Millions of Americans are barred from voting because of criminal convictions in their past. Felony disenfranchisement laws — relics of Jim Crow — hit Black Americans disproportionately hard because of bias in the criminal justice system. The Brennan Center advances policies to re-enfranchise Americans who are living in the community, …The Politics of Judicial Elections, 2017–18. Key Point: Special interest groups maintained their outsized role in state supreme court elections, in some cases outspending the candidates themselves. Produced with research from the National Institute on Money and Politics. Over the past two decades, the Brennan Center for Justice …Money still talks. Billionaires had spent $880 million on the midterm elections as of last week. That means roughly 735 people (0.0002 percent of the U.S. population) represented more than five percent of election spending. As a topline number, the political spending of billionaires is worrisome.Election officials continue to face a hostile environment with insufficient resources, and many are quitting. Published: April 25, 2023. Download PDF. Mario Tama/spxChrome/Getty. Defend Our Elections. Election Integrity.Dec 21, 2021 · Between January 1 and December 7, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. More than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 states in the 2021 legislative sessions. These numbers are extraordinary: state legislatures enacted far more restrictive voting laws in 2021 than in any ... Brennan Center researchers interviewed police, prosecutors, court officials, city government officials, criminal justice advocacy organizations, community-based service …Aug 10, 2021 · Gerrymandering Explained. The practice has been a thorn in the side of democracy for centuries, and with the new round of redistricting it’s a bigger threat than ever. After the Census Bureau released detailed population and demographic data from the 2020 census, states and local governments began the once-a-decade process of drawing new ... Our Work. As an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization, the Brennan Center conducts rigorous research to identify problems and provide in-depth empirical findings and compelling analyses of pressing legal and policy issues. We also pioneer and champion policy solutions, such as automatic voter registration and small donor public ... Ian Vandewalker is senior counsel for the Brennan Center’s Elections and Government Program, where he works to address the influence of money in politics and foreign interference in U.S. elections. His work has been featured in press outlets across the nation, including the New York Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio, Newsweek, and ...In July 2019, the Brennan Center for Justice published State Supreme Court Diversity, which detailed stark racial, ethnic, and gender disparities on state high courts across the country, drawing on more than 60 years of data. This analysis includes new data on the composition of state supreme courts as of May 18, 2022, with updated …Reform Money in Politics. Americans are fed up with the role of big money in political campaigns. The Brennan Center’s solution: small donor public financing to put power back in the hands of individuals. The campaign finance system is broken. Super PACs and shadowy nonprofits give enormous sway to the super-wealthy and big corporations.The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve the systems of democracy and justice in the United States.P 646.925.8760. Tania Cháidez, Deputy Editor. E [email protected]. P 646.292.8373. Brennan Center events. Susan Augenbraun, Events Manager. E [email protected]. P 646.292.8365. If you would like to request a Brennan Center expert to appear at one of your events, please contact:Summer 2024 Justice Legal Intern – Brennan Center for Justice. Mar 11, 2024 Explore . Categories 1L Announcements . 1L E-Advising . 2L Announcements . 2L E-Advising . …Join the Brennan Center for Justice, State Court Report, and the New York University Law Review for a live two-day event on February 8 and 9 at NYU School of Law’s Vanderbilt Hall. Judges, academics, and lawyers will dive into the nuances and importance of state constitutional law. As Justice William J. Brennan Jr. once wrote, state courts …Jul 20, 2018 · Ahead of upcoming midterm elections, a new Brennan Center investigation has examined data for more than 6,600 jurisdictions that report purge rates to the Election Assistance Commission and calculated purge rates for 49 states. We found that between 2014 and 2016, states removed almost 16 million voters from the rolls, and every state in the ... Reform Money in Politics. Americans are fed up with the role of big money in political campaigns. The Brennan Center’s solution: small donor public financing to put power back in the hands of individuals. The campaign finance system is broken. Super PACs and shadowy nonprofits give enormous sway to the super-wealthy and big corporations.President, Brennan Center for Justice. Adam Winkler Professor, UCLA School of Law. Kenji Yoshino Professor, NYU School of Law. EMERITUS. Lawrence Pedowitz, Chair Emeritus Retired Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. IN MEMORIAM. Nancy Brennan, (1949–2022) Consultant, Nonprofit Management and Fundraising. Gail …Manuel Monge was the Chief Human Resources Officer at the Brennan Center for Justice. In his role, he served on the organization’s executive management team, and led the Brennan Center’s people, organization, and culture initiatives and programs. Manuel has made his professional mission to help organizations