Co-sponsored with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities and the Standing Committee on Election Law, in August, The Bar Association of San Francisco presented to the ABA House of Delegates, Resolution 10E relating to the Shelby County v. Holder Voting Rights Act decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Immediately following a rousing speech by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the ABA Convention where she urged attorneys to “join the fight for the protection of voting rights,” BASF’s resolution came up for a vote. The resolution passed with no opposition.

Two past BASF presidents teamed up to sponsor and present the resolution; Mark Schickman, Freeland Cooper & Foreman, chair-elect of the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, and Russ Roeca, Roeca Haas Hager, BASF’s delegate to the House of Delegates.  Roeca replaced long-time delegate, and another past BASF President  Joanne Garvey, Sheppard Mullin, who retired from the position after many years of service.

Full text of Resolution 10E

Resolved, That the American Bar Association urges the United States Congress to act expeditiously to preserve and protect voting rights by legislating a coverage formula setting forth the criteria by which jurisdictions shall or shall not be subject to Section 5 preclearance and/or by enacting other remedial amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, including but not limited to, strengthening the litigation remedy available under Section 2, or expanding the “bail-in” provision under Section 3 (or some combination of these concepts), in response to Shelby County v. Holder.