Correspondence from Wallace to Ganucheau (Clerk); Washington Legal Foundation and the Allied Educational Foundation Motion for Leave to File Amici Curiae Brief; Correspondence from Vick to Ganucheau; from Karla to Natkin; Memo to Counsel for Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief

    • _ _ 
(Atli 

JOHN W. SIMS 
.FRANK S. CRAIG, JR. 
J. BARBEE wiNSTON - , 
GEORGE W. MEALY III 
CHARLES M. LANIER 

—JAMES BRADLEY KEMP. JR. 
HARRY S. REDMON, JR. 
JAMES H. ROUSSEL 
PHILIP DIEV. CLAVER-IE 

EUGENE R. PREAUS 
PAUL N. HAYGOOD 
ROBERT U. SONIAT 
ESMOND PHELPS It 
WINSTON EDWARD RICE 
RUTLEDGE C. CLEMENT, JR. 

JACK M. WEISS. 
ANTONIO J. RODRIGUEZ 
HARRY A. ROSENBERG 
JOHN P. mANARD, JR. - 
HARVEY 0. WAGAR III 
CLAYTON G. RAMSEY 
ROBERT M. wALMSLEY, JR. 
GEORGE J. FOWLER III 
EDWARD F. L6BRETON III 
PATRICK E. O'KEEFE 
J. PATRICK BEAUCHAmP 
H. ALSTON JOHNSON In 

• WALKER w JONES 110 
DAVID W. MOCKBEE• 
ROSS F. BASS. JR. 

• • • 

PHELPS., D UNBAR, MARKS, C LAVERIE & SIMS 

E. CLIFTON HODGE, JR. • 
DANNY' 0. SHAW 
GEORGE B. HALL, JR. 
ROBERT C. CLOTWORTHY 
HOWARO J. DAIGLE. J13. 
RICHARD N. DICHARRY 
FRANK W. TRAPP • 
MICHAEL D. HUNT 
GEORGE M. GILLY • 
CHRISTOPHER 0. DAVIS - 
VIRGINIA N. RODDY 
WILLIAM H. HOWARD III •• 

MARK B. MEYERS 
PAUL N. VANCE 
THOMAS H. KINGSMILL III 
SHAUN B. RAFFERTy 
BRENT B. BARRIERE 
MICHAEL B. WALLACE 

COUNSEL 

MARGOT MAZEAU 
EDWIN K. LEGNON 

OF COUNSEL 

LOUIS B. CLAVERIE 
JOHN G. wEiNMANN 
CHARLES E. DUNBAR in 

COUNSELLORS AT LAW 

SUITE 140o • MIRROR LAKE PLAZA 

2829 LAKELAND DRIVE 

-P. 0. BOX 55507 

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI 39216-1507 

(601) 939-3895 

TELECOP1ER (601) 932-6411 

TEXACO CENTER • 400 POYDRAS STREET 

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA 70130-3245 

(504) 566-1311 

SUITE 701 • CITY NATIONAL BANK BUILDING 

P 0. BOX 4412 

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA 70821-4412 

1504) 346-0285 

SUITE 695 • LEVEL 6 

LLOYD'S 

I LIME STREET 

LONDON EC3M 700 ENGLAND 

TELEPHONE 011-44-1-623-7100. EXT. 4244 

TELEX 987321 

September 21, 1987 

The Honorable Gilbert F. Ganucheau 
Clerk 
U. S. :Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit 
600 Camp Street 
New Orleans, LA 70130 

M. NAN ALESSANDRA 
ALISSA J. ALLISON” 
KURT E. BOSSHAROT 
JULIE 0. BOSwORTH 
MARK K. BROYLES 
CYNTHIA OTERI BUTERA 
MICHAEL G. DA, 
DOCIA L. CIALBY 
ALLEN 0. DARDEN 
MARK C. DODART 
DELOS E. FLINT. JR. 
J. CLIFTON HALL III 
MARY ELIZABETH HALL. 
STEPHEN P. HALL • 
DAVID N. HARDY 
DODGE HOBSON 
SHAWN L HOLAHAN 
RUSSELL D. HOLWAIDEL•• 
SESSIONS AuLT HOOTSELL III 
MARY CAMPBELL HUBBARD 
STEPHANIE W. JUMONVILLE 
F. SCOTT KAISER 
WARREN P. KEAN 
TIMOTHY E. KELLEY . 
DAVID J KREBS 
STEPHEN H. LEECH. JR. • 