build better cultures and better …Jan 23, 2020 · On January 15, Virginia became the latest state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a proposed amendment to the Constitution that guarantees equal rights for women. The measure emerged as a top legislative priority after Democrats took control of both houses of the Virginia General Assembly for the first time in two decades, leading to ... The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve the systems of democracy and justice in the United States.The Facts on Bail Reform in New York: How Pretrial Detention and Release Works Now. While the original law severely limited the use of money bail and jail in many lower-level cases, later revisions carved out significant exceptions. Brianna Seid. March 13, 2024.And in the 2020 election cycle, voter suppression was alive and well. Overall, 70.9 percent of eligible white voters cast ballots in the 2020 elections, compared with only 58.4 percent of non-white voters. footnote3_xzllc0q 3 Despite significant gains in overall voter participation, the turnout gap between white and non-white voters has gone ...View the entire AI and Democracy series In 2017, during a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) public comment period, bots flooded the agency with more than a million comments from fake constituents calling for the repeal of net neutrality rules. Regulators uncovered this covert attempt to subvert the policy process, but only …But on June 23, 2022, in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court cast doubt on virtually all past Second Amendment decisions, including McGinnis. In short, the Supreme Court declared that the legal standard that courts applied before Bruen was wrongheaded. Pre- Bruen, courts had pursued two steps in analyzing …To help change the national legal conversation on history and the Constitution, the Brennan Center has convened a council of 18 expert historians from leading institutions nationwide. The council’s members include winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the Bancroft Prize, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and the MacArthur Fellowship, as well as numerous ...Over the past few months, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation explored this question, … The Brennan Center is powered by lawyers, researchers, writers, social scientists, and advocates. But on June 23, 2022, in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court cast doubt on virtually all past Second Amendment decisions, including McGinnis. In short, the Supreme Court declared that the legal standard that courts applied before Bruen was wrongheaded. Pre- Bruen, courts had pursued two steps in analyzing …Elizabeth (Liza) Goitein is senior director of the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty & National Security Program. Goitein is a nationally-recognized expert on presidential emergency powers, government surveillance, and government secrecy. Her writing has been featured in major newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, ...When public officials engage in misconduct, people expect justice, often in the form of a federal investigation and criminal prosecution. In 2020 alone, instances of police violence, including the killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and Breonna Taylor and the shooting of Jacob Blake, led to demands for increased police …Careers. Part think tank, part advocacy group, and part cutting-edge communications hub, the Brennan Center for Justice aims to hold public institutions accountable to core American values — democracy, justice, freedom, and equality. We work toward a more diverse and inclusive United States. To do this, we: research and craft innovative ... Defend Democracy. Reform Justice. Protect the Constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law works to build an America that is democratic, just, and free. And in the 2020 election cycle, voter suppression was alive and well. Overall, 70.9 percent of eligible white voters cast ballots in the 2020 elections, compared with only 58.4 percent of non-white voters. footnote3_xzllc0q 3 Despite significant gains in overall voter participation, the turnout gap between white and non-white voters has gone ...This article discusses issues and recommendations originally outlined in Good Governance Paper No. 18: Reforming Emergency Powers. The Trump administration illuminated many shortcomings in the laws that confer or constrain presidential power. Among the most flawed—and most dangerous—are the authorities the president may …This tracker is a joint project of the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Brennan Center for Justice.. In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.Wade, the nearly 50-year-old landmark ruling … Defend Democracy. Reform Justice. Protect the Constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law works to build an America that is democratic, just, and free. When public officials engage in misconduct, people expect justice, often in the form of a federal investigation and criminal prosecution. In 2020 alone, instances of police violence, including the killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and Breonna Taylor and the shooting of Jacob Blake, led to demands for increased police …The Brennan Center for Justice has created three special initiatives, each designed to ensure a solid, sustainable future for our organization. Brennan Legacy Fund. This is our Board-directed strategic opportunities and reserve fund. Launched in 2015, it ensures the Center has the resilience and resources