Why is State Constitutional Law Important?

A recent post on Westlaw’s Legal Currents Blog explains why state constitutional law is of increased importance:

“Former United States Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once wrote that a “state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.”

How would Justice Brandeis view the increase in the prominence of state constitutional law in the U.S. in recent years?

Issues like school funding, discrimination, same-sex marriage, search and seizure, religious rights and tort reform come to mind.”

The post goes on to point out that state constitutions often afford clients more rights than the Federal constitution, so lawyers need to be aware of state constitutions when representing clients.

C|M|LAW offers an Ohio Constitutional History class in the Spring, taught by Professor Dean Emeritus Steven Steinglass.   Professor Steinglass also maintains an Ohio Constitutional Law and History web page.  The web page includes summaries of recent Ohio Supreme Court decisions dealing with the Ohio Constitution, a table of proposed amendments to the Ohio Constitution from 1857 to today, and information on current ballot initiatives.