Mission & Vision
The State Democracy Research Initiative’s mission is to foster academic research on state-level democracy, government institutions, and public law across the nation. The Initiative aims to shine a spotlight on the states, which traditionally receive less attention than the federal government in legal scholarship and education, and to serve as a resource for academics, policymakers, and advocates across the country.
Featured Updates
The Conversation: Faculty Co-director Rob Yablon and Staff Attorney Derek Clinger explain that the Wisconsin GOP’s calls for a state supreme court justice to recuse from redistricting litigation–and threats to impeach her if she does not–lack support in law and practice
In this article featured in The Conversation, faculty co-director Rob Yablon and Staff Attorney Derek Clinger explain that the Wisconsin GOP’s calls for a state supreme court justice to recuse from redistricting litigation–and their threat …
September 13, 2023Explainer: Judicial Recusal in Wisconsin and Beyond
Derek Clinger, Senior Staff Attorney Professor Robert Yablon, Faculty Co-Director PDF Available Here Table of Contents Introduction I. Background: The Law of Judicial Recusal A. Federal Constitutional Standards Campaign Funding Campaign Statements B. Wisconsin-Specific Recusal …
September 5, 2023Call for Papers: State Courts Scholarship Roundtable
August 28, 2023 The University of Wisconsin Law School’s State Democracy Research Initiative (SDRI) is pleased to announce a Roundtable on State Courts, to be held on April 19, 2024. The Roundtable will be co-hosted …
August 28, 2023The Calm Between the Storms: A Review of the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 2022-23 Term and Preview of 2023-24
Dustin Brown, Senior Staff Attorney PDF Available Here The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 2022-23 term, which ended on June 30, unfolded against the backdrop of the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history.[1] While the election …
July 17, 2023
Events
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Oct13
Election Matters 2023: Voting Rights and the Criminal Justice System @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Wisconsin Idea Room, School of Education
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Oct27
Panel Discussion: State Constitutions and Climate Change @ 3:00 pm Room 2260, University of Wisconsin Law School
Recent Events
State Constitutions and Unenumerated Rights – Wisconsin and Beyond
September 25, 2023Baby Ninth Amendments
September 22, 2023- Events
Meet the Faculty Directors
Miriam Seifter, Faculty Co‑Director
Miriam Seifter is a Professor of Law and Rowe Faculty Fellow in Regulatory Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Her recent work examines state constitutional and administrative law, with a focus on challenges facing democracy at the state level. She teaches state and local government law, administrative law, and property law and is a co-founder of the State and Local Government Law Blog.
For more, see Miriam’s full bio and her publications, or follow Miriam on Twitter: @MiriamSeifter.
Robert Yablon, Faculty Co‑Director
Robert Yablon is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. His recent work explores questions in political and election law, with attention to redistricting and campaign finance. He teaches civil procedure, federal jurisdiction, and the law of democracy and is an affiliate of the Elections Research Center.
For more, see Robert’s full bio and his publications, or follow Robert on Twitter: @RobYablon.