Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
@kasiawolfkot.bsky.social
Senior counsel at the Brennan Center w/ a focus on using state constitutions to protect rights. Managing editor of State Court Report. In a past life I was an appellate attorney combating cruel & inhumane prison conditions.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
NEW: "A judiciary full of people who previously defended police misconduct or sent young Black men to prison will bring that prosecution perspective into the courtroom." @kylecbarry.bsky.social examines a series of decisions out of CO to make the case for more public defenders on the bench.
We Need More Public Defenders on the Bench
A series of decisions from the Colorado Supreme Court suggests that justices who used to be prosecutors are more likely to issue law-enforcement friendly decisions.
statecourtreport.org
November 17, 2025 at 9:08 PM
NEW: "A judiciary full of people who previously defended police misconduct or sent young Black men to prison will bring that prosecution perspective into the courtroom." @kylecbarry.bsky.social examines a series of decisions out of CO to make the case for more public defenders on the bench.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
NEW: State constitutions and state high courts are central in defining how, and by whom, elections are run — and who gets to participate in them. Check out @cisozaki.bsky.social’s Election Day 2025 edition of our series on state constitutional trends.
Case Trends: State Courts Shape the Right to Vote
State high courts continue to settle disputes over voting and election processes, including obstacles to by-mail voting — and to define the right to vote under their own constitutions.
statecourtreport.org
November 4, 2025 at 6:08 PM
NEW: State constitutions and state high courts are central in defining how, and by whom, elections are run — and who gets to participate in them. Check out @cisozaki.bsky.social’s Election Day 2025 edition of our series on state constitutional trends.
A North Dakota case upholding a ban on gender-affirming care for kids highlights the dangers of assuming trans identity is inherently medical, writes @nyulaw.bsky.social student Morgan Munroe for @statecourtreport.org.
Check out her piece for an important perspective that doesn't get much airtime.
Check out her piece for an important perspective that doesn't get much airtime.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision on Trans Healthcare Is Rippling Through State Courts
A North Dakota case upholding a ban on gender-affirming care for trans kids should trouble people who care about the dignity of trans people.
statecourtreport.org
October 30, 2025 at 1:46 PM
A North Dakota case upholding a ban on gender-affirming care for kids highlights the dangers of assuming trans identity is inherently medical, writes @nyulaw.bsky.social student Morgan Munroe for @statecourtreport.org.
Check out her piece for an important perspective that doesn't get much airtime.
Check out her piece for an important perspective that doesn't get much airtime.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
TAKE ACTION: The Election Assistance Commission is accepting public comments on this request for a “show-your-papers” requirement. Will you speak out against this attack on the freedom to vote?
bit.ly/4ngSyyl
bit.ly/4ngSyyl
October 16, 2025 at 2:28 PM
TAKE ACTION: The Election Assistance Commission is accepting public comments on this request for a “show-your-papers” requirement. Will you speak out against this attack on the freedom to vote?
bit.ly/4ngSyyl
bit.ly/4ngSyyl
What can you do if a federal official violates your constitutional rights? @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social's Harrison Stark's argument that states can enact (or amend existing) civil rights statutes to allow damages suits against federal employees is a must read! @statecourtreport.org
October 14, 2025 at 6:53 PM
What can you do if a federal official violates your constitutional rights? @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social's Harrison Stark's argument that states can enact (or amend existing) civil rights statutes to allow damages suits against federal employees is a must read! @statecourtreport.org
Come to our FREE symposium on the power of state constitutions in Chicago, Nov. 6-7! Panels on so many rights:
voting
repro
economic
LGBTQ+
against cruel/unusual punishment
Plus sessions on federalism, barriers to rights vindication, and constitutional amendments.
SEE YOU THERE! 🤸🎉📚
voting
repro
economic
LGBTQ+
against cruel/unusual punishment
Plus sessions on federalism, barriers to rights vindication, and constitutional amendments.
SEE YOU THERE! 🤸🎉📚
SAVE THE DATE: Nov. 6-7, we're hosting a symposium with @brennancenter.org and Northwestern University Law Review exploring the future of state constitutional rights. Virtual and in-person registration options are available, and IL CLE credit is pending for in-person participants. Register today:
The Power of State Constitutional Rights
Judges, practitioners, and scholars explore critical issues facing state courts and constitutions.
brennan.swoogo.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Come to our FREE symposium on the power of state constitutions in Chicago, Nov. 6-7! Panels on so many rights:
voting
repro
economic
LGBTQ+
against cruel/unusual punishment
Plus sessions on federalism, barriers to rights vindication, and constitutional amendments.
