Larkin Walsh is a judge of the Kansas Supreme Court. She assumed office on September 17, 2025. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027. Governor Laura Kelly appointed Larkin Walsh to the Kansas Supreme Court, replacing Justice Evelyn Z. Wilson, who retired on July 4, 2025. In her retirement announcement, Wilson cited her recent ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) diagnosis as her reason for stepping down. Walsh was appointed on August 7, 2025, and is Governor Kelly's fourth nominee to the seven-member supreme court. Walsh was sworn in on September 17, 2025. In Kansas, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a bar-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the state Bar Association. This is the only state using this selection method. If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. A judicial nominating commission recommends qualified candidates to the governor and the governor selects a successor from that list. The new appointee serves for at least one year and then stands for retention.
