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Constitutional Law Research: U.S. States

Where Do I Start?

Texts:

See box: How Do I Find U.S. State Constitutions? on the opening page of this guide.

News, Commentary & Cases:
   
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law: State Court Report - Provides news, commentary and a State Case Database of "significant state supreme court decisions and pending cases."  Search by issue, state or keyword(s).
                 
 
Commentary:
BLS Library provides Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States.  Publication dates vary.  Newer Commentaries are available as ebooks. 
  • Tip: Click here to view a list of available Commentaries in SARA catalog, listed "newest to oldest."

This series includes:

Guides:

Jerome Hall Law Library, Indiana University Maurer School of Law Library, State Legislative History Research Guides Inventory - On the map, click a state to find links to online legislative history research guides for the state.

For historical research, BLS Library also provides in print Reference Guides to the State Constitutions of the United States.  Publication dates vary. 

  • Tip: Click here to view a list of available Reference Guides in SARA catalog, listed "newest to oldest."

This series includes:

For New York-focused research, BLS Associate Librarian for Public Services Kathleen Darvil co-authored the following highly useful guide:

How Do I Find Information About LItigation re. U.S. State Constitutions/Climate Change?

Recently, there have been cases in which young citizens allege that their U.S. state constitutions grant them the right to a safe, stable climate and current laws and/or practices violate this right.  

Held v. Montana (2020) [source: U.S. Climate Change Litigation database]

The judge in Held v. Montana ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and stated that Montana’s “MEPA Limitation” provision was unconstitutional. 

                     

                             Photo by Robin Loznak, courtesy of Our Children's Trust

For more in-depth information about this case see this section of the BLS Climate Change and Environmental Law research guide, created by BLS Reference Librarian/Adjunct Professor Sue Silverman.

Links to additional pertinent cases are available in the U.S. Climate Change Litigation database provided by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School and Arnold & Porter:

Selected Commentary:

Ebook:

How Do I Track the Status of Abortion Rights in Each U.S. State?

Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law virtual panel recording on YouTube: Abortion Rights and the Future of State Constitutions (Sept. 19, 2023)

This panel discussed the effects of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., "and its implications for state courts and constitutions." 

Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law resources under issue: Reproductive Rights.  Includes:  

Center for Reproductive Rights: After Roe Fell: Abortion Laws By State (updated "in real time") - "Examines laws, constitutions, and court decisions on abortion—and assigns each state, territory, and the District of Columbia to one of five categories: Expanded Access, Protected, Not Protected, Hostile, and Illegal."

Center for Reproductive Rights: The World's Abortion Laws (updated "in real time")

Lexis+: Overturning Roe v. Wade and the Future of Abortion Rights (updated through Apr. 2023) Tip: Log in to your Lexis+ account, then click the recommended link.

Lexis+ description: "In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., the Supreme Court, with a 6-3 majority, overturned decades of existing caselaw governing the right to an abortion. This pamphlet is an overview of the current constitutional status of abortion rights in each state, including a brief discussion of case law from each state’s highest court, and, where applicable, constitutional provisions that exclude a right to abortion from a state’s constitution. Also included are statutes that indicate individual states’ support of the right of choice to terminate a pregnancy."

How Do I Find BLS Library's Books on U.S. State Constitutional Law Topics?

When searching BLS Library's SARA catalog for materials, relevant subjects to search are:

  • Constitutions - United States - States
  • Constitutional law - United States - States
  • Constitutional amendments - [enter state's name, e.g., New York]
  • Constitutional conventions - [enter state's name, e.g., New York]
  • Constitutional history - [enter state's name, e.g., New York]
  • Constitutional law - [enter state's name, e.g., New York]