The U.S. Supreme Court’s “hands off” decisions on gerrymandering, abortion and many other important civil liberties issues, together with its repeated suggestions that litigants seek alternative remedies in the states, has cast new light on state courts and constitutions. Of course, SCOTUS has also taken an aggressive “hands-on” approach to firearms and religious rights, significantly narrowing the state constitutional space in these important areas.

It is no surprise, therefore, that the American Civil Liberties Union has announced a new state supreme court initiative in its national headquarters.