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10 ¦ APRIL 12, 2021 NEWS

National Group Calls on Legal Profession to
Fight Voter Suppression

By Michael Marciano

The national organization Lawyers Defending
American Democracy has issued an Open Let-
ter calling on law firms, bar associations and
law schools to devote resources to protecting and
expanding voter rights in the midst of efforts in state
legislatures around the country to curtail access to
the polls, including new restrictions passed in the
state of Georgia.
“The right to vote in the United States is at risk, en-
dangering the foundation of our democracy,” LDAD
stated in its letter “We need America’s legal institu-
tions to serve as a bulwark against these attacks, and
to use their powerful and influential voices to pro- Lauren Stiller Rikleen,left, founder and president of
tect the rule of law.” Rikleen Institute and Eugene R. Fidell, right,

senior research scholar in law at Yale Law School.

LDAD called on lawyers and firms to expand pro Courtesy Photos

bono activities, including direct engagement in or- fought the former president’s attempts to challenge
ganizations promoting voting rights and fighting the results of the 2020 election. The group now
“directly in the courthouse.” Recommended actions claims an association of 14,000 supporters dedicated
include engaging with business and community to protecting the rule of law and democracy.
leaders in all states and refusing to hold meetings in In January, LDAD co-authored a comprehensive
states that restrict voter rights. ethics complaint against former New York Mayor
“Today’s voter suppression has long roots in our Rudy Giuliani that was filed with the grievance
nation’s history. But the pace and intensity have been committee state’s courts, which had more than 7,600
exacerbated by the Big Lie—the false statement that signatories. The group also filed an ethics complaint
the 2020 election was ‘stolen’ and that new laws are against then-Attorney General William Barr with
needed to improve ‘election security,’” LDAD con- the D.C. Bar, which was endorsed by four former
tinued. D.C. Bar presidents.
As of Wednesday, more than 1,600 lawyers had Georgia’s recent election law passage, which civil
signed LDAD’s “Open Letter Regarding Voter rights groups say imposes limits on voters in minor-
Suppression.” Signatories include Brad S. Karp, ity communities and is rooted racism, triggered the
chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garri- latest LDAD action. The legislation also drew con-
son; Robert Abrams, former attorney general of the demnation from Black Fortune 500 executives who
state of New York; and Pakistani lawyer Khizr Khan, called on U.S. corporate leaders to oppose voter sup-
the Gold Star father who offered to share his copy of pression.
the U.S. Constitution with then-presidential candi- Threatened with boycotts, companies including
date Donald J. Trump. Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Home Depot and Ma-
The voter suppression letter marks the latest in a jor League Baseball have made public statements
series of campaigns by LDAD, which actively op- opposing voter suppression, including the MLB’s
posed many Trump administration policies and relocation of the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta.

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