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BB&L Attorney Mike Madden Argues Seattle School District Case

On June 28, 2007, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in the Seattle and Louisville student assignment cases, which dealt with the authority of public schools to consider race to assign students for purposes of achieving diversity in individual schools. By a 5-4 vote, the Court determined that both the Seattle and Louisville plans were invalid because the school districts had not adequately demonstrated that their goals could not be achieved through other means. Justice Kennedy joined the plurality opinion, written by Chief Justice Roberts, but on narrow grounds specific to the plans and the record in the particular cases. Five justices (including Justice Kennedy) agreed, however, that achieving diverse, integrated schools is sufficiently important to warrant the consideration of race under certain circumstances. Rejecting the views of the Chief Justice, Justice Kennedy wrote:

This Nation has a moral and ethical obligation to fulfill its historic commitment to creating an integrated society that ensures equal opportunity for all of its children. A compelling interest exists in avoiding racial isolation, an interest that a school district, in its discretion and expertise, may choose to pursue. Likewise, a district may consider it a compelling interest to achieve a diverse student population. Race may be one component of that diversity, but other demographic factors, plus special talents and needs, should also be considered.

BB&L's Mike Madden and Carol Sue Janes are proud to have represented the Seattle Public Schools in this important case, which will now return to the lower courts for further proceedings.


Listen to Mike Madden on NPR (6/28/07)
Listen to Mike Madden on NPR (6/5/07)



AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS

United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Docket No. C00-1205R

Number Source Description Date
1 Court Reporter Transcript of Proceedings (from U.S. District Court) 03/28/2001
2 Court Order Granting Defendants' Motions for Summary Judgment 04/06/2001
3 Appellant Notice of Appeal and Representation Statement (with attachments) 04/30/2001


United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Docket No. 01-35450

Number Source Description Date
4 Appellant Appellant's Unopposed Motion to Expedite Hearing of Appeal 05/16/2001
5 Appellees Appellees' Response to Unopposed Motion to Expedite Hearing of Appeal 05/22/2001
6 Court Order [Granting Appellant's Motion to Expedite Briefing] 05/24/2001
7 Court Order [Appellees' Response to Appellant's Motion to Expedite Hearing of Appeal Shall be Lodged as an Exhibit to that Appeal] 05/30/2001
8 Appellant BRIEF OF APPELLANT 07/17/2001
9 Appellant Appellant's Excerpts of Record Volume I (ER 1-290) 07/17/2001
10 Appellant Appellant's Excerpts of Record Volume II (ER 291-578) 07/17/2001
11 Appellant Appellant's Excerpts of Record Volume III (ER 579-723) 07/17/2001
12 Appellees BRIEF OF APPELLEES 09/07/2001
13 Appellees Appellees' Supplemental Excerpts of Record Volume I (Supp. ER 1-263) 09/07/2001
14 Appellees Appellees' Supplemental Excerpts of Record Volume II (Supp. ER 264-468) 09/07/2001
15 Amicus Amicus Brief: American Civil Liberties Union [in Support of Appellees] 09/07/2001
16 Appellant REPLY BRIEF OF APPELLANT 10/05/2001
17 Court Order [Setting Oral Argument Date for 12/04/2001] 10/23/2001
18 Court OPINION (Panel) 04/16/2002
19 Appellant Appellant's Emergency Motion for Injunction [to Prevent Use of Appellees' Assignment Plan] 04/22/2002
20 Appellant Declaration of Harry Korrell in Support of Appellant's Emergency Motion for Injunction 04/22/2002
21 Appellees Appellees' Response to Appellant's Emergency Motion for Injunction 04/23/2002
22 Appellees Declaration of Mike Madden in Response to Appellant's Emergency Motion for Injunction 04/23/2002
23 Appellees Petition for Rehearing En Banc 04/25/2002
24 Court Order [Granting Appellant's Motion for Injunction] 04/26/2002
25 Court Order [Requesting Response to Appellees' Petition for Rehearing] 05/23/2002
26 Appellant Response to Petition for Rehearing En Banc 06/12/2002
27 Court Order Withdrawing Opinion and Vacating Injunction 06/17/2002
28 Court ORDER [Certifying Question to Washington State Supreme Court, Withdrawing Opinion, and Vacating Injunction] 06/17/2002