SEE YOU THERE! 🤸🎉📚
voting
repro
economic
LGBTQ+
against cruel/unusual punishment
Plus sessions on federalism, barriers to rights vindication, and constitutional amendments.
SEE YOU THERE! 🤸🎉📚
friends, @brennancenter.org launched a podcast! give it a listen. this episode is a preview of the #SCOTUS term, with analysis from @mawaldman.bsky.social, Dr. Kareem Crayton @lizagoitein.bsky.social, Leah Tulin, and Prof. Gilda R. Daniels.
Supreme Court Preview
YouTube video by Brennan Center for Justice
www.youtube.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:07 PM
friends, @brennancenter.org launched a podcast! give it a listen. this episode is a preview of the #SCOTUS term, with analysis from @mawaldman.bsky.social, Dr. Kareem Crayton @lizagoitein.bsky.social, Leah Tulin, and Prof. Gilda R. Daniels.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
It's that time of year again ✏️📚 Get ready for the new semester with
@miriamseifter.bsky.social 's Back-to-School state con law scholarship roundup.
@miriamseifter.bsky.social 's Back-to-School state con law scholarship roundup.
Back-to-School Scholarship Roundup: State Courts, Constitutional Law, and Federalism
Recent books and law review articles discuss voter disenfranchisement, separation of church and state, and much more.
statecourtreport.org
August 28, 2025 at 10:34 PM
It's that time of year again ✏️📚 Get ready for the new semester with
@miriamseifter.bsky.social 's Back-to-School state con law scholarship roundup.
@miriamseifter.bsky.social 's Back-to-School state con law scholarship roundup.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
Less than a week left (!!!) to vote for our panel "How State Constitutions Empower and Protect Youth" to be included in @sxswedu.com 2026. Head to the #SXSWEDU #PanelPicker and click the heart before August 24.
PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals
PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.
participate.sxsw.com
August 18, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Less than a week left (!!!) to vote for our panel "How State Constitutions Empower and Protect Youth" to be included in @sxswedu.com 2026. Head to the #SXSWEDU #PanelPicker and click the heart before August 24.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
Only half of all Americans know their state has a constitution. You can help us change that! Please click on the link below to vote for our proposed SXSW EDU panel, How State Constitutions Empower and Protect Youth.
Help bring State Court Report to @sxswedu.com. Vote for our panel, "How State Constitutions Empower and Protect Youth," featuring @lwvus.bsky.social CEO Celina Stewart, @aclu.org's Harper Seldin, and @youthvgov.bsky.social's Julia Olson. Click the link to vote: bit.ly/47pILS1.
August 15, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Only half of all Americans know their state has a constitution. You can help us change that! Please click on the link below to vote for our proposed SXSW EDU panel, How State Constitutions Empower and Protect Youth.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
NEW: SCOTUS's controversial invocation of originalism has sparked a lively debate among justices about interpreting state court cases using "history and tradition." @cisozaki.bsky.social & Maryjane Johnson review recent critiques of originalism and alternative interpretive methods to consider.
State Justices Continue to Challenge Originalism
A lively debate about the value of “history and tradition” in analyzing cases is ongoing in state courts. Some justices are pushing for alternative interpretative methodologies.
statecourtreport.org
August 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
NEW: SCOTUS's controversial invocation of originalism has sparked a lively debate among justices about interpreting state court cases using "history and tradition." @cisozaki.bsky.social & Maryjane Johnson review recent critiques of originalism and alternative interpretive methods to consider.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
Have you voted yet for our @statecourtreport.org SXSW EDU (proposed) panel? We've lined up an all-star group: @lwvus.bsky.social CEO Celina Stewart, @aclu.org's Harper Seldin, and @youthvgov.bsky.social's Julia Olson. But we need your vote! THANK YOU FOR VOTING! participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals
PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.
participate.sxsw.com
August 12, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Have you voted yet for our @statecourtreport.org SXSW EDU (proposed) panel? We've lined up an all-star group: @lwvus.bsky.social CEO Celina Stewart, @aclu.org's Harper Seldin, and @youthvgov.bsky.social's Julia Olson. But we need your vote! THANK YOU FOR VOTING! participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
You can help State Court Report make it to South by Southwest EDU! Please vote below on a great panel.