to rise to urgent challenges. …May 20, 2022 · In July 2019, the Brennan Center for Justice published State Supreme Court Diversity, which detailed stark racial, ethnic, and gender disparities on state high courts across the country, drawing on more than 60 years of data. This analysis includes new data on the composition of state supreme courts as of May 18, 2022, with updated information ... Jan 25, 2024 · 6. The survey of local elected officeholders asked,“To what extent have concerns about insults, harassment, threats, or attacks negatively impacted your willingness to do each of” a variety of actions, such as running for reelection. For each proposed action, officeholders could respond on a four-category scale: “a lot,” “somewhat ... The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to reform, revitalize - and when necessary, defend - our country's systems of …The Brennan Center proposes a comprehensive plan to end mass incarceration, reform policing, and promote racial equity in the criminal justice system. The plan includes …Inimai Chettiar is the director of the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice. She directed the research team conducting this report. Foreword by Cornell William Brooks. In 1963, the March on Washington marked a turning point in the long fight for civil rights for African Americans. A century after President Lincoln issued the …Download Photo. Ames Grawert is senior counsel and John L. Neu Justice Counsel in the Brennan Center’s Justice Program. He leads quantitative and policy research focused on trends in crime, and the collateral costs of mass incarceration. Additionally, he advocates for criminal justice reform policies at the state and federal level.The Brennan Center has proposed important reforms to the Insurrection Act. Congress should define the law’s critical terms. Legislators and judges must play a larger role in overseeing the president’s exercise of the law. There’s nothing remotely partisan about these changes — they’re common sense. Congress can and should … Census Reform. The law governing the decennial census is long overdue for comprehensive reform. The Brennan Center fights for systemic legislative change to ensure future censuses are more accurate, equitable, and legitimate. Antwon McMullen/Shutterstock. Gerrymandering & Fair Representation. A Fair & Accurate Census. Overview. Work & Resources. Michael Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. A nonpartisan law and policy institute that focuses on improving systems of democracy …Jan 4, 2019 · The making of a criminal justice reform bill. The Brennan Center has been advocating for federal sentencing reform for years: Attorneys at the Center’s Justice Program were heavily involved in the fight to pass the SRCA and its predecessor, the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2013. The Fourth Amendment in the Digital Age. Summary: The Supreme Court’s Carpenter ruling can shape privacy protections for new technologies. The Fourth Amendment stands for the principle that the government generally may not search its people or seize their belongings without appropriate process and oversight. Today, we …Rethinking Civic Engagement. Summary: Young adults participate in politics and their communities far more than they are given credit for — and in ways that often go unrecognized. Civic engagement is a key indicator of adulthood. Young adults respond to the social and political issues of the day in a variety of ways.And in the 2020 election cycle, voter suppression was alive and well. Overall, 70.9 percent of eligible white voters cast ballots in the 2020 elections, compared with only 58.4 percent of non-white voters. footnote3_xzllc0q 3 Despite significant gains in overall voter participation, the turnout gap between white and non-white voters has gone ...3 days ago · Attend an Event. Throughout the year, we host events to educate, inform, and inspire. Join us for Brennan Center Live, our virtual and in-person event series, for fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution. In 2021, the state legislative push to restrict access to voting was not only aggressive — it was also successful. Between January 1 and December 7, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. More than 440 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 states in the 2021 legislative sessions.Census Reform. The law governing the decennial census is long overdue for comprehensive reform. The Brennan Center fights for systemic legislative change to ensure future censuses are more accurate, equitable, and legitimate. Antwon McMullen/Shutterstock. Gerrymandering & Fair Representation. A Fair & Accurate …The 2021–2022 cycle of state supreme court elections broke numerous records: In total, candidates, interest groups, and political parties spent $100.8 million on state supreme court elections. This was nearly twice the spending in any prior midterm cycle, after adjusting for inflation. Outside interest groups spent more than ever before ...The Justice Department by itself distributes more than $5 billion in federal grants to state and local governments annually, not including the funding that law enforcement agencies across the nation get from the Department of Homeland Security. ... and other resources. Critics, including the Brennan Center, pointed out that federal …As we explain in the report, term limits can be implemented by statute as long as the justices retain their judicial office after their 18-year term, which is what the senior justice system provides. Congress has broad authority to shape the Supreme Court’s structure and