Release:

Today the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law launched State Court Report, a nonpartisan website devoted to state constitutions and courts. It features commentary and analysis by a wide range of experts, including Judge Pierre Bergeron of the First District Court of Appeals of Ohio, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, retired Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack of the Michigan Supreme Court, Cato Institute Senior Fellow Walter Olson, and University of Wisconsin Law Professor Miriam Seifter. State Court Report also offers a database of decisions and briefs from 550 significant state supreme court cases since 2021 across the fifty states, as well as materials from major pending cases. 

“State courts and constitutions haven’t gotten the attention they deserve,” said Alicia Bannon, editor in chief of State Court Report and director of the Brennan Center’s Judiciary Program. “The need for more journalism and scholarship has only intensified as Americans are increasingly looking to their state constitutions to protect their rights. State Court Report will foster learning across state lines about this vast and vital part of American law.” 

State Court Report tracks cases and emerging trends in state constitutional law, updating continually with news, new commentary from experts, and cases. The website is the first to bring these elements together in one place, allowing users to more easily follow new legal developments in the states and explore questions about constitutional interpretation that cross state lines. Already the website provides such analysis on a broad array of issues, with more to come: the environment, originalism, reproductive rights, elections, torts and liability, civil due process, criminal law, judicial selection, economic liberty, and civil rights. 

In addition to the expertise of its contributors, State Court Report relies on an advisory board of law professors, retired state chief justices, and journalists for guidance: Hon. Tani Cantil-Sakauye, retired chief justice of the California Supreme Court; Sue Cross, Institute for Nonprofit News; Hon. Wallace Jefferson, retired chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court; Dahlia Lithwick, Slate; Hon. Bridget Mary McCormack, retired chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court; Judith Resnik, Yale Law School; Daniel Rodriguez, Northwestern Law School; Kate Shaw, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; and Robert Williams, Rutgers University School of Law….