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Law Student Cheat Sheet: Understanding State Courts and Constitutions
As the school year kicks off, we’ve rounded up some of our top explainer essays on how state courts and state constitutions work, protect rights, and influence major U.S. legal issues. Consider it your “State Constitutions 101.”
Back-to-School Scholarship Roundup: State Courts, Constitutional Law, and Federalism
Recent books and law review articles discuss voter disenfranchisement, separation of church and state, and much more.
What Happens if the U.S. Supreme Court Guts the Voting Rights Act?
State provisions could help fill a voting rights gap, but they are a poor substitute for a strong federal standard.
Tribal Courts and Constitutions of American Indian Tribes
Tribal courts and constitutions shape governance for American Indian tribes, balancing sovereignty with federal law in their unique legal systems.
The Lawsuits to Expel Texas’s Democratic Lawmakers Lack Any Support
The governor and attorney general’s claims that the state supreme court should expel lawmakers who fled the state to stop the legislature from gerrymandering congressional districts are unsubstantiated and contradictory.
New Jersey’s Constitution Allowed Women to Vote in the 1700s
Though the right was short-lived, it’s an example of how states can expand — and contract — voting rights.
State Justices Continue to Challenge Originalism
A lively debate about the value of “history and tradition” in analyzing cases is ongoing in state courts. Some justices are pushing for alternative interpretative methodologies.
It’s Time to Revitalize California’s Constitutional Right to Privacy
Recently filed cases challenging AI surveillance provide an opportunity for California courts to properly apply the state’s privacy right.
The New Jersey Constitution: A Tool of Good Governance, Not Partisan Politics
A 1947 constitution offered a needed update for a state saddled with a weak executive and a court system “out of Dickens.”
Wisconsin Supreme Court Strikes Down Legislative Vetoes
The case marks a major shift in how Wisconsin’s government functions.