the justices’ duties. And lawmakers have used that power …As of March 24, 2021, 54 moving bills in 26 states relate to absentee voting. CT HB 6464, CT HJR 58, IN SB 117, MA SD 1345, NH HB 516, NH HB 61, NY SB 360, RI SB 621. All but one, Indiana, offered no-excuse absentee voting as a temporary measure in response to the Covid-19 pandemic during the November 2020 election.Gerrymandering describes the intentional manipulation of district boundaries to discriminate against a group of voters on the basis of their political views or race. The term dates to 1812 when Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry signed into law a redistricting plan that included a district many thought looked like a salamander, leading ...Sep 18, 2023 · In 2020 and 2021, the social unrest caused by the pandemic, unprecedented racial justice protests, and the presidential election and its aftermath drove gun purchasing to record levels — more than 42 million guns were sold in those two years alone. Violence rose. Compared with historical averages, the period between March 1, 2020, and ... This tracker is a joint project of the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Brennan Center for Justice.. In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.Wade, the nearly 50-year-old landmark ruling …When public officials engage in misconduct, people expect justice, often in the form of a federal investigation and criminal prosecution. In 2020 alone, instances of police violence, including the killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and Breonna Taylor and the shooting of Jacob Blake, led to demands for increased police …Inimai Chettiar is the director of the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice. She directed the research team conducting this report. Foreword by Cornell William Brooks. In 1963, the March on Washington marked a turning point in the long fight for civil rights for African Americans. A century after President Lincoln issued the …Apr 26, 2021 · In the Senate, a filibuster is an attempt to delay or block a vote on a piece of legislation or a confirmation. To understand the filibuster, it’s necessary first to consider how the Senate passes a bill. When a senator or a group of senators introduces a new bill, it goes to the appropriate committee for discussion, hearings, and amendments. The time has come to rethink DHS intelligence operations and build safeguards that permit the department to provide its leadership with the information it needs while protecting civil rights and civil liberties. This report charts a course for doing so. It focuses initially on I&A, explaining how the office has veered from its counterterrorism ...The bill would protect our elections from voter suppression, partisan sabotage, gerrymandering, and dark money. The Freedom to Vote Act is historic pro-voter legislation to strengthen our democracy, promote racial justice and equity for all Americans, and block anti-voter efforts in the states. In the 2022 midterms, American democracy …U.S. Crime Rates and Trends — Analysis of FBI Crime Statistics. The FBI’s latest report on crime trends includes 2022 data for national, regional, and local levels. This page …Mar 13, 2024 · The Facts on Bail Reform in New York: How Pretrial Detention and Release Works Now. While the original law severely limited the use of money bail and jail in many lower-level cases, later revisions carved out significant exceptions. Brianna Seid. March 13, 2024. Read More. This article discusses issues and recommendations originally outlined in Good Governance Paper No. 18: Reforming Emergency Powers. The Trump administration illuminated many shortcomings in the laws that confer or constrain presidential power. Among the most flawed—and most dangerous—are the authorities the president may …Informed citizens are democracy’s best defense. Defend Democracy. Reform Justice. Protect the Constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law works to build an America that is democratic, just, and free.No. 02: Put instructions where voters need them. Break instructions into groups. On paper ballots, place instructions to turn the ballot over at the bottom right hand corner. On electronic ballots, put instructions for writing in candidates on the write-in screen. Continue voting next side instruction is placed at the end of the last column on ...The good news is that at last criminal justice policy has finally begun to change course. But without a sustained effort, this burst of reform will fall short. Mass incarceration was created through decades-long policy shifts at the national, state, and local level. Ending it will require policies just as far-reaching.Mekela Panditharatne serves as counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, where her work focuses on election reform, election security, governance, voting, truth and information. Mekela was previously an attorney with Earthjustice, where she engaged in a wide range of federal litigation and policy work. … Gerrymandering & Fair Representation. Voters are supposed to choose candidates. But when lawmakers draw district lines to entrench one party’s political power, some votes count more than others. The Brennan Center’s solutions: independent redistricting commissions in every state and legal protections against extreme gerrymandering. Over the past few months, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation explored this question, …These incentive structures raise the risk that officials will chase revenue rather than pursue public safety and justice, giving law enforcement agencies a stake in perpetuating