• STEVEN J. LEVINE 
ROBERT B. mcNEAL 
SUSAN O'BRIEN MANDERSON• 

RE: Ronald Chisom, et al. v. Edwin Edwards 
No. 87-3463 

DIANE LLOYD MATTHEWS 
PAUL C. MINICLIER 
SEAN F. MURPHY 
PAUL M. NEWTON. JR. •• 
G. BRUCE PARKERSON 

• MAURA Z. PELLETERI 
CHARLES D.• PORTER • 
DAVID W POWELL 
JENNIFER SCREEN READER 
JAMES P. REID 
JEFFREY A. RiGGS 
MICHAEL o. RILEY 
IRA J. ROSENZWEIG 
DAVID MARC RUBIN 
JEAN HOGAN SANSING • 
T. GREGORY SERWICH 11 
JOHN P SNEED•• 
JULIE L. SNEED. 
TARYN S. SOUTHON 
MARY LOUISE STRONG 
JAMES A..STUCKEY 

• SHEILA T. WALET 
BRIAN 0. WALLACE 
AMELIA J. WILLIAMS 
CONRAD S. P. WILLIAMS III 
STERLING SCOTT WILLIS 
JENNIFER ZIMMERMAN 
BRENDA ZNACHKO 

'ADMITTED IN IASSISSIPPI 

...s.,..4n-rco IN UXIIVANA Aso arasissip. 

ALL OTHERS ADMIRED IN LCHASLA.NA 

HAND-DELIVERED 

9999-999 

Dear Mr. Ganucheau: 
< 

I enclose herewith the original and three copies of the 
Motion to the Washington Legal Foundation and the Allied 
Education Foundation for Leave to File Brief Amici Curiae in 
Support of Defendants-Appellees in the above referenced action. 
As you will note, all parties to the appeal have consented to the 
filing of the brief. 

We thank the Court for its attention to this matter. 

Sincerely, 

PHELPS, DUNBAR, MARKS, CLAVERIE & SIMS 

MBW:lc 
cc: Mr. Kendall Vick 

Mr. Daniel Popeo. 
Ms. Pamela S. Karlan 

Enclosures 

Michael B. Wallace 



. IN THE . 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT 

NO. 87-3463 

RONALD CHISOM, et al., 

Plaintiffs-Appellants, 

v. 

EDWIN EDWARDS, et al., 

Defendants-Appellees. 

MOTION OF THE WASHINGTON LEGAL FOUNDATION 
AND THE ALLIED EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION 
FOR LEAVE TO FILE BRIEF AMICI CURIAE 
IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS-APPELLEES  

Pursuant to Rule 29 .of the Federal Rules of Appellate. 

Procedure and Rule 31,2 of this Court, the Washington. Legal 

Foundation" ("WLF") and the Allied Educational Foundation ("AEF") 

move the Court for leave to.. file ,a brief amici curiae in support 

sof the defendants.-appellees Edwin Edwards, et.al. 

Both plaintiffs-appellants and defendantsappelleeS have 

given written consent to the filing WLF's brief, copies of 

' which consent letters are attached jlereto. 



2 

INTERESTS OF AMICI CURIAE  

The -Washington Legal Foundation .("WLF") - is.a non-profit.. 

public interest law center, based in Washington, D.C., with over 

120,000 members and supporters nationwide, including many in the 

State of Louisiana. WLF has participated in and has devoted a 

substantial portion of its resources to cases relating to voting 

rights. For example, WLF filed an amicus curiaeloriefin the 

landmark case of Thornburg v. Gingles, 106 S.Ct. 2752 (1986), as 

well as City of Pleasant  Grove v. U.S., 107 S.Ct. 794 (1987). 

WLF has also filed amicus brief in such cases as Local. 93 • 

International Association of Firefighters v. City. of Cleveland, 

106 S.Ct. 3063 (1986) and Memphis Firefighters v. Stotts,a4 .. 

S.Ct. 2576 (1984). 

In this case WLF seeks to protect the interests' of its 

members in the proper interpretation of the federal Voting 

Rights Act of 1965, as amended ("VRA"). The district .court. 

correctly found that Section 2. of the VRA did not apply to 

judicial elections -- a decision which accurately reflects the 

history and meaning of the VRA, • but which has come under attack 

by those who would wish the court to. redesign judicial election. 

.dittricts to ensure the election of minority judges. 

The Allied •Education Foundation ("AEF") joins WLF as an: 

amicus- on this brief. AEF, established in 1964, is a non-profit 

charitable and educat.io., foundation based in Englewood, New • 

Jersey, and devoted- to the expansion of knowledge.in a broad. 

variety of areas including voting .rights and the political 

process. AEF.has appeared along with WLF as amicus in several 

case's before the United States SupreMe. Court. 



