Supporting a Strong Democracy

“So much of the academic and national press focus is on the U.S. Supreme Court, but state courts have an equal and sometimes greater impact on the law and people’s lives,” said John W. Miller ’06. “Simply put, further exposure and study of state courts will lead to a better-functioning democracy for all of us.”

That’s why University of Wisconsin Law School Board of Visitors members Miller, alongside Chair and double Badger Elizabeth Gracie ’83 and her Chicago law firm O’Keefe Lyons & Hynes, LLC, have contributed a total of $50,000 to create a 1:1 matching gift opportunity to support the State Democracy Research Initiative (SDRI). The match was motivated by a desire to draw attention to the important work of SDRI while inspiring philanthropic support from more donors. The 1:1 match was launched in late October 2024 and fulfilled in less than six weeks.

Founded by faculty co-directors Miriam Seifter and Robert Yablon, SDRI seeks to advance research and dialogue on state-level democracy, government institutions and public law across the nation. By focusing on the states, which traditionally receive less attention than the federal government in legal circles, the initiative serves as a much-needed resource for academics, courts, policymakers, advocates and the public.

“Liz Gracie and John Miller have long been steadfast supporters of our mission, and we were thrilled when they offered to provide anchor gifts for this match as a way to encourage other alumni to engage with and support our work,” said Bree Grossi Wilde, SDRI’s executive director.

Housing this kind of academic research at UW Law sends the message to faculty that the school “has their back and incentivizes long-term relationships with world-class professors like Seifter and Yablon,” explained Miller. “Putting a focus on the great work SDRI is doing was all it took to engage our alumni.”

Gracie, who has long been interested in politics and has served as an election observer since 2008, was always proud of the role Professor Yablon played in the lawsuits seeking unbiased electoral maps for Wisconsin.

“When he and Professor Seifter launched SDRI, it seemed like a natural progression of that essential election law work,” she said. “I was immediately grateful that they have taken on this scholarly yet pragmatic work and excited about its potential. Everything I care about depends upon a strong democracy.”

Gifts for this match came in quickly, with more than half having been committed during the annual Dean’s Summit meeting last October when it was first announced. Gracie believes the speed at which it was met was not only a testament to the support of the school and its talented faculty by its alumni, but in large part due to the nature of the work of SDRI itself.

“I believe the value of SDRI is readily apparent to those who learn of its work,” she said. “SDRI is doing one-of-a-kind legal work that has a nationwide impact.”

Funding from the match will support SDRI’s ongoing efforts to advance research and dialogue on state-level democracy and help build healthier and more resilient democratic institutions in Wisconsin and beyond, explained Wilde.

Among other projects, SDRI staff are conducting in-depth studies of topics ranging from direct democracy to state supreme court decision-making processes to state legislative capacity. They’re developing an interactive website, 50 Constitutions, that is the nation’s premier resource on state constitutions, and they’re hosting events featuring academics, jurists and practitioners to share knowledge and perspectives on state public-law issues (including public panel discussions available for CLE credit).

“SDRI is deeply grateful for the generosity of the match participants and for the Law School’s unwavering institutional support,” said Wilde. “Even though much of the nation’s governance occurs at the state level, states are too often overlooked in legal and policy circles. This match has been hugely helpful not only for generating vital funds for SDRI, but also for highlighting state democracy and public law as attention-worthy subjects.”

The Law School has had a long tradition of alumni support through philanthropy, of which we’re very grateful, explained Elizabeth Feist, managing senior director of development at the Law School.

“This match provided an opportunity to raise awareness of the critical work the State Democracy Research Initiative team does to advance research and dialogue on state-level democracy,” she said. “All of us at the Law School were thrilled and so grateful by how responsive the alumni community was to this match and how quickly we achieved the goal, which ultimately provides SDRI with more resources to continue their important work.”

Support the SDRI Fund.

By Kassandra Tuten