Washington State Supreme Court
Docket No. 72712-1

Number Source Description Date
29 Appellant BRIEF OF APPELLANT 07/17/2002
30 Amicus Amicus Brief:
American Civil Rights Institute
American Civil Rights Union
Center for Equal Opportunity
Pacific Legal Foundation
[in Support of Appellant]		 07/25/2002
31 Appellees APPELLEES' BRIEF 08/08/2002
32 Appellees Appellees' Answer to Amicus Brief:
American Civil Rights Institute
American Civil Rights Union
Center for Equal Opportunity
Pacific Legal Foundation		 08/12/2002
33 Appellant REPLY BRIEF OF APPELLANT 08/19/2002
34 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
[in Support of Appellees]		 09/23/2002
35 Appellant Appellant's Answer to Amicus Brief:
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle		 10/10/2002
36 Appellees Appellees' Statement of Additional Authority 10/18/2002
37 Court OPINION 06/26/2003
38 Appellant Motion for Reconsideration 7/15/2003
39 Court Order Denying Motion for Reconsideration 09/02/2003


United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (following certification)
Docket No. 01-35450

Number Source Description Date
40 Court Order [Requiring Parties to File Supplemental Briefing Re: Grutter & Gratz] 09/22/2003
41 Appellant PICS' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF Re: Grutter & Gratz 10/10/2003
42 Amicus Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief:
Pacific Legal Foundation
American Civil Rights Institute
American Civil Rights Union
Center for Equal Opportunity
[in Support of Appellant]		 10/14/2003
43 Amicus Supplemental Amicus Brief:
Pacific Legal Foundation
American Civil Rights Institute
American Civil Rights Union
Center for Equal Opportunity
[in Support of Appellant]
 		10/14/2003
44 Court Order Granting Leave to File Supplemental Amicus Brief
Pacific Legal Foundation
American Civil Rights Institute
American Civil Rights Union
Center for Equal Opportunity		 10/27/2003
45 Appellees APPELLEES' SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEF [Addressing Grutter & Gratz] 10/31/2003
46 Amicus Supplemental Amicus Brief addressing Grutter & Gratz:
American Civil Liberties Union
[in Support of Appellees]		 11/12/2003
47 Appellant APPELLANT'S [SUPPLEMENTAL] REPLY BRIEF Addressing Grutter & Gratz 11/14/2003
48 Court Order [Setting Oral Argument Date for 12/15/03] 11/24/2003
49 Court OPINION Vol. 1 (of 3) 07/27/2004
50 Court OPINION Vol. 2 (of 3) 07/27/2004
51 Court OPINION Vol. 3 (of 3) 07/27/2004
52 Appellees Petition for Rehearing En Banc 08/17/2004
53 Amicus Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief:
Council of the Great City Schools
National School Boards Association
American Association of School Administrators
Public Education Network
[in Support of Appellees]		 08/17/2004
54 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Council of the Great City Schools
National School Boards Association
American Association of School Administrators
Public Education Network
[in Support of Appellees]		 08/17/2004
55 Court Order [Directing Appellant to File Response to Petition for Rehearing] 08/20/2004
56 Court Order [Granting Leave to File Amicus Brief:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund]		 08/20/2004
57 Court Order [Granting Leave to File Amicus Brief:
Council of the Great City Schools
National School Boards Association
American Association of School Administrators
Public Education Network]		 08/20/2004
58 Appellant Answer to Petition for Rehearing En Banc 09/09/2004
59 Appellant Appendix B to Answer to Petition for Rehearing En Banc 09/09/2004
60 Court Order [Granting Rehearing En Banc] 02/01/2005
61 Court Order [Scheduling En Banc Hearing for 6/21/2005] 04/01/2005
62 Court OPINION (En Banc) 10/20/2005
63 Court Judgment 10/20/2005


