As the U.S. Supreme Court retreats from protecting many civil rights, it has opened a vacuum for state courts to fill. State constitutions, which often include rights not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, have taken on new importance. There has been a flurry of state court activity since the Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling in Dobbs ended the federal constitutional right to an abortion.
With so much at stake, the Brennan Center for Justice has launched State Court Report, offering context and commentary about notable state cases, legal trends, and cutting-edge scholarship. On the State Court Report website, newsletter, and in events, experts will take a closer look at state constitutional rights litigation and the consequences for American democracy.
Join us for a live virtual panel exploring the aftermath of Dobbs and its implications for state courts and constitutions on Tuesday, September 19, at 6 p.m. ET. Panelists include Cheri Beasley, former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court; David Cohen, a reproductive rights scholar at Drexel University; and Alicia Bannon, director of the Brennan Center Judiciary Program and editor in chief of State Court Report. Emily Bazelon of the New York Times Magazine and Yale Law School will guide a conversation on the role of state courts in adjudicating reproductive rights cases, as well as the future of state constitutionalism.
Produced in partnership with the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center
Speakers:
- Alicia Bannon, Director, Judiciary Program, Brennan Center for Justice; Editor in Chief, State Court Report
- Cheri Beasley, Former Chief Justice, North Carolina Supreme Court
- David Cohen, Professor of Law, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
- Moderator: Emily Bazelon, Staff Writer, New York Times Magazine; Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law, Yale Law School