State Supreme Court Initiative
State Supreme Court Initiative
The U.S. Supreme Court is increasingly not an option to protect, let alone expand, civil liberties and civil rights. Last year’s Supreme Court term was the most conservative in a century, as President Trump’s three nominees exercised their newfound power to rule against liberty and shrink our constitutional rights.
But state supreme courts offer promise in the face of a hostile federal judiciary. That’s why we’re taking the fight to the states – we want to show up with as many resources and tools as we have available. The ACLU is launching a dedicated effort, called the State Supreme Court Initiative, to fight for the expansion of rights through state supreme courts, both through litigation and advocacy work.
The State Supreme Court Initiative will build on the organization’s existing work in state supreme courts and will expand the organization’s litigating capacity. With lawyers in every state in the country, the ACLU is uniquely situated to do this important work and to develop cross-state expertise on state constitutional litigation.
Read the Report
In our report, “Our New Federalism,” we featured more than 125 cases in which the ACLU and our state affiliate offices have advanced arguments across 24 states over the last 5 years.
About the Attorneys
Matthew Segal
Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU State Supreme Court Initiative
Julie Murray
Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU State Supreme Court Initiative
Xinge Hong
Legal Fellow
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Bridget Lavender
Legal Fellow
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