SmartBrief
Confirm favorite deletion?
Constitutional Law Keyed to Choper
Miller v. Johnson
Citation:
515 U.S. 900 (1995)Facts
In 1991, Georgia’s General Assembly began redistricting following the 1990 census, which entitled Georgia to an eleventh congressional seat. The legislature adopted guidelines requiring single-member districts of equal population, contiguity, nondilution of minority voting strength, and compliance with the Voting Rights Act. The first two plans submitted by Georgia to the Justice Department for preclearance contained two majority-minority districts, but were rejected. The Department indicated that Georgia should create three majority-minority districts. The legislature then created a third majority-black district (the Eleventh) by connecting black neighborhoods in Atlanta with the black population in Savannah, though these areas were 260 miles apart and shared little in common. The district had a bizarre shape with narrow land bridges connecting disparate black populations. The Justice Department approved this plan, and elections were held in 1992. In 1994, five white voters from the Eleventh District filed suit, claiming the district was a racial gerrymander that violated the Equal Protection Clause. The District Court found that race was the predominant factor in drawing the district and that the plan was not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling interest.
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
Topic:
Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.Parties:
Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.Procedural Posture & History:
Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.:
A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises:
Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
Brief Facts:
A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.Rule of Law:
Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.Facts:
What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case.Issue(s):
Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.Holding:
Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.Concurring / Dissenting Opinions:
Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.Reasoning and Analysis:
Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
Policy:
Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.Court Direction:
Shares where the Court went from here for this case.