Important 👇🏼

Douglas Keith@douglaskeith.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Today, eight former New York State judges - including the state's former Chief Judge and Chief Admin Judge - filed an amicus brief defending New York's Protect Our Courts Act, a law prohibiting civil immigration arrests at state courthouses. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Something I love about @statecourtreport.org's series on state constitutions is how unique each state's history really is. Rhode Island Justice Melissa Long's new essay is fascinating. Did you know RI was governed by its Royal Charter until the mid-19th century?! statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

The Rhode Island Constitution: Royal Charter and a Modern Constitutional Convention

The Ocean State’s constitution is notable for protection of its surrounding waters; an update to the document in the 1980s included more than 40 amendments.

statecourtreport.org

New: Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee accused Justin Smith, one of President Trump's personal attorneys, of being a loyalist who has refused to acknowledge Trump's 2020 election ‌loss to Joe Biden even after being nominated to an appellate court judgeship. www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

Senate Democrats question loyalty of Trump personal attorney nominated to judgeship

U.S. Senate Democrats on ​Wednesday accused one of President Donald Trump's personal attorneys of being a loyalist who refuses to acknowledge Trump's 2020 election ‌loss to Joe Biden.

reuters.com

See you at @sxswedu.com!

State Court Report@statecourtreport.org · 8mo ago

State constitutions shape young people’s lives — from voting to LGBTQ+ policy to climate action to our schools. Yet fewer than half of Americans know their state has one. State Court Report's @erings.bsky.social joins experts at @sxswedu.com to discuss how constitutions can empower & protect youth.

This is quite a lot of money.

Douglas Keith@douglaskeith.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Just published my analysis of spending in the 2024 state supreme court election cycle. At $157 million, this was the most expensive cycle ever for judicial races…by a lot. Including in states where judicial elections probably weren’t on your radar.

What state constitutional case from 2025 should our readers know about, and why? We asked some of the country’s leading legal thinkers, and their answers highlight the myriad ways state courts can chart their own jurisprudential courses. A must read piece to wrap up the year!

2025’s Most Significant State Constitutional Cases

Leading legal thinkers weighed in on the state constitutional rulings our readers should know about from this past year.

statecourtreport.org

Love this Q&A by @kendallverhovek.bsky.social

Kendall Verhovek @kendallverhovek.bsky.social · 12mo ago

"For every election, we do a run-through. We program the ballots, scan them, and test every single voting machine and every ballot." I interviewed Tonya Wichman, the elections director in Defiance County, Ohio about the long road to election day www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Welcome to the final weekday of the federal judiciary being able to fully sustain paid operations during the shutdown. Furloughs likely next week.

There’s the Booker Prize, the Pulitzer … then there’s your book being used as punishment in a voter fraud case! A Michigan woman who voted for Trump twice has to read Thank You for Voting as part of her plea deal. www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/i...

Itasca County woman pleads guilty to voter fraud

The 51-year-old admitted to filling out a ballot in the name of her mother, an “avid Donald Trump supporter,” who died before she could vote for him in the 2024 election.

duluthnewstribune.com

A good thing for increasing voter turnout for county and town elections.

Marina Pino@marinapino.bsky.social · 12mo ago

📢ICYMI: Today, the New York Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a state law moving many county and town elections outside of New York City to even-numbered years. This is a huge win for New York’s democracy. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

I'm very excited about this panel @sxswedu.com! This group has so much to share about how how state constitutions protect and empower young people.

SXSW EDU@sxswedu.com · last yr.

Hear from state constitution super-users @erings.bsky.social, Celina Stewart (@lwvus.bsky.social), @harperseldin.bsky.social (@aclu.org), and Julia Olson (@youthvgov.bsky.social), as they demonstrate how dynamic learning about state constitutions can be in their SXSW EDU Featured Session.

👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 @lawrencehurley.bsky.social for this important story.

Alicia Bannon@aliciabannon.bsky.social · last yr.

This is a remarkable article. Federal judges are increasingly speaking out against SCOTUS’s approach to the shadow docket. This isn't typical & underscores the impossible position for lower courts when SCOTUS makes new law on its emergency docket – especially when it doesn’t explain its rulings. /1

Have you voted yet for our @statecourtreport.org SXSW EDU (proposed) panel? We've lined up an all-star group: @lwvus.bsky.social CEO Celina Stewart, @aclu.org's Harper Seldin, and @youthvgov.bsky.social's Julia Olson. But we need your vote! THANK YOU FOR VOTING! participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals

PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.

participate.sxsw.com

ICYMI: Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein spoke with @statecourtreport.org's @erings.bsky.social about disability rights and his experience as the court's first blind justice. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein Discusses Disability Rights

Bernstein, the court’s first blind justice, travels the world promoting access and equality for disabled people.

statecourtreport.org

Why did I write about state court pushback to the Dred Scott decision? Because President Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order directly cited the Dred Scott decision when he took aim at birthright citizenship. And we could see state courts pushback against the Supreme Court again. I'll explain. /1

State Court Report@statecourtreport.org · last yr.

NEW: Many of SCOTUS's recent rulings have been criticized for their apparent bias and politicization. @marceliusb.bsky.social dives into the history of state court pushback against the 1857 Dred Scott ruling denying Black Americans citizenship to show how SCOTUS doesn't always have the final say.

