Despite the success of the VRA in combating racial/ethnic discrimination with regards to the electoral franchise, the VRA's jurisprudential landscape has and may continue to complicate future litigation strategies under Section 2 and Section 5 as it relates to the creation of coalition-districts and the conceptualization of communities of interest and 'cultural cohesion.' This panel discussed the limitations of the VRA for communities of color, and how litigation strategies that serve to create majority-minority districts for one racial/ethnic group, may complicate the fundamental right to elect a candidate of choice for other racial/ethnic groups. How have and can lawyers fight to protect voting rights under the VRA with the goal of racial equity embedded in litigation strategies?

Moderator: Colin Allred, JD Candidate, UC Berkeley School of Law