Category Archives: Supreme Court

“On the Supreme Court’s Emergency Docket, Sharp Partisan Divides”

September 14, 2025, 9:45 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Adam Liptak for the NYT: Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh says good judges are like good referees. “Am I calling it the same way for labor and management, for the business and the environmental interests, for the Republican and the Democrat?”… Continue reading

David Gans on Circumspection Podcast Talking about Louisiana v. Callais, and Voting Rights at the Supreme Court

September 14, 2025, 9:33 amredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Listen here.

You Can Now Read a Transcript of My NPR “Fresh Air” Interview on the Growing Risks to American Democracy and Voting Rights

September 12, 2025, 8:48 amauthoritarian threats in US, election subversion risk, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Find the transcript here (or listen to the 37-minute interview).

Pam Karlan: Why Section 2 Matters to Existing Minority-Opportunity Districts

September 5, 2025, 7:40 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The following is an important guest post from Pam Karlan: In a recent post describing his amicus brief in Louisiana v. Callais, Nick Stephanopoulos points out a “large decline in racially-polarized voting” in many jurisdictions may preclude plaintiffs… Continue reading

“In rare interviews, federal judges criticize Supreme Court’s handling of Trump cases”

September 4, 2025, 7:45 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Lawrence Hurley for NBC News: Federal judges are frustrated with the Supreme Court for increasingly overturning lower court rulings involving the Trump administration with little or no explanation, with some worried the practice is undermining the judiciary at a sensitive… Continue reading

Amicus Brief on the Fifteenth Amendment in Louisiana v. Callais

September 3, 2025, 5:31 pmelection law and constitutional law, redistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActTravis Crum

Another ELB contributor has entered the Callais fray. Today, I filed an amicus brief in support of the Robinson appellants in this fall’s blockbuster voting rights case, Louisiana v. Callais. You can find my amicus brief here. Thanks to… Continue reading

“Money, Politics, and the First Amendment”

September 3, 2025, 1:31 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

This looks to be a great hybrid event at the University of Wisconsin’s State Democracy Research Initiative on October 3.

“The Future of Voting Rights Is on the Line at the Supreme Court”

September 2, 2025, 5:04 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Here’s a transcript of a bit of my Slate Amicus podcast conversation with Dahlia Lithwick: Can you just explain to us what happens if Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is no longer the mechanism by which voters can… Continue reading

Announcing the Safeguarding Democracy Project’s Fall Lineup of Events and Webinars, Focused on the Fairness and Integrity of the 2026 Midterms

September 2, 2025, 7:45 amalternative voting systems, authoritarian threats in US, election administration, redistricting, Supreme Court, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The Risk of Federal Interference in the 2026 Midterm Elections Tuesday, September 16, 12:15pm-1:15pm PT, Webinar Register here. Ben Haiman, UVA Center for Public Safety and Justice, Liz Howard, NYU Law Brennan Center for Justice, and Stephen Richer, Ash Center for Democratic Governance… Continue reading

State of Louisiana, in Motion for Divided Argument for the Supreme Court “Vehemently” Takes the Position that the Creation of a Race-Conscious District as Required by the Voting Rights Act is Unconstitutional

September 2, 2025, 7:35 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The mask is truly off.

I Spoke with Dahlia Lithwick for Slate Amicus Podcast on the Risks to the Voting Rights Act at the Supreme Court and the Emerging Redistricting Wars

August 30, 2025, 1:17 pmredistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Slate Plus listeners can find the podcast here.

With Louisiana Essentially Flipping Sides in Callais Case Before Supreme Court and Arguing Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is Unconstitutional, Full Defense Shifts to Voting Rights Groups

August 28, 2025, 7:50 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

As noted yesterday, Louisiana essentially flipped sides in the Lousiana v. Callais case. In an earlier brief, Louisiana argued that its congressional districts were not a racial gerrymander because politics, rather than race, predominated in drawing district lines. Now… Continue reading

“Louisiana urges Supreme Court to bar use of race in redistricting, in attack on Voting Rights Act”

August 27, 2025, 3:22 pmSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Mark Sherman for the AP: Louisiana on Wednesday abandoned its defense of a political map that elected two Black members of Congress and instead called on the Supreme Court to reject any consideration of race in redistricting in a case… Continue reading