State Court Report

Last February, we cohosted a symposium with Brennan Center for Justice and NYU Law Review on "The Promise and Limits of State Constitutions." Check out our interviews with seven of the participating state high court justices on what they like about their jobs: https://lnkd.in/g2psEeP4

NEW: Check out Sarah Kessler and Erin Geiger Smith's monthly preview of upcoming oral arguments in prominent or interesting state court cases. Issues on the dockets in December include school funding, protection of children in foster care, and the death penalty. https://lnkd.in/gEpP6YZj

Yesterday's "Skrmetti and the Broader Environment for LGBTQ Rights" conference with the Failla LGBTQ Commission at New York University School of Law was a great success. Thanks to all for insightful discussions underscoring how state courts & constitutions are key to upholding LGBTQ rights amid evolving challenges.

NEXT WEEK: Join us on November 21, 10:30am–4:30pm EST, at New York University School of Law for a conference exploring the post-election landscape for LGBTQ rights in the US, featuring leading scholars and advocates. In-person and virtual attendance options are available. Register now: https://bit.ly/40M9hC2

ELECTION 2024 UPDATES: The results for key state supreme court races are in. Democrats expanded their majority in MI, Republican justices solidified theirs in OH, and a justice was ousted in OK. Brennan Center for Justice's Douglas Keith is keeping track here: https://lnkd.in/gC-7tzbf

We're thrilled to announce a new partnership with Slate Magazine. Today Slate and the Brennan Center’s State Court Report began a partnership, with Slate publishing legal analyses that first appeared on State Court Report. The first State Court Report piece to appear on Slate is “Life in Prison for a Killing Someone Else Committed,” by Kathrina Szymborski Wolfkot and Anna Benham. State Court Report publishes 15-25 articles per month about state constitutions and state supreme courts. Launched in September 2023, the website features commentary by legal experts and practitioners. “Slate is a go-to source for top-notch legal reporting and analysis. We’re honored to contribute,” said Alicia Bannon, editor in chief of State Court Report and director of the Brennan Center’s Judiciary Program. “More and more Americans are turning to their state constitutions to protect their rights, and this partnership will help deepen the public’s understanding of state constitutions and their potential.” State Court Report tracks cases and emerging trends in state constitutional law. It provides analysis on such issues as reproductive rights, the environment, originalism, elections, torts and liability, civil due process, criminal law, judicial selection, economic liberty, and civil rights. Contributors include Justice Melissa Hart of the Colorado Supreme Court, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, retired Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court, the director of the Center for Judicial Engagement at the Institute for Justice Anthony Sanders, and UC Davis Law Professor Mary Ziegler. The site also offers a database of decisions and briefs from hundreds of significant state supreme court cases since 2021 across the fifty states, as well as materials from major pending cases. “Legal coverage has an unfortunate tendency to focus on the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary almost to the exclusion of state courts,” said Jeremy Stahl, Slate’s jurisprudence editor. “Having State Court Report as a partner allows us to highlight for our readers an under-appreciated but critical aspect of the law.” State Court Report has an advisory board with Dahlia Lithwick, Slate’s legal correspondent and host of the Amicus podcast, among the members. State Court Report publishes a bi-weekly newsletter about the latest developments in state constitutions and courts. To subscribe, click here. This press release is available online here: https://lnkd.in/gTEJH7J5.

Multiple state legislatures have made politically driven changes to judicial election procedures. It could have big implications in November, including in North Carolina and Ohio. Brennan Center for Justice's Michael Milov-Cordoba explains how. https://lnkd.in/gW8Y4gGh