Paul, Weiss Files Amicus Brief in Partisan Gerrymandering Case Before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Paul, Weiss filed an amicus curiae brief urging the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to find that Pennsylvania’s congressional map—under which Democrats received a majority of the two-party vote in 2012 but won only 5 out of the 18 seats—is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. In League of Women Voters v. Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is being asked to declare that drawing election districts strictly to reinforce disproportionate partisan representation can violate the U.S. Constitution and Pennsylvania Constitution. The court ordered an expedited schedule in an effort to reach a decision with sufficient time to prepare new districts in advance of Pennsylvania’s primary election in May 2018. The ruling vacated an order from the Commonwealth Court staying the case pending the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Gill v. Whitford, No. 16-1161, which involves the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering under the U.S. Constitution.

The Paul, Weiss brief, submitted on behalf of 21 political science professors, argues that recent and rapid advances in computing power and sophisticated data analytics now enable politicians to design a greater number of districts that are more biased in favor of one party than ever before, thereby entrenching partisan power in statehouses and in the U.S. House of Representatives. Click here to read the brief.

The Paul Weiss team included, among others, litigation partners Robert Atkins and Andrew Ehrlich and associates Pietro Signoracci, Michael Pernick, Melina Meneguin Layerenza, Brittney Xu and Jing Yan.