STATE
CONSTITUTIONS
LAB

The State Constitutions Lab is a new initiative being launched in Fall 2024 to advance interdisciplinary and comparative research and new methodological approaches to the study and understanding of American state constitutions and their seminal role in the development of democracy and self-government in the United States. As scholars and legal practitioners show newfound attention to the rights, provisions, and unique histories of these governing documents, we welcome historians, political scientists, and legal scholars and practitioners interested in engaging historically-informed research on how state constitutions have been written, amended, and used to legislate and litigate from the founding era to the present.

Supported by the Brennan Center for Justice, we will be holding monthly workshops during the academic year. Papers will be pre-circulated with a commenter, and meetings will be held in hybrid online/in-person formats and virtually according to the schedule.

We look forward to soliciting contributions for an edited essay collection exploring the importance of state constitutions at the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.

To propose a paper, please click to the form linked below and include a 1-2 page c.v. Work in progress will be preferred over more polished, already-accepted submissions. While our focus is on state constitutions, we also encourage submissions that engage interstate, federal, and comparative studies.

To be added to our mailing list or learn more, please contact co-conveners Brian Murphy (bm628@rutgers.edu), Grace Mallon (grace.mallon@rai.ox.ac.uk), or Nicholas Cole (nicholas.cole@history.ox.ac.uk).