New York, NY, Friday, May 1, 2026 – The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) opposes all forms of inequality. On April 29th, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Louisiana v. Calais. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court determined that a Louisiana election map which established a second majority-Black congressional district constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and remanded the case.
While the Court did not overturn Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the decision severely limits its effectiveness. The Voting Rights Act, enacted during the Civil Rights Movement, was designed to protect minority voting power and representation. In recent years, a series of Supreme Court decisions have weakened the Act. The decision in Louisiana v. Calais further erodes it.
WBASNY is troubled by this decision and its broader potential implications not only on minority voting rights and representation, but also other civil rights statutes.
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The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for more than 4,100 attorneys throughout New York State and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country. For 45 years, WBASNY has been a singularly important resource for women lawyers, providing professional networking, continuing legal education programming, leadership training, and advocacy for the rights of women, children, and families. Through involvement with WBASNY’s 20 regional chapters and its 50 committees, WBASNY’s members collaborate with one another on a variety of issues and perform public and community service, in furtherance of its mission to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and women attorneys in particular. WBASNY holds United Nations NGO status with the U.N.’s Department of Public Information, and Special Consultative status in association with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). WBASNY is also a founding member of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations.
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