Category: Audits, Surveys & Reports
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State Court Report: The most significant state constitutional cases of the year
We asked leading commentators, scholars, and practitioners to share what they see as the most significant state constitutional case of 2025. I’m sharing their answers below. We’ll be back again in January with our regular newsletter. Happy holidays! —Alicia Bannon State courts are free to interpret their constitutions differently — and, sometimes, more protectively of…
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State of the State Courts: 2025 Public Opinion Poll Findings
For the 12th consecutive year, NCSC has teamed up with leading national pollster GBAO Strategies to conduct our State of the State Courts public opinion survey. The survey provides real-time insights into public sentiment about the courts and data for understanding the types of administrative reforms and improvements that might enhance public support. Survey development…
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Lessons from Poland for U.S. Judges on Defending the Rule of Law
A new brief from Piper Fund synthesizes perspectives shared at the “Lessons from Poland for U.S. Judges on Defending the Rule of Law” convening and through participant interviews afterward into key takeaways. It also explores the “Chilling Effect” and the case of the United States vs. Hannah C. Dugan, a judge for nine years in…
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2025 Legislative Report
As a nonpartisan legal resource, Friends of the Third Branch monitored 44 bills, actively engaged in 16, and helped block 32 proposals that threatened separation of powers, including attempts to politicize judicial elections. Click here to read the report.
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Final Report: State of Montana Workload Assessment Study of District Court Judicial Officers
National Center for State Courts Key Findings This assessment establishes a set of workload standards that provide uniform and comparable measures of the number of judicial officers needed to provide effective caseresolution. Application of the workload standards to the 2021 calendar year filings results in the need for 11.55 additional District Court Judges in Montana,…
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Middle Fork Strategies – Poll: Montanans Oppose Partisan Courts, Support Continued Medicaid
View the release on MiddleForkMT.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 30, 2025 Media Contact: Brandon DeMars, bdemars@middleforkmt.org Nick Lockridge, nlockridge@middleforkmt.org Poll: Montanans Oppose Partisan Courts, Support Continued Medicaid Statewide survey from Middle Fork Strategies shows Montanans still concerned with costs of living and want elected leaders to act on housing, property taxes. (Helena, Mont.) – A new…
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National Survey Reflects High Trust in State Courts
State courts generally maintain high public trust, valued for fairness and accessibility. However, approval can fluctuate due to political factors, high-profile decisions, and perceptions of judicial independence. In its recently released 2024 State of State Courts the National Center for the State Courts report that nearly two-thirds of Americans express trust and confidence in state…