NEW: Check out @erings.bsky.social's interview with Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein, the state's first blind justice, where they discussed his serving as a supreme court justice with a disability, the importance of empathy, advice he wished he’d gotten as a law student, and more.

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein Discusses Disability Rights

Bernstein, the court’s first blind justice, travels the world promoting access and equality for disabled people.

statecourtreport.org

The U.S. government is building a sweeping digital surveillance dragnet that turns social media into a tool for monitoring, screening, and enforcement. A single post can follow someone from abroad, at the border, and into every stage of life on U.S. soil. 1/9 www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

The Government’s Growing Trove of Social Media Data

It’s increasingly collecting and using social media information to make high-stakes decisions related to immigration.

brennancenter.org

Today at 3: Watch @brennancenter.org @statecourtreport.bsky.social panel with all-star education experts discussing this case and other Trump administration education actions, and how states can respond. RSVP here: www.brennancenter.org/events/troub...

The Trouble Between Trump and the States on Education Policy

School services, funding, and DEI programs are at stake.

brennancenter.org

Mark Joseph Stern@mjsdc.bsky.social · last yr.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows the Trump administration to move forward with the abolition of the Department of Education. It gives no explanation for its order. All three liberals dissent. www.documentcloud.org/documents/25... From Sotomayor's dissent:

Seems like a good time to mention @brennancenter.org and @statecourtreport.bsky.social are hosting a free virtual event tomorrow on how states are handling the roller coaster of education cuts and changes. Excellent panelists! RSVP here: www.brennancenter.org/events/troub...

The Trouble Between Trump and the States on Education Policy

School services, funding, and DEI programs are at stake.

brennancenter.org

Alicia Bannon@aliciabannon.bsky.social · last yr.

SCOTUS's expanded use of the shadow docket to halt lower court orders against the administration is a huge story. The emergency docket used to be just that - for emergencies. Its expansion has allowed SCOTUS to accrete more power to itself & expand executive power...often without any explanation.

BREAKING: The Wisconsin Supreme Court said today that an 1849 ‘zombie’ law does not ban abortions, contrary to arguments by state Republicans. During oral arguments, one justice said attempts to apply the 175-year-old law in the present day was a sign of "a world gone mad."

Wisconsin Justices Appear Hostile to 175-Year-Old Abortion Law

The dispute over whether the 1849 law bans nearly all abortions in the state is a sign of a “world gone mad,” one justice said.

statecourtreport.org

Today SCOTUS limited the scope of court orders (called injunctions) blocking Trump’s birthright citizenship order. To be clear, Trump's order is plainly unconstitutional & courts continue to have the power to stop its enforcement. /1

Steve Vladeck@stevevladeck.bsky.social · last yr.

First #SCOTUS ruling today is birthright citizenship. Justice Barrett, for a 6-3 majority (with the three Dem. appointees dissenting) holds that universal injunctions are only appropriate when necessary to provide "complete" relief to parties, and stays these injunctions insofar as they go further:

Thank You for Voting came out five years ago today.

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) requiring Trump to return control of the National Guard to CA Governor Newsom. The order is accompanied by a powerful opinion that affirms the rule of law, separation of powers, and the First Amendment. 1/23

Congrats to the team at Borgo, which is brand new but manages to feel like it’s been open forever. An absolute stand out in NYC.

The New York Times@nytimes.com · last yr.

Of course, there are more than 100 amazing restaurants in New York. But these best answered: Where would we send our friends? Which places are worth a splurge? Here's the full list of the 100 best restaurants in New York City: trib.al/pjfiyQq

I’ve edited several essays in this series, and it’s fascinating (and fun even) to learn the history and quirks. Montana’s is/was particularly unique.

State Court Report@statecourtreport.org · last yr.

Did you know state constitutions can be even more protective of our rights than the US Constitution? We’ve asked an expert from each state to dive into their constitution, narrate its history, identify its quirks, and summarize its most essential components for our readers. Learn about yours here:

Breaking News: A judge ruled that President Trump’s order targeting WilmerHale, a law firm associated with his political opposition, was unconstitutional.

Judge Strikes Down Trump Order Targeting WilmerHale

nytimes.com

A beautifully written story of complicated facts and feelings. By @bernstein.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/m...

My Father Prosecuted History’s Crimes. Then He Died in One.

nytimes.com

On Friday, the NC Supreme Court allowed a major control shift over state election administration to stand, at least for now, despite a trial court finding the change is unconstitutional. @brennancenter.org's Justin Lam explained why this power grab matters. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

North Carolina Court Enables a Partisan Shift on State Elections Board

The court approved a law to strip the governor’s election board powers, risking creating a precedent for partisan power-grabbing.

statecourtreport.org

Today @hankjohnson.house.gov introduced the TERM Act—a bill to create 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices. The bottom line is this: no one should hold too much power for too long. 1/

Things I learned: The Ohio Constitution is one of the nation’s oldest, but events in the last few years — repro rights fights, gerrymandering, questionable state supreme court decisions — have kept this 1851 doc in the news cycle.

State Court Report@statecourtreport.org · last yr.

NEW: Our latest essay spotlighting state constitutions comes from Steven Steinglass, who dives deep into the history that shaped the Ohio Constitution—including major events in 2023 and 2024—and the uncertainty of its future.