State Courts and You

Dear John,

Did you know that while decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States may dominate the headlines and have a huge impact on the world, the courts that make the most difference in our daily lives are often overlooked: state courts?

I’m Zachery Morris [link: [link removed]], Legal Director of State Courts, and I want to get you up to speed on state courts. Starting with...

Top 6 Things to Know About State Courts

6. State courts are the workhorses of our judicial system. Ninety-five percent of cases in the United States are filed in state courts.

5. State courts hear more than 100 million cases every year, meaning they have an outsized impact on our rights.

4. State supreme courts serve as an essential defense of our most important rights, including health care and reproductive rights, education access and equity, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, and much more.

3. State constitutions, which are interpreted by state court judges, often grant us more rights and protections than the federal Constitution and it is important who is chosen to interpret them.

2. Despite the vastly different selection methods, people in every state can influence who is chosen for state courts.

1. Alliance for Justice offers the most comprehensive, educational information on the state courts, and gives you a roadmap on how you can make a difference. We have numerous resources available to you, including:

State Courts Hub: one-stop shop that includes a section on states to watch that have important business coming up in the near future.

Special reports on representation in state courts. [link: [link removed]]
- Faces of Justice Volume 1: Black State Supreme Court Justices [link: [link removed]]
- Faces of Justice Volume 2: AAPI State Supreme Court Justices [link: [link removed]]
- Faces of Justice Volume 3: LGBTQ+ State Supreme Court Justices [link: [link removed]]

Our work was highlighted in an editorial in Vermont’s Rutland Herald stating, “As part of the celebration of Pride month, the Alliance for Justice has produced a report that shows — somewhat alarmingly — how underrepresented the LGBTQIA+ community is on state supreme courts.” [link: [link removed]]

To make sure you don’t miss any important updates, please sign up [link: [link removed]] for our email alerts. And if you want to help us expand our work, you can donate here [link: [link removed]].


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