ballotpedia
James A. Rice
Justice
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: 2001
Appointing official: not listed
Photo: Ballotpedia
Jim Shea
Justice
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: June 2, 2014
Appointing official: not listed
Photo: Ballotpedia
Source: Ballotpedia, Montana Supreme Court (retrieved Oct 26, 2026). “Party as listed” is Ballotpedia’s label; many state justices are officially nonpartisan. Photos from each justice’s Ballotpedia page (or Wikimedia Commons where Ballotpedia has none). Click a name for a short profile.