The criminal legal system often misunderstands—and mishandles—people with intellectual disabilities. Law professor Katie Kronick explains how and why these individuals so often fall through the cracks in a system built around efficiency and rigid rules. She breaks down the stakes with real examples, including a high-profile death penalty case now before the Supreme Court, and shares ideas for building a criminal justice system that recognizes and respects the needs of defendants with intellectual disabilities.

For more on this topic: 

• Read Kronick’s amicus brief for the Supreme Court case Hamm v. Smith

• Check out her essay in the Sentencing Matters Substack: Why is it So Hard for Courts to Adjust to Advancements in Knowledge of Human Behavior?

• Read her op-ed in the Baltimore Sun: The Criminal Legal System Is Failing People With Intellectual Disabilities

This Election Day is the perfect moment to look beyond the national headlines and focus on what’s happening closer to home. As Americans head to the polls, Professor Brian Adams breaks down why state and local elections matter—from the mayors, town councils, and school boards shaping daily life to the policies that affect housing and public safety. He explains how voters make decisions with limited information in these races, the growing partisanship in local politics, and new initiatives aimed at reducing the influence of money in local elections. 

For more on this topic: 

• Read Adams’s article in The Conversation, Local Elections Are Less Partisan Because Voters Will Cross Party Lines When Issues Hit Close to Home, coauthored with Edward L. Lascher Jr. and Danielle Martin

• Check out his book: Citizen Lobbyists: Local Efforts to Influence Public Policy