EDUCATORS: Help us bring an expert panel of "state constitution superusers" to SXSU EDU 2026 to demonstrate how dynamic learning about state constitutions can be! Head to the @sxswedu.com Panel Picker and vote for “How State Constitutions Empower and Protect Youth" before August 24.
PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals
PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.
participate.sxsw.com
August 8, 2025 at 3:17 PM
You can help State Court Report make it to South by Southwest EDU! Please vote below on a great panel.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
With scant federal protections for those incarcerated in extreme heat, state constitutions could offer this particularly vulnerable population more relief.
August 7, 2025 at 6:33 PM
With scant federal protections for those incarcerated in extreme heat, state constitutions could offer this particularly vulnerable population more relief.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
NEW: Justices in Connecticut, Texas, and Pennsylvania have called on their courts to embrace independent state constitutional interpretations. @aliciabannon.bsky.social discusses recent state judicial opinions that critique lockstepping.
Recent State Judicial Opinions Critique Lockstepping
Justices in Connecticut, Texas, and Pennsylvania have called on their courts to embrace independent state constitutional interpretations.
statecourtreport.org
August 5, 2025 at 8:44 PM
NEW: Justices in Connecticut, Texas, and Pennsylvania have called on their courts to embrace independent state constitutional interpretations. @aliciabannon.bsky.social discusses recent state judicial opinions that critique lockstepping.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
ICYMI: Hot weather leaves people behind bars particularly vulnerable. Ava Kaufman, @kasiawolfkot.bsky.social & @briannaseid.bsky.social wrote in @statecourtreport.org about limited federal protections & how state constitutions could offer a more promising answer. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
Extreme Heat Exacerbates Dire Prison Conditions, With Few Paths to Relief
People behind bars are particularly vulnerable to harm during heat waves and climate-related disasters. Advocates should consider state constitutional solutions.
statecourtreport.org
August 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
ICYMI: Hot weather leaves people behind bars particularly vulnerable. Ava Kaufman, @kasiawolfkot.bsky.social & @briannaseid.bsky.social wrote in @statecourtreport.org about limited federal protections & how state constitutions could offer a more promising answer. statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
Why did I write about state court pushback to the Dred Scott decision? Because President Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order directly cited the Dred Scott decision when he took aim at birthright citizenship. And we could see state courts pushback against the Supreme Court again. I'll explain. /1
NEW: Many of SCOTUS's recent rulings have been criticized for their apparent bias and politicization. @marceliusb.bsky.social dives into the history of state court pushback against the 1857 Dred Scott ruling denying Black Americans citizenship to show how SCOTUS doesn't always have the final say.
How State Courts Pushed Back on an Infamous U.S. Supreme Court Case
Dred Scott, widely considered a stain on the U.S. Supreme Court’s history, denied citizenship to Black Americans in 1857. Many state supreme courts refused to follow it.
statecourtreport.org
July 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Why did I write about state court pushback to the Dred Scott decision? Because President Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order directly cited the Dred Scott decision when he took aim at birthright citizenship. And we could see state courts pushback against the Supreme Court again. I'll explain. /1
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
A debate’s been brewing at the federal level over whether a judge in a single county can issue a statewide injunction, and it’s coming to state courts. Constance Van Kley explores how state courts can and should respond when it does.
Universal Injunctions in State Courts
Debates over whether a judge in a single county can issue a statewide injunction are brewing. States should not follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s approach.
statecourtreport.org
July 22, 2025 at 8:12 PM
A debate’s been brewing at the federal level over whether a judge in a single county can issue a statewide injunction, and it’s coming to state courts. Constance Van Kley explores how state courts can and should respond when it does.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
More people have been executed in 2025 than in any year of the past decade. @kasiawolfkot.bsky.social explains how some states are strengthening protections against the death penalty. Stay informed on the latest developments in state courts and constitutions: go.statecourtreport.org/subscribe
July 21, 2025 at 10:01 PM
More people have been executed in 2025 than in any year of the past decade. @kasiawolfkot.bsky.social explains how some states are strengthening protections against the death penalty. Stay informed on the latest developments in state courts and constitutions: go.statecourtreport.org/subscribe
If your Friday is going too well, here's an article I wrote about executions surging and states killing people in increasingly gruesome ways.
There have also been instances of likely innocent people being executed—over prosecutors' or lawmakers' objections. @statecourtreport.org @slate.com
There have also been instances of likely innocent people being executed—over prosecutors' or lawmakers' objections. @statecourtreport.org @slate.com
Why 2025 Has Been the Year of the Execution
Some states, though, are strengthening protections against the death penalty.
slate.com
July 18, 2025 at 4:19 PM
If your Friday is going too well, here's an article I wrote about executions surging and states killing people in increasingly gruesome ways.
