The West Virginia Constitution: Mountaineers Are Always Free
An early West Virginia constitution emancipated enslaved people in 1863, more than a year before the U.S. Constitution.
Cases, Courts, and Constitutions Across the 50 States
IVF Users Face Uncertain Legal Landscape
State courts are grappling with questions like ownership over and rights for embryos.
New York’s Abortion Shield Law Survives First Challenge by Texas
A New York trial court ruled against Texas in an ongoing fight over whether New York must recognize Texas’s legal judgments against New York abortion providers.
States Pass Constitutional Amendments on Redistricting, Parental Rights, Water Preservation, and More
Californians approved a much-watched amendment that allows the use of a new congressional map.
Case Trends: State Courts Shape the Right to Vote
State high courts continue to settle disputes over voting and election processes, including obstacles to by-mail voting — and to define the right to vote under their own constitutions.
Commentary
We Need More Public Defenders on the Bench
A series of decisions from the Colorado Supreme Court suggests that justices who used to be prosecutors are more likely to issue law-enforcement friendly decisions.
Can the Right to Bear Arms Be Waived?
A solution to the constitutional uncertainty around many state-issued protection orders may come from an overlooked detail in a recent Second Amendment decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.