Correspondence from Pamela Karlan to Prof. Richard Engstrom

Correspondence
July 30, 1987

Correspondence from Pamela Karlan to Prof. Richard Engstrom preview

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  • Legal Department General, Lani Guinier Correspondence. Correspondence from Pamela Karlan to Prof. Richard Engstrom, 1987. 43cfedae-eb92-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/8b7da132-f453-409a-a601-036eb2dca0c4/correspondence-from-pamela-karlan-to-prof-richard-engstrom. Accessed June 13, 2025.

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NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC.

gg Hudson Stroet, New York. N.Y. 10013 o 1212121$'1900

July 3O, 1987

Profcsaor Rlchard Engstron
Dcpartnent of Polltical Sclence
Unlverslty of New Orlcane

Dear Dlck:

It was good talking to you about the Alanogordo case. ft
rnust have beln very cxcltlng to have been there for the electlon.
As I promised, f'm encloslng a copy of the article that appeared
ln the Sunday Times.

On a completely dlfferent front, Jlm Bl.acksher and I are
Lnterested 1n retalning you to prepare a fairly brlef affldavit
regarding the current use of alternatives to single-member
distrlctlng for us to uee ln the Dlllard v. Crenshaw Countv case.
The current proceedings in Dillard lnvolve challenglng roughly
160 Atabama Jurlsdtctions that sttlf use at-large clcctlons.
Several defendants have lndlcated their lntentlon to move to
dlenles on the grounds that najority-black slngle-nenber
dlstrlcts cannot be drawn and thus that plalntiffs cannot neet
the flrst prong of Glnqles. gfhat werd llke to argue ls that the
court should aseees the guestton of the dlecrlnlnatory lnpact of
at-large electlons by conparlng black electoraf aucceee under at-
large Llectlons wtth their potentlaf succees under altcrnatlve
echenes, such as cumulatlve votlng, as well as under alngle-
nember dlstrlcting. 9le think tt ntght etrengthen our argunent to
have an expert affldavlt discusslng the varlous altcrnative
schemes currently being ueed. At this polnt, w€ would need only
a very short decirptlve affidavlt, aay five pages or 60.

I shall catl you next week to eee lf you night be lnterested
and avallable.

Karlan

encfoeure
Contributiotu an fudutiblt lor U'S ircotw tor pntp**

rhe ilMCp Lcgat Dclcnsc t EdlEetionat Fund, lnc (LoF) is not parr ot thc ration lArsoo.tim lor thc xnmrmnl ol colottd h* 0lA cP) dthough

g;F was loundert by rre ]rgcpind iiiies ,ts comm'rrenr ro cqJ; riih[. roF rras trao tor owr I ycars a scaar.te 8oard, proe ram. stal|, ollrc rnd bd9et

Sirlqerely,\k
Pailela S.

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