Albany, NY  --- With the balance of the Supreme Court likely to shift after the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, four of New York's top legal scholars offered insights into how state constitutions can continue to protect important rights at a forum last week hosted by the Rockefeller Institute of Government and the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.

The panel discussed the potential implications for  reproductive rights, protections for immigrants, affirmative action, environmental protections, LGBTQ rights, and how state constitutions --- particularly New York's --- can play a role if federal protections are weakened.

The full video is available now:

For more information about the protections provided by the New York State Constitution, read Protections in the New York State Constitution released last year by the Rockefeller Institute and the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.