The Judicial Department has opened the application period for the Supreme Court seat of Chief Justice Nathan B. Coats, who will leave the bench in January upon reaching the mandatory retirement age.

Pursuant to Colorado’s system of screening judge applicants, the 15-member Supreme Court Nominating Commission will accept materials from interested candidates until 4 p.m. on Oct. 19. The application for the position, which pays $188,151 annually, includes extensive questions about an applicant’s professional and personal biography.

Only qualified electors who have been licensed to practice law in Colorado for the preceding five years are eligible. The commission will meet on Nov. 5-6 to screen applications and interview candidates. They will select three finalists for Gov. Jared Polis, who will then appoint the justice within 15 days.

The appointee will serve a provisional two-year term and undergo an evaluation by a citizen-led performance commission. Voters will have the opportunity to retain the justice for a 10-year term in 2022.

Simultaneously, the Judicial Department is taking applications for an open Arapahoe County judgeship after Polis appointed Don J. Tousaint to a district court seat. Following a similar selection process, the nominating commission has set a deadline of Oct. 16 to receive applications, and will meet on Oct. 30 to begin the process of selecting three candidates.