The Oklahoma Supreme Court is a constitutional tribunal consisting of nine Justices. Each Justice is selected from one of nine judicial districts and sits for a six-year term. Each Justice must be at least thirty years old, shall have been a qualified elector in the appropriate district for at least one year immediately prior to the appointment, and have been a licensed practicing attorney or judge of a court of record for five years preceding appointment. The Justices must maintain their status as licensed attorneys while holding office.

Justices are appointed by the Governor from the list of candidates presented by the Judicial Nominating Commission. Applicants for appointment to the Supreme Court are subjected to extensive investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and to intensive interviews by the Judicial Nominating Commission (a constitutional commission consisting of attorneys and non-attorneys). The Justices stand for retention on a six-year rotating schedule. The retention ballot appears on general election ballots and is a non-partisan, non-competitive election process. If a Justice resigns or dies during a term, vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment from the appropriate Supreme Court judicial district. Newly appointed Justices who serve more than one year must stand for retention at the next regular general election.