Legal Briefs
Read the friend-of-the-court brief in the case of Shelby County v. Holder filed by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and 28 organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, AARP, the League of Women Voters, the National Urban League, Project Vote, the Southern Poverty Law Center. Attorneys with the firm of Goodwin Proctor LLP provided lead counsel for the brief.
The brief highlights three key arguments for why the Court should uphold Section 5 of the VRA, a vital tool that protects voters from real attempts at disenfranchisement.
- Section 5 continues to provide real protection to real voters: As recent court decisions in South Carolina, Texas, and Florida have shown, without Section 5, there is a real risk that the progress made in the covered jurisdictions since 1965 would be rolled back.
- Congress has thoroughly scrutinized the evidence supporting Section 5 of the VRA and determined that voters in covered jurisdictions merit strong protections: The Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution ensures the right to vote is not denied on account of race or color, and gives Congress the authority to protect this right.
- The law is flexible and practical: Jurisdictions that have complied with the Voting Rights Act for 10 years are eligible to have their coverage terminated under the “bail out” provision. Since 1982, every jurisdiction that has sought a bailout has received one.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Full list of briefs compiled by the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) filed in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. (PDF)
Documents and Media
Listen to Press Call: Why Native American Voters Need the Voting Rights Act (MP3) | Info about the Call
Listen to Press Call: Why Texas Voters Need the Voting Rights Act (MP3) | Info about the Call
Listen to a Press Call: Southern Voters and Advocates Discuss Real Need for the Voting Rights Act (MP3) | Info about the Call
FACT SHEET: Why the Voting Rights Act Remains Vital—Real Stories (PDF)
VOTING RIGHTS ACT: Road to Shelby County v. Holder (PDF)
View LDF’s Webcast on ‘Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder’ Before the Supreme Court
Info Graphic: Why We Still Need the Voting Rights Act (LDF)
Timeline: A History of the Voting Rights Act (ACLU)