United States Supreme Court
Docket No. 05-908

Number Source Description Date
64 Petitioner Petition for Writ of Certiorari (includes Petition Appendix) 01/18/2006
65 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Pacific Legal Foundation
American Civil Rights Institute
American Civil Rights Union
Center for Equal Opportunity
[in Support of Petition for Writ of Certiorari]		 03/21/2006
66 Respondents Brief in Opposition 03/22/2006
67 Petitioner Reply Brief 04/04/2006
68 Court Order Granting Certiorari 06/05/2006
69 Petitioner Petitioner's Brief 08/21/2006
70 Petitioner Joint Appendix
 08/21/2006
71 Amicus Amicus Brief:
United States		 08/21/2006
72 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Project on Fair Representation
National Association of Scholars
Law Professors
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 08/21/2006
73 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Center for Individual Rights		 08/21/2006
74 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Competitive Enterprise Institute		 08/21/2006
75 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Mountain States Legal Foundation		 08/21/2006
76 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Pacific Legal Foundation
American Civil Rights Institute
Center for Equal Opportunity
American Civil Rights Union
National Ass'n of Neighborhood Schools
 08/21/2006
77 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Florida Governor Jeb Bush
(Florida) State Board of Education
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 08/21/2006
78 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Asian American Legal Foundation
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
08/21/2006
79 Amicus Amicus Brief:
David J. Armor
Abigail Thernstrom
Stephan Thernstrom
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 08/21/2006
80 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Various School Children from Lynn, Mass.
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 08/21/2006
81 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Dr. Murphy
Dr. Rosell
Dr. Walberg
08/21/2006
82 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Timothy Don-Hugh Mak		 08/21/2006
83 Petitioner (Letter) Request for permission to lodge non-record material 08/21/2006
84 Petitioner (Letter) Request for permission to lodge non-record material
Affidavit of Kathleen Brose (dated 08/31/2006)
08/31/2006
85 Amicus Motion of the United States as Amicus Curiae for Leave to Participate in Oral Argument and for Divided Argument
 09/25/2006
86 Respondents Brief for Respondents
 10/10/2006
87 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Alliance for Education [Seattle]
Municipal League of King County
Mayor and Former Mayors of Seattle
Former Seattle School Board Members
 10/10/2006
88 Amicus Amicus Brief:
American Civil Liberties Union
ACLU of Kentucky
ACLU of Washington
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
89 Amicus Amicus Brief:
American Council on Education
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
10/10/2006
90 Amicus Amicus Brief:
American Educational Research Ass'n
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
91 Amicus Amicus Brief:
American Psychological Ass'n
Washington State Psychological Ass'n
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
92 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Prof. Amy Stuart Wells, et al
Campaign for Educational Equity
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
93 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Anti-Defamation League
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
94 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Asian American Justice Center
Asian Law Caucus
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Asian American Institute, et al
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
95 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Asian Am. Legal Defense and Educ. Fund
Chinese for Affirmative Action, et al
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
96 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
97 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Black Women Lawyers Ass'n of Chicago
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
98 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Joseph E. Brann, et al. (law enforcement)
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
99 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Brennan Center for Justice
Center for Constitutional Rights Demos
National Voting Rights Institute
Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Educ. Fund
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
100 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Caucus for Structural Equity
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
101 Amicus Amicus Brief:
19 Former Chancellors of the University of California
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
102 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, et al
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
103 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Collaborative of Catholic Leaders & Orgs.
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
10/10/2006
104 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Council of the Great City Schools
Magnet Schools of America
Public Education Network
United States Conference of Mayors
San Francisco Unified School Dist.
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
105 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Historians [original intent of 14th Amendment]
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
106 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Historians of the Civil Rights Era
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
107 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Housing Scholars
Research and Advocacy Organizations
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
108 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Howard University School of Law
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
109 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Interested Human Rights Clinics
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
110 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Latino Organizations
[Mexican American Legal Defense Fund]
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
111 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, San Francisco
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
112 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Leadership Conf. on Civil Rights
Leadership Conf. on Civil Rights Educ. Fund
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
113 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Los Angeles Unified School District
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
114 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Massachusetts, Commonwealth of
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
115 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Massachusetts Ass'n of School Superintendents
Massachusetts Ass'n of School Committees
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
116 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Media & Telecommunications Companies
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
117 Amicus Amicus Brief:
NAACP
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
118 Amicus Amicus Brief:
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
119 Amicus Amicus Brief:
NCAA
National Basketball Retired Players Ass'n
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
120 Amicus Amicus Brief:
National Education Association
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
121 Amicus Amicus Brief:
National Lawyers Guild
 10/10/2006
122 Amicus Amicus Brief:
National PTA
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
123 Amicus Amicus Brief:
National School Boards Ass'n
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
124 Amicus Amicus Brief:
National Women's Law Center
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
125 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Religious Organizations et al
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
126 Amicus Amicus Brief:
553 Social Scientists
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
127 Amicus Amicus Brief:
States Attorneys General
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
128 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Swann Fellowship, Former Sch. Bd. Members, Parents, and Children from Charlotte-Mecklenburg [NC] Schools
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
129 Amicus Amicus Brief:
[United States Senators]
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, et al
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
130 Amicus Amicus Brief:
[United States Representatives]
Rep. Jim McDermott, et al
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
131 Amicus Amicus Brief:
[Former U.S. Department of Defense Officials]
Hon. Clifford L. Alexander, Jr., et al
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
132 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Former U.S. Secretaries of Educ., et al
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
133 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
National Urban League
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
134 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Walt Sherlin [Wake County]
(also filed in Meredith 05-915)
 10/10/2006
135 Court Opinion - Syllabus 06/28/2007
136 Court Opinion - Plurality (Roberts)
 06/28/2007
137 Court Opinion - Concurrence (Thomas) 06/28/2007
138 Court Opinion - Concurrence in Part (Kennedy) 06/28/2007
139 Court Opinion - Dissent (Breyer) 06/28/2007
140 Court Opinion - Dissent (Stevens) 06/28/2007


