Paul, Weiss and Co-Counsel File Amicus Brief in Supreme Court Redistricting Case

Paul, Weiss, together with co-counsel from the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the NAACP Louisiana State Conference, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, and eight Louisiana voters in John H. Merrill, et al. v. Evan Milligan, et al., a case challenging Alabama’s 2022 congressional districts under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Describing Louisiana’s history of racially discriminatory voting practices and more recent laws and practices, such as disparate access to polling locations and felony disenfranchisement, amici argue that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act remains a critical potential remedy for Black voters in Louisiana and elsewhere who continue to face significant obstacles to full political participation.

In a separate case, Paul, Weiss and other co-counsel challenged Louisiana’s 2022 congressional redistricting under the Voting Rights Act on behalf of the same clients. The district court, following a five-day evidentiary hearing, held that Louisiana’s congressional map violated Section 2 and issued a preliminary injunction, and the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied the defendants’ motion for stay pending appeal. The Supreme Court, however, issued a stay, granted a writ of certiorari before judgment and held the case in abeyance pending its decision in Merrill.

The Paul, Weiss team was led by litigation associates Amitav Chakraborty and Adam Savitt, and supervised by partner Yahonnes Cleary and counsel Jonathan Hurwitz. The team also included associates Arielle McTootle and Emily Glavin.