There have also been instances of likely innocent people being executed—over prosecutors' or lawmakers' objections. @statecourtreport.org @slate.com
There have also been instances of likely innocent people being executed—over prosecutors' or lawmakers' objections. @statecourtreport.org @slate.com
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
NEW: Despite support for the death penalty declining, there have been more executions in 2025 than any year in the past decade, "and states are...killing people in ever more gruesome ways..." @kasiawolfkot.bsky.social spoke with attorney John Mills about his anti-death-penalty advocacy.
As Executions Rise, A Conversation with an Attorney Whose Clients Are Facing the Death Penalty
John Mills, whose client on Oklahoma’s death row was granted a new trial by the U.S. Supreme Court this term, discusses his anti-death-penalty advocacy.
statecourtreport.org
July 15, 2025 at 9:15 PM
NEW: Despite support for the death penalty declining, there have been more executions in 2025 than any year in the past decade, "and states are...killing people in ever more gruesome ways..." @kasiawolfkot.bsky.social spoke with attorney John Mills about his anti-death-penalty advocacy.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
Hawaii is suing oil companies by invoking the state constitution's "public trust doctrine," which declares that “all public natural resources are held in trust by the State for the benefit of the people." Sarah J. Morath explores this new trend in environmental litigation.
Hawaii’s Lawsuit Against Oil Companies Alleges “Harm to Public Trust Resources”
States are suing companies that cause harm to the environment, relying on mandates requiring protection of public resources.
statecourtreport.org
July 6, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Hawaii is suing oil companies by invoking the state constitution's "public trust doctrine," which declares that “all public natural resources are held in trust by the State for the benefit of the people." Sarah J. Morath explores this new trend in environmental litigation.
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
An absolutely remarkable concurrence by Chief Justice Karofsky in the WI Supreme Court case that held the state's total abortion ban is not in effect.
CJ Karofsky recounts the stories of women, including her great-grandmother, who died bc of abortion restrictions. www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/D...
CJ Karofsky recounts the stories of women, including her great-grandmother, who died bc of abortion restrictions. www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/D...
July 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
An absolutely remarkable concurrence by Chief Justice Karofsky in the WI Supreme Court case that held the state's total abortion ban is not in effect.
CJ Karofsky recounts the stories of women, including her great-grandmother, who died bc of abortion restrictions. www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/D...
CJ Karofsky recounts the stories of women, including her great-grandmother, who died bc of abortion restrictions. www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/D...
Reposted by Kasia Szymborski Wolfkot
I know you have a lot of options for hearing a wrap up of this term of Court, but let me suggest that this one is going to be a banger! I hope you'll join us.
How will the Supreme Court’s rulings this term impact the future of democracy?
Join @joycewhitevance.bsky.social, @aclu.org legal director Cecillia Wang, @kimwehle.bsky.social, and @aliciabannon.bsky.social virtually on Wed., July 9, at 3pm E.T. RSVP:
Join @joycewhitevance.bsky.social, @aclu.org legal director Cecillia Wang, @kimwehle.bsky.social, and @aliciabannon.bsky.social virtually on Wed., July 9, at 3pm E.T. RSVP:
Supreme Court Term in Review
Join legal experts for a look at this year’s major decisions.
www.brennancenter.org
July 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I know you have a lot of options for hearing a wrap up of this term of Court, but let me suggest that this one is going to be a banger! I hope you'll join us.
Obergefell v. Hodges came down 10 years ago today, making marriage equality the law of the land.
Human rights lawyer Jordan Long wrote a beautiful article commemorating the anniversary for @statecourtreport.bsky.social and @brennancenter.org.
Human rights lawyer Jordan Long wrote a beautiful article commemorating the anniversary for @statecourtreport.bsky.social and @brennancenter.org.
The History of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States, and What Might Come Next
Until the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, the country was a patchwork of laws regarding who could marry.
statecourtreport.org
June 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Obergefell v. Hodges came down 10 years ago today, making marriage equality the law of the land.
Human rights lawyer Jordan Long wrote a beautiful article commemorating the anniversary for @statecourtreport.bsky.social and @brennancenter.org.
Human rights lawyer Jordan Long wrote a beautiful article commemorating the anniversary for @statecourtreport.bsky.social and @brennancenter.org.