Impact

We represent individuals and community organizations in vote dilution, vote denial, and other election law cases across the country. We pursue cases that maximize the impact of our resources, ensuring we help people in need while advancing the law.

Academic Novelty

We bring cases that harness innovative academic ideas to advance election law jurisprudence and build power for historically disenfranchised communities.

Strategic Impact

We bring cases that are unlikely to have been brought without the Clinic’s involvement and cases where the Clinic can provide additional resources.

Student Learning

We bring cases that provide rich opportunities for student learning to train the next generation of civil rights litigators and advocates.

The Clinic has achieved significant student engagement and reach in its first two years

72

Clinical students in the Clinic’s first three years

12,000+

Student clinical hours

1,000+

Attendees of Clinic events

20+

States/Territories in which the Clinic has done work

The Clinic advances its goals through three types of work

  • Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP v. City of Jacksonville

    • Filed a suit on behalf of four community organizations and 10 individuals alleging that seven of the 14 Jacksonville City Council districts are racially gerrymandered.

    • Won a motion for preliminary injunction and successfully opposed a motion to stay the ruling at the Eleventh Circuit.

    • Secured a rare Circuit decision limiting the Purcell principle, which will positively impact future cases.

    • Won opposition to the City’s interim remedial plan (a Plaintiff proposed plan was put in place)

    Western Native Voice v. Jacobsen

    • Represented Western Native Voice in its suit challenging the elimination of Election Day Registration in Montana

    • Proved at trial that the law removing Election Day Registration disproportionately burdened Native American voters living on reservations, and the law was permanently enjoined

    • The Clinic and co-counsel won a preliminary injunction barring the Secretary of State from enforcing the challenged laws. The Montana Supreme Court affirmed the preliminary injunction

    Serratto v. Mount Pleasant

    • Along with co-counsel filed the first suit under the John R. Lewis New York Voting Rights Act (NYVRA)

    • Represent four Hispanic residents, alleging that the election system for the Town Board dilutes their voting power

  • We file amicus briefs in major Supreme Court, lower court, and state court cases that implicate election law

    Supreme Court amicus briefs

    Merrill v. Milligan

    • Filed on behalf of Professors Chen, Elmendorf, Stephanopoulos, and Warshaw in support of Appellees/Respondents. The brief explains the already narrow path to success provided by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and argues that the Court should not further narrow Section 2 by adopting a race-blind baseline.

    Lower court and state court amicus briefs

    Portugal v. Franklin County(Washington Supreme Court)

    • Filed on behalf of OneAmerica initially, then the clinic, explaining that the Washington Voting Rights Act is consistent with the federal and state constitutions and is essential to protecting the voting and representational rights of communities of color.

    Kim v. Giordano Hanlon 

    • Filed brief on behalf of the Clinic explaining how the “county line” ballot design used in New Jersey has greater negative impacts than many other electoral regulations that are regularly struck down by courts. 

  • ELC works with community organizations and advocacy groups to develop policy solutions to advance voting rights

    • Advocacy for State Voting Rights Acts: The Election Law Clinic is partnering with local organizations across the country to adopt or amend SVRAs to better enfranchise people of color in local government.

      • Highlight: Lucas Rodriguez (JD ’24) testified before both the Maryland Ways and Means Committee in support of HB 1104 and the Connecticut Joint Government Administration and Elections Committee in support of SB 1226.

    • Changing the Election Timing for Local Elections to November: Elections that are not held in November of even years disparately decrease the turnout of people of color and result in worse governance outcomes for these communities. 

      • Highlight: Reducing Racial Discrimination in Voting Through Election Alignment in New York - The Election Law Clinic provided a detailed analysis of the racially disparate impact of holding off-cycle elections in towns and counties in New York 

Explore our cases and actions, including relevant court documents.