Letter from Lani Guinier to Prof. Elizabeth Bartholet
Correspondence
August 27, 1982

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Legal Department General, Lani Guinier Correspondence. Letter from Lani Guinier to Prof. Elizabeth Bartholet, 1982. abc582e6-e392-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/e117e6ee-87bd-4f46-a4da-152952044b80/letter-from-lani-guinier-to-prof-elizabeth-bartholet. Accessed April 29, 2025.
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&esar@renseffi. August 27, L982 Prof. Elizabeth Bartholet Harvard Law School Cambrldge, Massachusetts 02138 Dear Betsy: r am representing two black women (ages 69 and sz) 1n Arabama who have been convlcted of votlng fraud. They were sentenced to foun and flve years ln prison. They had ex- hausted alr direct appeals when LDF got involved in the case. There are a number of very interesting issues in thls case on which students in the public rnterest Litigation course may enjoy working. r certainly courd use their he1p. This ls a case of selective prosecutlon of two ctvllrlghts actlvists who were organizlng the brack communlty in Plckens county by assisting erderry people to vote absentee. I need students to work on several constitutional issues(e.9., (1) was the statute charged in the indictment uncon- stitutionar as appri-ed in right of its chilring effect onthe exercj-se of the right to vote subsequent to the con-viction and sentencing no bl-acks have voted absentee in Pickens County; (2 ) was the judge,s charge to the jury on crimes not named in the indictment a violation of defendants' due process rights even in the absence of objections by defense counsel- ) . r arso need help in compiring whatever legislative history is avallable for a I98O Alabama statute that changed the procedure for voting absentee. r wourd love to discuss this project with you further. Please give me a call when you return to Cambridge. Siy>ereIy, ./ ^ lz'',Y(urvt-V\- Lani Guinier LG:jj Contributions are deductible lor U.S, income tar purposes The NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATIONAL FUN0 is not part ol the National Association lor the Advancement of Colored People allhough it was lounded by it and shares its commitment l0 oqual rights. L0F has had lor over 25 years a separate Board, program, stalf, ollics and budget. NAACP LEGAL OEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND. INC. 10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 o (212) 586-8397