Activities and Projects

As a research center of the University at Buffalo School of Law and the State University of New York, the Jaeckle Center maintains an active portfolio of research projects.   

Topics of ongoing research include:

• All aspects of election law, including redistricting, fair representation, the Voting Rights Act, campaign speech and finance, and the constitutional right to vote
• American and comparative federalism, including intergovernmental relations, the allocation of national and subnational power, the sustainability of federal systems, and constitutional structure and design
• Subnational constitutionalism, including state autonomy, the protection of human rights, issues arising from the dual definition and enforcement of constitutional norms, questions of national and subnational identity, and constitutional interpretation

The Jaeckle Center is more than a research institute. As a Center located within a public university, it recognizes an obligation to apply its work in real-world settings in ways that benefit the public. One way the Center meets this obligation is through projects in the community.

Some of our current projects include:

• New York State Democracy Clearinghouse (NYSDC)

On a limited basis, the Jaeckle Center provides pro bono consulting and representation.  In the past, Center personnel have provided consulting for state and local government officials, state and local agencies, non-governmental public interest organizations, state and local political parties, and academic researchers seeking legal advice in designing projects.   Center personnel have also provided legal consulting for active litigation, including, for example, litigation challenging voter ID laws and partisan gerrymandering.  Center staff has also testified before legislative committees and delivered talks and lectures in the community and in schools.   

In a new initiative, the Jaeckle Center has teamed with the School of Law’s Clinical Legal Education Program to offer the possibility of direct pro bono representation of clients.  Cases selected for this program will be staffed by Clinic students under the supervision of Clinic and Jaeckle Center law faculty.  Participants must satisfy all Clinic eligibility standards, and matters will be selected for the program in part on the basis of their suitability for hands-on clinical instruction of students.