mass incarceration. This report catalogs some of the most corrosive practices. These perverse economic incentives fall into three primary categories: User-funded justice.Jan 25, 2024 · 6. The survey of local elected officeholders asked,“To what extent have concerns about insults, harassment, threats, or attacks negatively impacted your willingness to do each of” a variety of actions, such as running for reelection. For each proposed action, officeholders could respond on a four-category scale: “a lot,” “somewhat ... The Facts on Bail Reform in New York: How Pretrial Detention and Release Works Now. While the original law severely limited the use of money bail and jail in many lower-level cases, later revisions carved out significant exceptions. Brianna Seid. March 13, 2024.Over an 18-month period, about 33,000 lives were lost to violence in the United States — 8,400 more than would have been killed had homicide rates stayed the same as in 2019. These numbers pale, of course, beside the more than 600,000 American deaths from the coronavirus over the same period. It’s also true that homicide rates …The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law was founded in 1995 as a living memorial to Justice William J. Brennan Jr., a champion of democracy, civil rights, and individual liberties. The center combines legal advocacy, …That’s why the Brennan Center for Justice advocates for reforming how judges are selected, revamping recusal rules, and adopting judicial public financing, to protect against special interest influence and political pressure. We also sound the alarm when lawmakers try to weaponize the courts and fight efforts to undermine their independence. We track … The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law was founded in 1995 by former law clerks to Justice William J. Brennan Jr. (1906–97) as a living memorial to his ideals: a commitment to a fair and inclusive democracy, support for the disadvantaged, and respect for individual rights and liberties. Above all, Brennan saw the value of ...
Renowned Atlantic journalist will help Center anticipate and respond to attacks on democracy, before and after 2024 election. January 22, 2024. Contact: Kendall Karson, Media Contact, [email protected], 646-925-8746. Today journalist Barton Gellman joins the leadership team of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law as …. Georgia hospital association
The Justice Department by itself distributes more than $5 billion in federal grants to state and local governments annually, not including the funding that law enforcement agencies across the nation get from the Department of Homeland Security. ... and other resources. Critics, including the Brennan Center, pointed out that federal …Coronavirus, Location Tracking, and Civil Liberties. The rise of mass surveillance after 9/11 offers a cautionary tale for using tech to keep tabs on people during the Covid-19 pandemic. To help combat the coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local governments are receiving analyses of …The Electoral College has racist origins — when established, it applied the three-fifths clause, which gave a long-term electoral advantage to slave states in the South — and continues to dilute the political power of voters of color. It incentivizes presidential campaigns to focus on a relatively small number of “swing states.”. Attend an Event. Throughout the year, we host events to educate, inform, and inspire. Join us for Brennan Center Live, our virtual and in-person event series, for fascinating conversations with well-known thinkers on issues like democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution. Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. 70,031 likes · 4,283 talking about this · 169 were here. We are a nonpartisan law and policy institute working to reform, revitalize, and defend our …The Brennan Center is powered by lawyers, researchers, writers, social scientists, and advocates.Many citizens find it difficult to obtain government photo IDs because the necessary documentation, such as a birth certificate, is often difficult or expensive to acquire. The Brennan Center conducts research on voter ID, proof of citizenship, and in-person voter fraud. Our attorneys assist policymakers and advocates who work to improve the ...The Good News About Democracy in 2023. While serious threats to democracy remain, there is also a growing pro-democracy movement pushing many states in the right direction. Over the past few years, states across the country have passed laws that make voting more difficult and elections more vulnerable to partisan interference, …The National Criminal Victimization Survey, published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, seeks to account for the difference using a national survey to estimate the rate at which people experience non-fatal crime and violence. This survey shows rates of non-fatal violent crime declining in 2020 and increasing very slightly in 2021.Jan 4, 2019 · The making of a criminal justice reform bill. The Brennan Center has been advocating for federal sentencing reform for years: Attorneys at the Center’s Justice Program were heavily involved in the fight to pass the SRCA and its predecessor, the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2013. President, Brennan Center for Justice. Adam Winkler Professor, UCLA School of Law. Kenji Yoshino Professor, NYU School of Law. EMERITUS. Lawrence Pedowitz, Chair Emeritus Retired Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. IN MEMORIAM. Nancy Brennan, (1949–2022) Consultant, Nonprofit Management and Fundraising. Gail ….