3 

REASONS WHY AMICI BRIEF IS DESIRABLE  

• .- Courts.frob Ohio to Mississippi are now confronting •the 

question of whether the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, 

is applicable to judicial elections. WLF and AEF will assist 

the court by providing a brief amici curiae which will discuss 

this issue with a national, rather than a local, focus. 

WLF and AEF intend to argue that the appropriate function of 

the judiciary requires an exercise. of judicial restraint even 

when confronted with the emotionally charged issues of voting 

. rights. The participation .of WLF and AEF as amici nay therefore 

assist the court in weighting the legal and policy issues upon 

which our current notion of separation of powers rests. 

short, we believe that the courts must interpret the law rather 

then correct the law. This case is an appropriate vehicle for' 

amici to present this historical argument. 

In.: addition, WLF raises an issue not addressed by the court 

below, the parties, or amicus United States, namely that t 

plaintiffs, haVing failed to allege, inter alia, that any 

minorities ha\ie unsuccessfully run for judicial office, lack 

standing to bring this suit 

he 

Accordingly , the decision .below 

. can 'be affirmed .on other grounds. 



4 

CONCLUSION  

For -all the foregoing reasons, the Washington Legal 

Foundation respectfully moves the Court for leave to file a 

brief amici curiae in support of defendants-appellees. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Michael B. Wallace* 
Mirror Lake Plaza 
2829 Lakeland Drive 
Jackson, Mississippi 69216 
(601) 939-3899 

Local Counsel 

Daniel J.'...Pope6.) 

Paul D. Kamenar 

-WashingtOn Legal Foundation • 
'1705 N Street, N.W. • 
Washington, •D.C. 2003.6 
(202) . 857-0240 



tate of 3Eattisiana 
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

• 

W ILLIAM J. G USTE. JR. 
ATTORNEY GENERAL August 14, 1987 

Honorable Gilbert F. Ganucheau 
Clerk 
United States Court of Appeals 
Fifth Circuit 
Office of the Clerk 
600 Camp Street 
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 

' 7TH FLOOR 
2-3-4 LOYOLA BUILDING 
NEW. ORLEANS 70112-2096 

Re: Chisom, et al v. Edwards, et al, #87-3463 

Dear Mr. Ganucheau: 

In responce to the enclosed request by the Washington 
Legal Foundation to file an amicus curiae in the captioned 
case, we hereby consent to their filing same: 

Sincerely yours, 

WILLIAM J. GUSTE, JR. 
ATTORNEY GENERAL 

• • 

L L. K 
• ISTANT A 0 NEY GENERAL 

CH F COUNSEL 

KLV/md 
Encl. 



August 14, 1987 

Todd Natkin, Esq. 
Washington Legal Foundation 
1705 N Street, N.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20036 

Re: No. 87-3463, Chisom v. Edwards 

Dear Mr. Natkin: 

I am writing in response to your letter of August 
12, 1987. Appellants in Chisom v. Edwards do not. 
object to the filing of a brief amicus curiae by the 
Washington Lecal Foundation. 

Sincerely, 
! f 

Pamela S. Karlan 
Counsel for Appellants 

cc: All counsel 

NINETY NINE HUDSON STREET - • (212) 219-1900 • NEW YORK, NY. 1.0013 



CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE  

-I certify that a.copy of the foregoing Motion For Leave To 

File Brief Amici Curiae has been served upon counsel for all 

parties by mailing the save to each, properly addressed and 

9/sT 
postage prepaid this  /(/--  day of September, 1987. 

Michael B. Wallace* 
Mirror Lake Plaza 
2829 Lakeland Drive 
Jackson, Mississippi 69216 
(601) 939-3899 

Local Counsel 



o 
pnitetr States Couai of cAppeals 

GILBERT F. GANUCHEAU 
CLERK 

FIFTH CIRCUIT 

OFFICE OF THE CLERK 

September 22, 1987 

MEMORANDUM TO COUNSEL OR PARTIES LISTED BELOW: 

No. 87-3463 Chisom -vs- Edwards 

The following action has been taken in the above case: 

AN EXTENSION OF TIME has been granted to and including 

0 for filing appellant's/petitioner's brief. 
0 for filing appellee's/respondent's brief. 

0 for filing reply brief. 

0 for filing petition for rehearing. 

TEL. 504-589-6514 

600 CAMP STREET 

NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130 

ED Motion to consolidate granted. 
ED Motion to supplement or correct the record granted. 
ED Motion for leave to file supplemental brief granted. 
Ea Motion for leave to file brief amicus curiae is granted. 

ED Joint motion as to time for filing briefs granted. 
ED Order enclosed has been entered. 

CC: All Counsel of Record 

GILBERT F. GANUCHEAU, Clerk 

Deputy Clerk 

MOT-2