Legal Experts Hold Important Symposium Discussing Issues Negatively Impacting Our Judicial System

By Michael Waldman\Brennan Center Photos: YouTube Screenshots Many of us are looking on with great concern as the U.S. Supreme Court moves a broad spectrum of federal law to the extreme right, from reproductive freedoms to voting rights. But we have other options: each state has its own constitution and own high court to protect and expand our rights. That’s why, almost 50 years ago, Justice William Brennan called on lawyers and judges to pay greater attention to state courts and state constitutions as “guardians of our liberties.” In a (slightly belated) answer to that call, the Brennan Center recently launched State Court Report, a website, case database, and newsletter to focus attention on this important but underappreciated area of law. And last week, as part of that state-centric work, we hosted The Promise and Limits of State Constitutions, a symposium in partnership with the NYU Law Review with more than 300 people in attendance. Over two days and seven panels, a fascinating set of conversations tackled everything from the relationship between state and federal courts, to how state constitutions should be interpreted, to how judicial elections and ballot initiatives impact the development of state constitutional law. We were honored...