Publication Archive
The Government Law Center's programs and publications are archived in a searchable database.
Explainers and Reports
The Government Law Center’s explainers concisely map out the law that applies to important questions of public policy. Touching on current topics in the news and anticipating topics coming up in the future, these publications provide guides for policymakers on key topics in government.
Select a topic below:
- Bennett Liebman, The New York State of the State Address: Time, Place, and Manner (Jan. 12, 2026)
- Richard Rifkin, New York Equal Rights Amendment (Proposition 1) on the November 2024 Ballot (Oct. 8, 2024)
- Richard Rifkin, Amending the New York State Constitution (Jun. 4, 2024)
- Richard Rifkin, Repeal the Cap?: Proposed Amendment to Remove Constitutional Limits on New York Supreme Court Justices (Mar. 29, 2024)
- Scott Fein, Harrison Robbins ’25, and Patrick A. Woods ’12, New York State Environmental Rights Amendment: Standards of Review (Feb. 5, 2024)
- Richard Rifkin, The Constitutionality of the New York Early Mail Voter Act (Dec. 13, 2023)
- Ashlyn Henrichs ’25, 2023 Statewide Ballot Proposal 1: Constitutional Amendment Removing the Debt Limit on Small City School Districts (Oct. 19, 2023)
- Michael Lennon ’27, 2023 Statewide Ballot Proposal 2: Constitutional Amendment Excluding Sewage from Local Indebtedness (Oct. 19, 2023)
- Bennett Liebman, The Constitutionality of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (Jun. 29, 2023)
- Ariel Gougeon ’24, Exploring the Emergency Powers of the Governor in New York State (Apr. 3, 2023)
- Scott Fein and Tyler Otterbein ’22, New York’s New Constitutional Environmental Bill of Rights: Impact and Implications (November 2021)
- Richard Rifkin, New York State Voting Rights Constitutional Amendments on the November 2021 Ballot (Oct. 4, 2021)
- Richard Rifkin, From the HEAT Act to Repealing the 100-Foot Rule: New Legislation Impacting Energy Utilities (Sept. 22, 2025)
- Richard Rifkin, Explaining the Medical Aid in Dying Act (Aug. 1, 2025)
- Richard Rifkin, “No Cell from Bell to Bell”: Smartphone Restrictions in New York Schools (May 21, 2025)
- Bennett Liebman, White v. Cuomo: What Comes Next After Daily Fantasy Sports Gambling in New York? (Sept. 15, 2022)
- Bennett Liebman, Name, Image, and Likeness Legislation Reaches New York State (Sept. 1, 2022, updated Dec. 1, 2022)
- Bennett Liebman, The Constitutionality of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (Jun. 29, 2023)
- Anthony Jenouri ’23 and Chel Miller, Report: Independent Ethics Commissions in the United States and U.S. Territories (December 2022)
- Bennett Liebman, Explaining the Ethics Commission Reform Act of 2022 (Sept. 15, 2022)
- Erika Bentley ’22, The New York Law Revision Commission: Past and Present (March 2022)
- Bennett Liebman, Let’s Not Waste the Cuomo Crisis (Sept. 8, 2021)
- Rose Mary Bailly, Supported Decision-making and Supported Decision-making Agreements (May 25, 2022, updated Aug. 3, 2022)
- Rose Mary Bailly, Adult Protective Services (Jul. 28, 2020)
- Rose Mary Bailly, Guardianship for Adults with Development Disabilities (Jul. 21, 2020)
- Rose Mary Bailly, Healthcare Proxies (Jan. 27, 2020)
- Paul Kietzman, "Act Now" Healthcare Proxies (Jan. 27, 2020)
- Cassandra DiNova ’16, Hospital Ethics Committees (Jan. 17, 2020)
- Rose Mary Bailly, New York State Justice Center for the Protections of People with Special Needs (Jan. 27, 2020, updated Apr. 27, 2021)
- Ava Ayers, How New York State Law Limits Independent Police Discipline – And What the Legislature Could Do to Address It (Dec. 15, 2025)
- Richard Rifkin, Voting While Incarcerated in Local Jails in New York (Jun. 17, 2025)
- Genevieve Bombard ’27, Explaining the New York State Prison Strike and the HALT Act (Mar. 6, 2025)
- Matt DeLaus ’23, Alternatives to Police as First Responders: Crisis Response Programs (Nov. 16, 2020)
- Richard Rifkin, Voting While Incarcerated in Local Jails in New York (Jun. 17, 2025)
- Richard Rifkin, The Constitutionality of the New York Early Mail Voter Act (Dec. 13, 2023)
- Richard Rifkin, Moore v. Harper: May State Laws Concerning Federal Elections Be Subject to State Judicial Review? (Nov. 7, 2022)
- Richard Rifkin, Redistricting Revisited: Court of Appeals Decision in Harkenrider, et. al. v. Hochul, et al. (Aug. 3, 2022)
- Patrick A. Woods ’12, Ballot Proposal 5: Increasing the Monetary Limit on Lawsuits That Can Be Decided by the New York City Civil Court (Oct. 27, 2021)
- Richard Rifkin, New York State Voting Rights Constitutional Amendments on the November 2021 Ballot (Oct. 4, 2021)
- Richard Rifkin, Enforcement of the Voting Rights Act in the 21st Century (Jul. 28, 2021)
- Richard Rifkin, Redistricting for the 2022 Elections (July 2021)
- Richard Rifkin, The Supreme Court and the 2020 Election (Aug. 5, 2020)
- Olivia Fleming ’23 and Susan Steer, Gun Sanctuaries and 'Sanctuaries for the Unborn' in New York State (Jun. 3, 2021)
- Kendra Sena, Litigation Update: Counties Sue New York State Over Driver's Licenses (Sept. 15, 2019)
- Kendra Sena, State Criminal Law and Immigration (May 6, 2019)
- Ava Ayers, "Sanctuary" Policies: What Are the Decisions Facing State and Local Governments? (Mar. 19, 2019)
- Kendra Sena, When Local Law-Enforcement Officers Become ICE Deputies: 287(g) Agreements (Mar. 18, 2019)
- Kendra Sena, Driver's Licenses and Undocumented Immigrants (Jul. 15, 2019)
- Kendra Sena, Municipal IDs: Local Governments and the Power to Create Identity Documents (Aug. 8, 2018)
- Ava Ayers, Immigrants and Public Benefits: What Must States and Localities Provide? (Jul. 31, 2018)
- Kendra Sena, U Visas (April 2018)
Improving Interbranch Communication Project
The Improving Interbranch Communication Project bridges gaps between New York’s Courts and the state's Executive and Legislative branches.
When courts issue interpretations of statutory and/or regulatory text the Government Law Center leverages its expertise to inform the Governor’s Office and Legislators about the interpretations and explain them in a concise, non-partisan, plain-text, explainer-style memo.