Also Available:

Crystal D. Meredith v. Jefferson Cy. [Kentucky] Bd. of Educ.

United States Supreme Court
Docket No. 05-915

Number Source Description Date
141 Petitioner Petition for Writ of Certiorari 01/18/2006
142 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Pacific Legal Foundation
American Civil Rights Institute
American Civil Rights Union
Center for Equal Opportunity
[in Support of Petition for Writ of Certiorari]		 02/2006
143 Respondent Brief in Opposition 02/2006
144 Petitioner Petitioner's Brief 08/18/2006
145 Petitioner Louisville Joint Appendix - Part I 08/18/2006
146 Petitioner Louisville Joint Appendix - Part II 08/18/2006
147 Petitioner Louisville Joint Appendix - Part III 08/18/2006
148 Petitioner Louisville Joint Appendix - Part IV 08/18/2006
149 Amicus Amicus Brief:
United States		 08/21/2006
150 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Pacific Legal Foundation
American Civil Rights Institute
Center for Equal Opportunity
 08/21/2006
151 Amicus Motion for the United States as Amicus Curiae for Leave to Participate in Oral Argument and for Divided Argument
 09/25/2006
152 Respondents Brief for Respondents
 10/10/2006
(Please see PICS listings above for other Amicus briefs filed jointly in PICS and Meredith actions)
153 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Human Rights Advocacy Groups and International Law Professors
 10/10/2006
153 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce
(Greater Louisville Inc.)
Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry E. Abramson
 10/10/2006
154 Amicus Amicus Brief:
Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence
 10/10/2006
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