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 which includes:

• Name and citation of the case
• Decision date
• Court that issued the decision
• Practical effect of the Court’s interpretation of the law in question
• Area of law affected (labor, tax, criminal, etc.)
• Text of the provision(s) interpreted
• Action taken by the court
• Any additional analysis
• Possibility of further appeals

The creation of the memos is initiated either by Albany Law School students working in the GLC, who review all Appellate Division and Court of Appeals decisions to identify relevant cases, or by reviewing decisions submitted to the GLC by the New York State courts.